'Dr. Herbert West' triggers trembles

Just in time for Halloween, Zenescope has launched perhaps its most chilling comic yet. "The Chronicles of Dr. Herbert West" is a six-issue miniseries that adapts the classic H.P. Lovecraft story "Herbert West: Reanimator."

It complements the Fort Washington-based publisher's other dark titles. Zenescope president Joe Brusha was such a fan of the source material that he decided to co-write the title with Ralph Tedesco, Zenescope VP and editor-in-chief. The results are impressive.

As the story opens we see West as a boy leaving church with his family. His father reminds him of the sermon, which emphasized that our physical lives are short and people's souls are important, since they are eternal and separate us from the animals.

That lesson is cut short when West's mother and young sister are killed in an accident triggered by his mother's heel snapping off. West's mind snaps as well, at least partially.

We next see West as a young scientist obsessed with death. More specifically, according to Megan - the book's sometime narrator and West's sometime love interest - he loved the idea that death could possibly be reversed.

How much his quest consumed him is evident during a scene at Miskatonic University, where West was a teacher's aide. In the span of a couple pages, we see the joy in his face when he bursts into the dean's office to announce what he feels are incredible results working on small animals. He soon finds that his colleague Justin has voiced some concerns and West in turn expresses rage at what he sees as a betrayal. We then see his determination at arguing his scientific case. Finally, we see how crushed he is when the dean says his experiments must cease, threatening to expel him.

West calmly tells Justin, "I'll get you for this," and exits.

Naturally, he is determined to continue his experiments off-campus and quickly decides he needs fresh bodies to work on. Incredibly, he promises to pay some gang if they deliver dead bodies. Even when it becomes obvious the gang members are killing innocent people to supply bodies to him, West looks the other way. Megan attempts to persuade him to stop his experiments, to no avail.

The first edition ends in a gripping cliff-hanger.

While most 10-year-old boys were buying candy and baseball cards, Havertown native Steven Rothman was using his allowance to buy comic books. This early investment led to a lifelong interest in comics, resulting in a recent donation to the University of Pennsylvania of 20,000 comic books and 5,000 graphic novels and related titles. A fraction of this mammoth collection comprises the exhibit "Life in Boxes: Comic Art & Artifacts," opening at the Kamin Gallery at the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center (3420 Walnut St.) today. The exhibit runs through March 22.

"Life in Boxes" reflects the history and development of comic strips, books and graphic novels as well as the animation that brings cartoons to life. The exhibit explores the major comic genres and focuses on Superman, women superheroes, Peanuts, Pogo, ducks (from Donald to Dirty), underground comics and works by local and foreign artists. Exhibition highlights include original artwork by influential comic-strip artists including Frank King (Gasoline Alley); Milton Caniff (Terry and the Pirates); Watso (Hawkshaw the Detective); Stan Drake (The Heart of Juliet Jones); and Coulton Waugh (Dickie Dare).

Rothman is a Penn grad and a longtime member of the Council of the Friends of the Library at Penn and Bryn Mawr College. He has been president of the Philobiblon Club, a Philadelphia-based group devoted to the book, for 10 years, and also served as president of the Library Associates at Haverford College.

"I fondly recall being handed a dime when I was very young and told to choose a fountain soda, a candy bar or a comic book. Beginning with that youthful (in)discretion, I have bought comic books, cartoon collections, graphic novels, reference works, histories, criticism, animation cels and even some original art, building the mass from which I have selected this exhibition," said Rothman. "I am grateful to the University of Pennsylvania Rare Book and Manuscript Library for the opportunity to curate this exhibition. The project has allowed me to see just what can be started on a dime."*

"Life in Boxes: Comic Art & Artifacts" opens with a lecture by artist Charles Burns, 5:30 p.m. today, Meyerson Hall, 210 S. 34th St., followed by a reception and gallery remarks by Rothman at the Kamin Gallery, first floor, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library, 3420 Walnut St. Gallery hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. (Photo ID required for admission; weekend visitors should call 215-898-7555 to arrange access.)

E-mail comicsguy@phillynews.com