Though I’ve never read the original novel or seen the subsequent film, the comics adaptation of F. PAUL WILSON’S THE KEEP makes me want to. Because if either captures half the atmosphere and sense of dread present in this five-issue miniseries, the experience would be well worth it.

Scripted by Wilson himself with art by Matthew Smith, THE KEEP is the story of a foreboding, castle-like fortress in the Transylvania mountains. During World War II, German soldiers run across it, mess with it and, as a result, die by it. Each night, a sinister force within the structure’s bricked walls summarily beheads one of the troops. Ironically, they are forced to consult a Jewish professor to help unravel its mysteries and save what’s left of their hides.

For the first two issues, we’re kept in the dark about most of those mysteries, making for an entirely intriguing and suspenseful read. Once the cat is let out of the bag (metaphorically speaking, of course – you don’t think the monster would be a cat, would you?), the narrative downshifts a little, but leaves other threads dangling to be wrapped up in the finale. As strong as this story is, Smith’s art really sells it. Minimalist and stark, drawn with lots of shadows, his work is pitch-perfect, emboldened by an unusual color scheme that is limited purposely to black and blue, except for the occasional scene involving blood, in which the red ink is rightly spilled.

My love for Wilson continues unabated. His foreword explains both why he agreed to tackle a project he really didn’t have the time for and why he so detests the Michael Mann version of his novel. Here’s hoping we’ll see more of Wilson’s work properly adapted to film and comics in the future. –Rod Lott

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