Cthulhu Mythos in Comic Books & Manga

Cthulhu appearing in Marvel Comics.

🐙 Comic books and manga have frequently been influenced by H. P. Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos. Some comics have adapted Lovecraft or other Mythos writers' works, more or less faithfully; other projects have been original works set in a Mythos or Mythos-adjacent universe. Other graphic stories have Lovecraftian themes without directly referencing the Mythos, while other times comics creators drop Mythos names as an homage to Lovecraft.

Comic Books

John Coulthart

• The Call of Cthulhu (1988): published in The Starry Wisdom in 1994.
• The Haunter of the Dark (1988)
• The Dunwich Horror (1989): unfinished adaptation published in 1999.

DC Comics

• Batman: Arkham Asylum is the name of a heavily fortified insane asylum located on the outskirts of Gotham City in the various Batman media. There are also the video games Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham Origins, Batman: Arkham City, and Batman: Arkham Knight. In the DC universe, it was run by the Arkham family, namely Amadeus Arkham, giving it its name.
• Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham (2000; Mike Mignola): an Elseworlds story which combines the character Batman with various elements of the Cthulhu Mythos, and takes its name from "The Doom that Came to Sarnath".
• Constantine: The Hellblazer: a reboot series of the gritty 1980s occult series. In the second issue, after absorbing an enormous amount of magical energy, protagonist John Constantine remarks that "I could stop Cthulhu in his tracks with a simple lock-sigil".

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

• Cthulhu is referenced with the spelling "Kutulu".
• Allan and the Sundered Veil, The New Traveller's Almanac and The Black Dossier all reference Arkham.
• The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier: Nyarlathotep appears at the end as an emissary sent from Yuggoth to negotiate a truce with Prospero of the Blazing World. An Elder Thing, along with a Mi-go, a Cthulhu cult and Thomas Carnacki appear in the "What Ho, Gods of the Abyss?" section.

Others

• A Night in the Lonesome October: Nyarlathotep is briefly featured, along with other Great Old Ones, in the dream world the lead characters visit.
• Abyssal Albion (2020): ongoing series set within a post-apocalypse where the Great Old Ones have awakened. Shub-Niggurath and Deep Ones are featured amongst various Lovecraft references.
• Alan Moore's Yuggoth Cultures and Other Growths (2003)
• "Atlas' Adventures": story from Weird Worlds #24 which references Herbert West. Dr. Karl Veblen creates a "life generator" serum. He arranges for a co-conspirator to revive him with it after death, but they return Cleopatra instead. 
• Bruno the Bandit: a denizen of the demon world is "Shub-Megawrath", a goat-like blob creature with a thousand children, and a clear reference to Shub-Niggurath.
• The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, A Graphic Novel (2012): artist I. N. J. Culbard adapted the short story.
• Caballistics, Inc.: Ethan Kostabi has been hinted to be Nyarlathotep.
• Census: Marc Bernardin and Adam Freeman's comic book about a young slacker who takes a job conducting a census on the supernatural entities of New York City. Issue four features a cameo with Cthulhu, in which the Great Old One claims to "split my time between here, the underwater city of R'lyeh, and my place on the vineyard."
• The Dream Quest of Randolph Carter (2012, Charles Cutting): issue one of a comic adaptation of "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath" drawn was released. In 2015 Sloth Comics released the completed adaptation.
• The Dunwich Horror (2011): a four-issue limited adaptation of "The Dunwich Horror" by author Joe R. Lansdale and artist Peter Bergting.
• Fables: in issue #130 of Bill Willingham's modern day fantasy epic, one of the minor characters, a little girl named Junebug, discovers a copy of the Necronomicon while exploring her family's new home in Fabletown.
• Graphic Classics Volume 4: H. P. Lovecraft: features several Lovecraft adaptations by various writers and illustrators.
• Hack/Slash: Herbert West featured in a story arc.
• Howard Lovecraft (Arcana Studios): follows a fictionalised version of Lovecraft as a child and his pet monstrosity Spot as they explore the worlds of the Cthulhu Mythos.
• Infestation 2 (IDW Publishing): A crossover event featuring the Elder Gods invading the multiverse.
• Locke & Key (Joe Hill): a number of references including a town named Lovecraft, Massachusetts and demonic spirits known as Children of Leng.
• Macabre Massachusetts (Victor Laube): contains many references to the Cthulhu Mythos.
• Miskatonic (Mark Sable): A comic about a Bureau of Investigation agent investigating a series of bombings in Arkham, Massachusetts.
• Nerd and Jock (Marko Raassina): Lighthearted buddy comedy with occasional Lovecraftian elements. The character Olga is a regular practitioner of the occult and has a Cthulhu doll hanging in her room. Additionally, an eldritch being named Xarhuul has a massive crush on Nerd.
• The Rats in the Walls: Richard Corbin and Donald Wandrei adaptation.
• Serenity Rose: Skarsdayle is the former lead singer of a band named Nyarlathotep.
• The Shadow Over Innsmouth (2014): a comic book by Ron Marz.
• The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror (Bongo Comics): Issue #19 features the story "Cthulhu? Gesundheit!".
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mirage Studios): In issue #43, Loki summons Nyarlathotep, "destroyer of souls, tearer of flesh".
• Transformers: Cybertron (Fun Publications): The Elder Gods are alluded to in Ramjet's bio.
• The Worlds of H.P. Lovecraft: The Tomb (1992): an adaptation of the story of the same name.

Manga

Junji Ito

• Uzumaki
• A Portrait of Lovecraft.
• A painting based on "The Colour Out of Space".
• Jajingu (邪神宮, lit. Evil Shrine): Portraits of those who whisper in the dark, May 2011 exhibits, later collected in The Art of Junji Ito: Twisted Visions artbook.

Others

• Ghost Reaper Girl (2020): a Shonen Jump+ manga featuring many familiar Mythos names.
• Haiyore! Super Nyaruko-chan Time (2011-2014): a manga adaptation of Haiyore! Nyaruko-san, illustrated by Sōichirō Hoshino and published by in Flex Comix.
• Murcielago: has several characters and locations whose names reference creatures, locations and concepts from the Cthulhu Mythos.
• That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (2015-present): several of the Ultimate skills are named after entities from the Cthulhu Mythos.