Like the movie Alien
, this graphic novel, originally published in France, pits a crew against a marauding monster, but here, the setting is in the ocean depths. In 2029, the crew of a submarine, the U.S.S. Nebraska
, discovers the wreck of a Cold War–era Russian sub that in turn leads to the sanctum of the title. Constructed by the ancient Ugarit civilization, it lies within massive undersea caverns. Dorison creates suspense through the crew's efforts to raise their own damaged sub to the surface. But though he tries to generate drama through character conflicts, none of his cast has a vivid personality. Nor do the individuals look sufficiently distinct from each other in Bec's naturalistic drawing style. While exquisitely drawn and colored, the artwork is too static for what should be a thriller. Dorison reveals that the sanctum was built to imprison Mot, the Ugarit god of death, an inferior copy of the monsters done better by H.P. Lovecraft. All told, this work
is an adequate but derivative thriller. (Mar.)
