2.75/5
Quality of writing: 3
Plot development: -
Pace: 3
Characters: -
Enjoyability: 2
Ease of reading: 3

The tragedy that was the Dyatlov Pass incident has captivated people for 64 years. When nine mountaineers go missing and their camp is found in disarray, investigators have more questions than answers. Why did they leave the tent without their boots? Where did all the injuries and radiation come from?
The art of this graphic novel is nice but my biggest gripe is with how the illustrator decided to depict Dyatlov. Dyatlov was 23 when he died, yet he is drawn like a 40+ year old. If one of the characters hadn't mentioned that he was 23, I would not have known. I even went and rechecked his age on Google.
I wish this graphic novel went in a not more detail of the investigation, most of it felt rushed. And the theories and interviews at the end? That should have been put into graphic novel style too. Otherwise it feels like an afterthought and a separate book added at the end of a graphic novel.

Review copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Dyatlov Pass incident was an event in which nine Soviet hikers died in the northern Ural Mountains between February 1 and 2, 1959, under uncertain circumstances. (This was copied and pasted from Google; I actually would have liked a one or two line blurb going into this GN as it's based on a true story that I was only very distantly familiar with and hadn't heard of in a long long time.)

The art is good, especially the set pieces for the Soviet rooms. I do have a personal pet peeve in which a letterer will use a font that "looks Cyrillic" (or "looks Asian" etc, you name it) to put Roman letters into so it "looks like an English word... but Russian!!" but then you have this stylized "cereal" being read like "sehyaehdal" like please, some of us can read Cyrillic (or Japanese, etc) and this is only confusing and not a good look.

I did appreciate the real life photos in the back, but honestly the page on the theories and the interview were... more interesting than the book itself. Maybe someone else will like it better than me, I don't know.

Thank you to Europe Comics and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for review.

I first learnt about the true events of Dyatlov Pass after watching the fictional 2013 movie 'The Dyatlov Pass Incident' also known as 'Devil's Pass', after that I read some info from various sites online, and then went on to read Return to Dyatlov Pass by J.H. Moncrieff which is also fictional(which I loved by the way).

So when this came up on NetGalley I jumped at it, this is more a factual account of the incident, and the investigation afterword’s.
The artwork is good, the style reminds me of The Legend of Korra cartoon.

There is also interviews about some of the more plausible theories about what happened, one of which I had not heard of before.
This is really well done, and informative.
*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.*

2.5

I read the English translation of this book.

I loved the illustrations, really beautiful and I believed the illustrator conveyed well how powerful and dangerous the snow and cold can be which is so important when considering this event.

That said, I was quite disappointed by the text.
As someone who knows about the Dyatlov Pass incident, I expected more of a focus on the facts, but this book is a lot of complete fabrication of how the victims might have interacted together, and barely mentions the different facts of the case or how they found the scene. I understand the aim of making the victims feel more like full people, but it takes so much space in such a short book that needed more explaining segments. If we take the example of discovering the bodies, the story skips from them having found 3 bodies to them having found 5 without giving us any information about those extra 2, and it is never really explained within the graphic novel that some of the bodies had been exposed to radiation, in brief, the actual facts of this situation weren't made clear or as well explained as I think they should have been.
Someone not as well informed about this case would be quite confused or not grasp the whole situation I think.

I do like that the author included a little dossier at the end with more explanations, but I think it could have been better incorporated in the graphic novel itself.


Thank you NetGalley and Europe Comics for the opportunity to read this ARC.

As Mayen states, the Mystery of Dyatlov Pass has fascinated people for decades with conspiracy theories to explain the actions done in those fatal days. Written with great illustrations, The Dyatlov Pass Mystery creates a suspense, thriller, mystery spy drama based on the real deaths of nine hikers in 1959. The graphic novel pulled at my heartstrings for a conclusion for the unfortunate souls lost but that is part of what makes this graphic novel great: it doesn't offer a solid conclusion.

At certain points, there were some pacing issues but overall, The Dyatlov Pass Mystery is an interesting read and one I highly recommend for anyone who enjoys mysteries and history.

Thank you Netgalley and Europe Comics so much for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

As Cedric Mayen, author of this book, notes, once you hear about the Dyatlov Pass incident, you're hooked. What happened? Well, that's the mystery: in 1959, a group of 9 experienced mountaineers went on a "fun" expedition in the Ural Mountains. They never returned, and when their campsite was found, it was discovered that their tent was slashed open from the inside, with the expedition members bodies found, half dressed, at some distance from the tent. To this day, no one is certain what exactly happened. This graphic novel juxtaposes a recreation of what might have gone on after the last survivor departed the group with the Soviet investigator tasked with determining the circumstances. Although there is some speculation about the hikers' motivations and conversations, the book does not engage in conspiracy theories or posit a definitive answer. The art is absolutely beautiful, and the final pages are text exploring different investigators' theories about what might have happened. I especially liked the emphasis on the humanity of the hikers: regardless of what happened to them, this isn't just an intellectual exercise.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

First published in France in 2023; published in translation by Europe Comics on December 27, 2023

The Dyatlov Pass Mystery is a graphic retelling of events that have no satisfactory explanation. In early February 1959, ten experienced hikers went to Mount Otorten in the Urals. Two were women. Nine hikers vanished, including their leader, Igor Dyatlov. Only Yuri Yudin returned. Prosecutor Lev Ivanov is assigned to solve the mystery, although it is clear that the KGB is in charge.

Yudin has a back injury that prevents him from continuing with the other members of the expedition. He accompanies the hikers as far as an abandoned mine, the first stop in their trek. Yudin searches the mine for minerals, then returns to the university with their driver.

Ivanov brings Yudin and some KGB agents to the place where Yudin last saw the hikers. They follow a path and find the place where the missing hikers camped. Their tent appears to have been cut open from the inside. They left their boots and other gear in the tent. Did something frighten the hikers?

The searchers begin to find bodies. Some are mutilated. Others died of hypothermia. There are burns and blast marks on nearby trees. Some bodies show signs of radiation exposure. Did military tests contribute to the deaths? Did the hikers encounter aliens with powerful weapons? The military won’t let Ivanov conduct a proper investigation. He wonders if the army is covering up the truth. Ivanov can only conclude that the hikers encountered a “sudden overwhelming force” that he cannot explain.

Ivanov poses questions that can’t be answered with certainty. What caused the hikers to cut a hole in their tent and abandon their boots and gear in below-freezing weather? Why did they split into three groups? Why did some hikers suffer broken bones (as if they had been in a traffic accident) while others did not? Why did some suffer from radiation burns while others did not?

The graphic novel alternates an imagined version of Ivanov’s investigation with an imagined version of the hikers’ journey, up to the point where they made their final camp. The story explores the possibility of jealousy (seven men and only two women) and conflict, but it doesn’t venture a guess as to the cause of the nine deaths.

After the story finishes, a lengthy narrative brings together facts and theories that proffer solutions to the mystery. The most promising solutions involve geotechnical engineering and equations, coupled with a certain amount of speculation. I’ll leave it to scientists to evaluate the theories. Military shenanigans and aliens are more interesting, but the current prevailing theory might be more plausible.

The graphic novel, on the other hand, I can evaluate as a fan of graphic literature. The story is detailed and compelling. It made me feel cold. It captured the frustration of an investigator who can’t find the truth and the fear of people who are confronted with a crisis. To my untrained eye, the art isn’t anything special but it helps tell the story, which is what art should accomplish in a graphic novel.

RECOMMENDED

I have often wondered about this intriguing case and this book presents the information in such an innovative way. I have never seen true crime presented in graphic novel form and, to my surprise, it really works well. The author manages the information with an appropriate level of detail, making for a satisfying read.

This was a fascinating graphic novel telling the story of the mountaineers who died in the Dyatlov Pass incident and the investigation following it. The artist made excellent use of different color pallets and the space on the page to convey the freezing environment of the Ural Mountains. The two stories are told in tandem: the mountaineers make their trek through the mountains, encounter troubles with the weather and with each other, but still share their hopes and dreams with one another; in the meantime Lev Nikitich, months later, investigates what happened to them and feels as though the investigation is being stalled by the Russian government. The last few pages of the book also include theories as to what really happened from various experts in the field. Would recommend to anyone interested in historical graphic novels or unsolved mysteries.

This is an event that I've seen discussed on many true crime channels so it was very interesting to read a graphic novel about the mysterious event.

This mystery has lingered in my mind ever since I first heard about it, so I was so thrilled to see a graphic novel about it! I did get a bit confused with the names because sometimes people were referred to by their first names, sometimes by nicknames that from an American perspective had no connection to their real name, and sometimes by their last names. But other than that, I thought this was a really fascinating look into what happened and I LOVED the section at the end on the top plausible theories. Overall a really interesting look into this mystery told from the imagined perspective of the real prosecutor on the case.

This was really cool!

I've listened to a handful of podcasts about the Dyatlov Pass incident and I find it fascinating. So seeing a graphic novel depiction of the expedition's most likely activities in the last days along with the discovery of their bodies was really interesting.

The illustrations were minimal and very well done. However, it's still pretty gruesome, so I wouldn't let the genre fool you into passing this along to younger readers.

I am indebted to Europe Comics for bringing me into the world of graphic novels and grown-up comics again.

This is a whole chunk of history I knew nothing about. But who doesn’t love a mystery with military cover ups, yeti or aliens involvement and conspiracy theories circling like planes above a busy airport?

What struck me first was the presenting of the story. The separate stories of the original expedition and the detailed follow-up investigation seeking to quickly close the case and quash rumours within the Communism system.
So the colours and palette used are distinct in each case while the illustrations depict a similar landscape and harsh conditions.

I also marvel at the use of drawings without words where the illustrations convey the story and build the tension and frustrations of the participants. As comics go it is also loud and expressive with detailed sound effects and images beyond just words to convey noise, sensory impacts and emotional states.

It is a fitting tribute to the vitality of the young mountaineers that perished in strange circumstances. The reasons why a definitive conclusion and verdict could not be reached and the ongoing interest in this incident.

The inclusion of some of the later research and interviews with scientists who have subsequently addressed these events are equally fascinating and worthwhile.

I enjoyed the whole process and threads leading me out of the maze of conspiracy theories. To be entertained and informed was a real bonus.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

I didn't know anything about this story before reading this. As such, the ending was quite disappointing... since there is no ending. From the blurb, I thought there was at least going to be hints or something. But this is just a speculative retelling of how it could've gone down before these people actually died. So nothing really happens. And I also kept getting the characters confused, as there wasn't much characterization given. At the end, interviews are included with people giving their theories of what went down, so I guess that provided a bit of the closure not in the actual graphic novel portion. I just don't get why if you're already going to speculate about the nature of their interactions and events leading up to the end, why not just also depict more hints towards what could've happened concerning the actual mystery. It just feels like the writers took the easy way out.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this as I only had a passing knowledge of the Dyatlov Pass mystery and I don't normally enjoy history but this was so interesting. I loved the art style and the way the relationships between the characters were portrayed. The historical context and theories were also discussed more at the end which helped provide more context.

Overall, a really unusual but engaging read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for a digital review copy of "The Dyatlov Pass Mystery" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

To kick off with, huge thanks to the translator - James Hogan, who has done a wonderful job of translating the text of this graphic novel from French to English. It flows and doesn't feel stilted or blunt like you often encounter with translation works.

This was a really interesting take on the Dyatlov Pass incident, even for readers who may be very familiar with the mystery. I knew the barest bones of the story due to the renewed interest in the last few years with new theories about why and how it occurred and I really enjoyed how these theories are brought in as a natural part of the storyline and the investigator's musings into what happened there. I also really appreciated the dossier at the end which added more information and clarity to the story.

My main issue with this graphic novel was that the artwork at times was indistinct in relation to the characters and the brevity meant that there was not much in the way of character development. It worked for this story because the mystery proves compelling enough but adding more material and giving us more about the characters as well as diving more into the plot would have been appreciated.

Overall this was a fantastic introduction to this mysterious historical incident and should appeal to those who don't tend to read many graphic novels.

Released December 27th 2023

First off, kudos to the translator, this was a really well translated book. I have heard of the Dyatlov Pass incident and seen a documentary on it, the mystery surrounding the facts of the case still catch a lot of people's attention. This comic focuses on the Soviet inspector looking in to the case, as well as giving flashbacks to the hikers' known and suspected actions. The flashbacks are in a different color scheme, making it easy to determine when things are happening. The book covers the case and what is known of it, which is very little, and readers are left with more questions than answers. While the book does cover various theories (which are given more depth in the back matter), no real conclusions are drawn and in the end no new information is added. The story of the Dyatlov Pass incident seems destined to remain a mystery, though this book does a solid job of highlighting the facts of the case.

Wow, this book was full of surprises for me!
Over the years, I have been somehow invested in the Dyatlov mystery and all the theories surrounding it. I think I have seen every movie that has been made about it, and I think I have read every book I have seen about it. Somehow, I never heard about it while growing up, but once I heard about it about a decade ago, the mystery sucked me in.
And then I saw this. A graphic novel. About Dyatlov mystery. Bring it on! Yeah, ok, I was not expecting much from it. Definitely, I was not expecting anything factual or even remotely realistic. Turns out, I was wrong. I was wrong not expecting all that.
First, take this from someone who grew up in the Soviet Union: art is perfect, art is accurate, 100% depiction of everything Soviet. All the doom, gloom, facial expressions, and grim misery seep from every character just from the way colors are used and images are created. Unbelievable. That is a seriously great job done by the artist.
The story is super well-told. An extra thing to love about this graphic novel: at the end of it, there are several pages of lots of relevant information regarding the event, including conspiracy theories surrounding it. And did I mention that art is perfect? yeah, let me say it again, art is the best, art has captured the soviet era perfectly.
Oh. And. There are also veeery graphic images there, keep that in mind for the sensitive ones and younger readers. While it most definitely is not a graphic novel for kids, I think that with some basic background information regarding the history it would be an exciting read for a more mature (and not squeamish) young adult audience.
The author has been creative with the font used in *some* images (only a few! Most have regular font!) – as someone who can read Russian, I can say it was both entertaining and confusing. Although I’d love my daughter to read this too (she loves all sorts of graphic novels and scary stories don’t frighten her, she does not speak or read any Russian), I’m afraid I’ll have to spend a weird amount of time explaining to her why R looks like Я and how does it even make sense to substitute R with something that sounds like YA. Same with W being substituted with Ш and how does it even make sense to replace w with sh? The same goes for A being substituted with Russian D, etc. While it does look somewhat quirky, it feels unnecessarily excessive and makes the text a little bit unreadable. I think it might make it totally unreadable for those who are dyslexic, for example, and for most who need an accessible font that’s easy on the eyes. Yes, it does add some extra Russian/Soviet feel to the book, and it’s just a few images. I’m really on the fence about it. I guess it’s ok as it indeed adds to the overall soviet feel. The good thing is that it’s just only a few of the pictures.
Other than this, I loved, absolutely loved it.

An interesting read for anyone interested in the Dyatlov Pass incident. I have read a few sources on this in the past, but that didn’t affect my enjoyment of this graphic novel.

I thought the artwork really matched the story and it was told in an interesting way between the inspector and flashbacks to the actual incident. There is also a great section in the back of the graphic novel where subject matter experts are interviewed on various theories on what really happened that night.

Evocative, interesting, and kept a story told many times fresh.

As someone who had done some deep research into the Dyatlov Pass incident I was very excited to see this graphic novel, and what angle it would take on the mystery. This story focused on a fictional(?) investigation that took place a month after the incident, interspersed with flashbacks to what may have happened during the expedition. This is a short novel and a quick read.

I liked the graphic novel; the artwork was well done overall and it was very readable, which is sometimes an issue. I liked how the flashbacks were clearly delineated through a different color palate. I found some of the characters to look very similar and it was sometimes hard to tell who was who, however it didn't really cause any issues following the story as it was fairly straightforward. I had mixed feelings about the ending; part of me wished that there was a better resolution, while a larger part was glad that they didn't try and pick a definitive ending considering that in reality we don't know exactly what happened.

The information dossier at the end was a great addition and added to the graphic novel with some facts, history, and context. It pushed some theories that I think are incorrect but it wasn't too strong about it so that's fine. I am so glad that they touched on the collaboration with Disney as I find that part fascinating. Compiling ALL of the information on this incident, and the theories, would be quite an undertaking and require a massive textbook; the author here did a good job of providing an overview in a small number of pages.

Thank you to NetGallery for providing a free advanced copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.