Presents does Lovecraft homage; they do it well.
The weakest is Mignola’s Dr. Gosburo Coffin (with Sook on art). It’s basically just standard Mignola (sure, there’s some Lovecraft influence, but the whole thing plays like an 1800s B.P.R.D. to some degree). Also, either Sook started out as a Mignola mimic or he’s just really good at matching styles. It’s not bad, just not particularly special.
The Devil’s Footprints from Allie and Showman is the strongest story in the issue. Allie manages a first-person narrator, getting a first act in for his story, and comes up with a decent plot. Showman’s artwork is fantastic, very illustration minded. It’s a nice little story.
Hartley and Giarrano finish the issue, giving it a nice, downbeat end Lovecraft might appriecate. Giarrano’s artwork is so good, I’m a little surprised I’d never heard of him before. Hartley’s writing is decent.
It’s a nice issue.
To me it was really amazing Sook starts out almost as a Mignola clone, yet eventually becomes much better than his early influences, passing Mignola and becoming a great illustrator in his own right.