I’ve been fascinated by the Dyatlov Pass incident for quite some time. On February 1st or 2nd, 1959, a group of nine experienced hikers died under uncertain and ultimately unexplained circumstances. The hikers cut open their tent, went out in the snowy sub-zero terrain underdressed, split into three smaller groups, and all perished. The hikers had confusing injuries, missing body parts, hypothermia, and even some evidence of radiation. There isn’t one definite explanation, and theories about the incident vary widely. I’ve seen theories that consider yetis, aliens, an avalanche, military tests, and more.

The Dyatlov Pass Mystery by Cédric Mayen and Jandro González analyzes what we know about the hikers, theorizes about their final days, and beautifully depicts their story in a graphic novel format.

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Synopsis:

An attack by man or beast? Secret army nuclear tests? An avalanche? Or temporary insanity? What really happened on the slopes of “Dyatlov Pass” on the night of February 1, 1959, that resulted in the deaths of nine experienced mountaineers?

Review:

In the early days of Back Shelf Books, I reviewed Dead Mountain, a non-fiction book by Donnie Eichar that analyzes what happened on the mountain that day. That book is excellent, but The Dyatlov Pass Mystery graphic novel distinguishes itself, in my opinion. This graphic novel looks not only at the hikers but also at the investigator and the USSR politics that hindered the investigation. Reading about the politics of the USSR and how it may have lengthened the amount of time this case has gone unsolved added a whole new level to this story. Many of the hikers also had thoughts about the USSR, and it was interesting to read how these interactions may have played out.

While we may not know exactly what happened on the mountain, reading and visualizing what might have happened and how the investigation played out is a great experience. This is a wonderful book for those interested in the Dyatlov Pass incident or the unexplained. Though there is no single conclusion offered, the author ends the book with interviews with various scientific experts that offer multiple possible conclusions.

Art:

I enjoyed a lot about the art in this graphic novel. I liked that the two timelines had different color schemes that differentiated them. The female characters were beautifully drawn and were distinct from one another. However, several of the male hikers looked very similar and were difficult to distinguish in the hiking timeline. This didn’t hinder my reading experience much, but it was still noticeable.

Final Thoughts:

This is an excellent graphic novel and it looks at the hikers as real people. I love that it analyzes this incident with humanity and doesn’t look at the situation through a monstrous lens. While three years ago I might have wanted a salacious tale, I appreciated this graphic novel for the care it took.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars.

Thanks to the publisher for an advanced review copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.