The Passenger of the U-977 – review

Writer: Rodolfo Santullo

Artist: Carlos Barocelli

First published: 2025

Contains spoilers

The Blurb: On August 17, 1945, the residents of Mar de Plata watched in astonishment as the massive silhouette of a German U-boat emerged from the water. Surfacing just off the coast, this imposing submarine was one of the feared Grey Wolves (Lupi Grigi) of the third Reich.

The U-977 docked with 16 fewer crew members then the standard complement for a Kriegsmarine type VII-C submarine. Even more puzzling, the vessel appeared in pristine condition, unusually clean for a submarine that had reportedly been submerged in the Atlantic for 66 days.

What is certain is that the Oberleutnant zur See (sub-lieutenant) Heinz Schäffer and his crew disobeyed direct allied orders, which required all German submarines to surface immediately - no matter where they were - raise a white flag, and broadcast their location via radio.

Why did they choose to decide these orders?

The Review: Developed through crowdsourcing, this Afterlight Comics production spoke to me due to the evocative artwork by Carlos Barocelli and I subsequently backed the project. The story itself, whilst set within the fallout of the German surrender in the Second World War actually owes much to the Demeter section of Dracula - a connection that would seem to be fair, given that writer Rodolfo Santullo has a one-shot comic due, entitled Forty Coffins, based on that section of Dracula. The difference here is that the passenger, Kinsch, is a member of Thule-Gesellschaft and he has something with him. The Captain has spun a story to his men of staying submerged and fleeing to Argentina. Crew members start going missing – this is where a moment of suspension of belief is necessary as it was much easier, on a ship, for crew members to go missing. The alarm, amongst the crew, one feels would have been much quicker in a cramped vessel with no chance of going overboard. However, with that suspension in mind, we do see the thing hunting crew members and it is hungry.

The thing is not explicitly called a vampire, but it feeds from humans, has a monstrous form but also a human, female form and she does seduce the Captain at one point. There is a mention of not surfacing to avoid sunlight, rather than the allies, and, whilst a creature could stay in darkness in a surfaced submarine, the line does offer a clue as to the nature of the beast.

Where this struggles is perhaps to fully capitalise on the claustrophobia and paranoia that might have been generated. It perhaps needed to take more time to show stalking and attacks – but that may be a criticism, it is not a deal breaker. I did enjoy this but the art had got me long before I read the story. 6.5 out of 10.