The Dyatlov Pass Mystery
by Cédric Mayen & Jandro González
Book 43/250
Genre: Non-Fiction, Mystery
Format: Digital, ARC
Pages: 104
Published: 2023
Rating: 7.5/10
Art: 8/10

The Dyatlov Pass Mystery is one of my favorite real-life mysteries. A group of Russian hikers are found deceased in the Dyatlov Pass in unusual circumstances. Some are missing clothes, some have radiation burns, and the tent is ripped up. Maten and González do a good job at presenting the facts from the perspective of a Soviet detective investigating the case. This also allows all the theories to be presented in an organic way while still not solidly landing on any one conclusion. The Dyatlov Pass is one of those mysteries that will never truly be solved and intrigue people for generations to come, and Maten and González’s book will allow even more people to familiarize themselves and speculate on this unique mystery.

the various theories surrounding the incident. From natural disasters to supernatural phenomena, the graphic novel examines a range of possibilities, inviting readers to draw their own conclusions about what truly happened on that fateful night.

The artwork in "The Dyatlov Pass Mystery" is nothing short of stunning, with González's illustrations capturing the eerie atmosphere and sense of isolation that permeate the story. From the haunting beauty of the snow-covered mountains to the eerie silence of the abandoned campsite, every panel is imbued with a sense of foreboding that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

At its core, "The Dyatlov Pass Mystery" is a riveting exploration of the human spirit and the inexplicable forces that lurk in the darkness. Mayen and González's collaboration is a testament to the power of storytelling, offering readers a thrilling glimpse into one of history's most enduring unsolved mysteries.

In "The Dyatlov Pass Mystery," Mayen and González have crafted a graphic novel that is as haunting as it is unforgettable. With its blend of historical accuracy, atmospheric artwork, and spine-tingling suspense, this book is sure to leave readers intrigued, unsettled, and hungry for more.

The illustrations and writing were very compelling, however the way the book ended was not the right choice in my opinion, as the book was more overly fictionalised then the real events, and its more what could have happened then what actually happened.

I have pretty much read every single thing there is to read about this subject. I did not get any new info from reading this and I felt that it left out some important & feasible theories. It was fun to have a graphic novel version but in terms of information, this wasn’t great. Worth reading if you are not capable of reading informative books and still want to know about this very famous incident.

I don’t often read graphic histories, but I was intrigued by this one, not knowing much about the mystery of the Soviet team who were lost while passing through these mountains in the 1950s. On February 1st, 1959 a group of young Soviet students who were hiking through the mountains disappeared without a trace. It has never been fully understood or revealed what happened to them.

The graphic novel tracks along two timelines: the team as it traversed the snowy mountain trails and the investigation afterwards. In the former timeline, the reader is given a fictionalized glimpse into the relationships and conversations between the teammates, their hopes and dreams, and an understanding of who they were as individuals. The latter time line offers the reader an understanding of the politics surrounding the mystery and its investigation, an event potentially embarrassing to the then-regime.

It was an entertaining read, if thin on history.

I am so curious about the Dyatlov Pass Incident and have read extensively about it. I love how the authors divided the timelines which really helps empathizing with the characters and the natures of each protagonist. The story is build like a police investigation, thwarted by the Soviet bureaucracy. It’s so engaging and frustrating at the same time
I also love how they decided to tackle THE INCIDENT.
The annex at the end was really clever and interesting and if you want to read further, do read this article by author Douglas Preston that is mentioned : https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/17/has-an-old-soviet-mystery-at-last-been-solved

I really enjoyed this. I am familiar with the story and mystery surround the Dyatlov Pass incident, but anything I’ve read about it has been dense, clinical reporting. This told a story that allowed the readers to get to know the characters and the events leading up to the incident. We still don’t know exactly what happened, but this graphic novel provides us with a few theories. If I were still teaching middle school, I’d push to have this book as one of my class reads.

The Dyatlov Pass mystery is something I've found fascinating since I first heard of it. This Graphic novels focuses on an investigation into what actually happened that night. I enjoyed this Graphic novel, it was easy to follow and drawn in wonderful detail.

3/5 - the comic itself
5/5 - the extra documents and interviewsI have to say that this graphic novel was really interesting.

I first heard of this mystery through a movie a saw a while ago, so when I had the opportunity to dig more into it through a graphic novel I took this chance immediately.

The novel itself was a 3/5 of rating. The narration wasn't always my favorite nor was the art.
The story is indeed intriguing, but I think you need to have at least some basic infos of what happened to fully enjoy it. Considering it's still an unsolved mystery, this book doesn't have a specific end to it, so readers can find themselves a little confused by what really happened.

What really pops tho with this book , were all the documents and interviews put at the end of the story. They added so much more to the whole experience and definitely clarified the many speculations the real story got over time.

Definitely an interesting piece of history that people need to know and discover

I liked that the mystery of what happened to the students on the mountain wasn't fully explained in the story - it helped me identify with the protagonist and his search for find the truth even as bureaucracy got in his way and seemingly impossible twists threw him off the trail.

I really like how the author and artist made every character in this comic fully fleshed out and human. And even better they embraced the mystery and talk about the political, cultural, geographic, and meteorological forces that kept this a mystery. A fascinating story and a great retelling.

Thank you NetGalley and Europe Comics for this arc!

5/5 stars!

This arc was so good and informative. I remember being so intrigued by this event when I was younger, and that hasn't gone away as I've gotten older. This brings to life what may have happened on those last few fateful days, and brings a lot of real world information, theories, and news clippings to the end to help further illustrate just how bizarre and tragic this event was. Fantastic and informative!

I don’t think I wanted this as a graphic novel. It was ok and maybe a bit too much text and I don’t think I’ll try any true crime graphic novels forward. Not for me.

Really interesting.
I knew nothing about this case until reading this and became utterly obsessed with it.


Was clearly told and provided a great overview as to the whole events and the people involved. The artwork was good, loved the slight sepia tones for flashbacks.
The faces especially were well drawn. The darkness and slightly sinister natures captured well.

Engaging story told and drawn well. Solid 4 stars

The Dyatlov pass incident has always been super interesting to me and graphic novel form is a very interesting way to explore it. This was easy to follow (past and present are well differentiated) and entertaining.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Europe Comics for providing me with a free electronic copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

I've recently gotten into reading more non-fiction graphic novels, and when I saw something about the Dyatlov Pass Incident I knew I needed to read it. One of the most interesting unsolved mysteries I have ever read about, this graphic novel manages to maintain the suspense and intrigue, whilst following the established facts, and not going crazy woth the conspiracies. I really enjoyed the sections covering the inspector and his struggles with the beaurocracy and internal politics of the USSR, and there is a large section at the back with interviews and some of the more accepted theories of what actually happened.

A great read, full of new knowledge even for people like me who have read about Dyatlov Pass before. Great illustration and use of colour to distinguish between time, and the inspectors visualisations of the facts and clues around him. Really enjoyed this!

This was an interesting look at the Dyatlav Pass mystery. The graphic novel effect added an additional allure to it. Would recommend to anyone interested in the story.

I've always been intrigued by the mystery of Dyatlov Pass and I was hoping this graphic novel would shed some light on the mystery. Unfortunately this didn't add to the mystery or try and solve it. This only showed a glimpse of the mystery and then ended with a list of conspiracy theories. Throughout this graphic novel there were hints about some indescribable force that caused the deaths and I wish it had explored that theory instead of teasing at many different theories.
The art in this was amazing though, it really fit the time period and the vibe of the graphic. I would definitely pick up more work by the artist in the future.

The Dyatlov Pass incident was a trekking expedition in which nine Soviet hikers died in the northern Ural Mountains between February 1 and 2, 1959, under uncertain circumstances. The keyword here being 'uncertain'. No wonder, then, that the synopsis of "The Dyatlov Pass Mystery" consists, in its entirety, of questions. The novel itself is also full of questions, with no definitive answers, given that a definitive solution to this mystery still evades scientists and investigators alike, 65 years later. And while it's more or less clear that the author leans towards one particular explanation, I do appreciate that the ending is left open, ambiguous. At the very end there's also a section with supplementary information on several other theories, which I found was a great addition.

The art of illustrator González Jandro, with it's realistic style and somber tones, was a perfect fit for the heavy subject matter at hand.

I will allow myself one petty, nitpicky comment though - I feel like as someone who's lived their whole life in the country of origin of the Cyrillic script, I can be excused. Very early on in this graphic novel there is a panel where Cyrillic letters are mixed in English words, along with Latin ones, with complete disregard of their corresponding sounds - the letter Я isn't R (the sound is closer to a "ya"), and Д isn't A (it's actually "D"). I understand the appeal of using "Russian" letters for a story set in Russia, but it would have been better if the words were in Russian entirely.

This one minor gripe aside, "The Dyatlov Pass Mystery" is still a worthwhile read, both for those who are familiar with the event and those who aren't.

I’ve always been super interested in the mystery surrounding the dyatlov pass death’s and this graphic novel was an interesting read.