I haven't. I feel like a sequel is too much. But if anyone has read it and likes it, let me know.
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31 Days of Horror Comics | 2020 | Manga, webcomics, whatever. Let's get spooked together!
- Thread starter Aurica
- Start date
I haven't. I feel like a sequel is too much. But if anyone has read it and likes it, let me know.
Thinking I might ge around to reading my third volume of Nailbiter soon, because of this thread. I read the first two and have been putting off the third for some time now.
edit: oh y'all talking about nailbiter now that I refreshed my page. weird coincidence.
edit: oh y'all talking about nailbiter now that I refreshed my page. weird coincidence.
If you're looking for a good spooky comic, I really enjoyed Imaginary Fiends when it was coming out.
"Polly Peachpit." Those were the words ten-year-old Brinke Calle said when she was found covered in her own blood by the woods in rural Cannon Falls, MN. Her best friend, Melba, had just attempted to murder her because a spider girl named Polly Peachpit told her to.
Since that day, Melba has spent seven years in a mental health facility. Tomorrow is her eighteenth birthday. Tomorrow, she'll be transferred to a federal prison. Tomorrow, her real sentence will begin.
That is, until she receives a visit from FBI Agent Virgil Crockett. Crockett explains that there is another world beyond ours, where hungry spectral aliens stalk the minds of the impressionable and weak. These things, called IMPs (Interdimensional Mental Parasites) feed on compliance. They convince hosts to do things for them, and the more they feed, the stronger they become. More IMPs stream into the world each day, invisible to everyone but his or her hosts.
After years of drugs and counseling, Polly and Melba have developed a unique relationship—and to Crockett, this relationship represents something her people can work with. In exchange for release from prison, Crockett asks Melba (and Polly) to serve as IMP hunters. For Melba, it's a chance to prove that she's innocent, convinced to murder by a monster...a monster she must now unleash.
"Polly Peachpit." Those were the words ten-year-old Brinke Calle said when she was found covered in her own blood by the woods in rural Cannon Falls, MN. Her best friend, Melba, had just attempted to murder her because a spider girl named Polly Peachpit told her to.
Since that day, Melba has spent seven years in a mental health facility. Tomorrow is her eighteenth birthday. Tomorrow, she'll be transferred to a federal prison. Tomorrow, her real sentence will begin.
That is, until she receives a visit from FBI Agent Virgil Crockett. Crockett explains that there is another world beyond ours, where hungry spectral aliens stalk the minds of the impressionable and weak. These things, called IMPs (Interdimensional Mental Parasites) feed on compliance. They convince hosts to do things for them, and the more they feed, the stronger they become. More IMPs stream into the world each day, invisible to everyone but his or her hosts.
After years of drugs and counseling, Polly and Melba have developed a unique relationship—and to Crockett, this relationship represents something her people can work with. In exchange for release from prison, Crockett asks Melba (and Polly) to serve as IMP hunters. For Melba, it's a chance to prove that she's innocent, convinced to murder by a monster...a monster she must now unleash.
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There was an old anthology horror comic from DC/Vertigo called Flinch that was fun.
en.wikipedia.org
Flinch (comics) - Wikipedia
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I was thinking about that recently. Is there any legit way to read this?There was an old anthology horror comic from DC/Vertigo called Flinch that was fun.
Flinch (comics) - Wikipedia
Read through The Low, Low Woods last night. Very touching and pretty creepy too. The art was a bit muddled at times, but it did tend to give a bit to the "creeping unknown" feeling. Loved the two female leads as well, I'd happily read more.
It's on my Hoopla in Toronto, but also seems to be on comixology.
https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/11761860
https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/11761858
(not sure if those links will work with other Hoopla's)
https://www.comixology.com/Flinch-1999-2001/comics-series/64656
It's on my Hoopla in Toronto, but also seems to be on comixology.
https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/11761860
https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/11761858
(not sure if those links will work with other Hoopla's)
https://www.comixology.com/Flinch-1999-2001/comics-series/64656
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Oh, shit! That's easy. It's available on hoopla for me, too. Thanks!
No worries!
Praise the almighty Hoopla, best service ever? At least for comics.
Oct 1) The Walking Dead #155-156 + 157-162 (The Whisperer War) [Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard]
I used to be a big fan of The Walking Dead, but with the TV show just dragging on and it getting harder to remember what was the comic's canon and what was the TV's, I kind of fell behind on both and basically just lost interest. I've been trying to catch up on the comic, but taking the time has proven difficult. Since we have this great thread now and I'm all in the horror mood, I'm going to finally finish it off this month.
I left off somewhere in The Whisperer arc, but forgot exactly where, so I began re-reading it from the beginning of the arc earlier to get ready. I believe I made it to the middle of The Whisperer War before, so this is partially revisited material for me, and partially new material (I think).
I don't really have too much to say yet since the arc isn't over yet, but I'm enjoying it. The interactions between Negan and Dwight are definitely the highlight. RIP Lucille.
I have completely forgotten who some of minor characters are though, and since there's so many characters at play it can be a little confusing for me. That's my fault though, not the book's.
Overall, I'm glad to have gotten back to it and I look forward to finishing it off this month.
Total books read so far: 8
I used to be a big fan of The Walking Dead, but with the TV show just dragging on and it getting harder to remember what was the comic's canon and what was the TV's, I kind of fell behind on both and basically just lost interest. I've been trying to catch up on the comic, but taking the time has proven difficult. Since we have this great thread now and I'm all in the horror mood, I'm going to finally finish it off this month.
I left off somewhere in The Whisperer arc, but forgot exactly where, so I began re-reading it from the beginning of the arc earlier to get ready. I believe I made it to the middle of The Whisperer War before, so this is partially revisited material for me, and partially new material (I think).
I don't really have too much to say yet since the arc isn't over yet, but I'm enjoying it. The interactions between Negan and Dwight are definitely the highlight. RIP Lucille.
I have completely forgotten who some of minor characters are though, and since there's so many characters at play it can be a little confusing for me. That's my fault though, not the book's.
Overall, I'm glad to have gotten back to it and I look forward to finishing it off this month.
Total books read so far: 8
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Thanks for giving me a reason to finally read all this stuff I have piling up, haha.
I didn't get to anything for Oct 2, but I'll try to make up for it today.
I'm surprised by the absence of Devilman and Parasyte on the list. I'd consider both to be defining entry-level horror manga aimed at a shonen audience, rather than seinen, as seen with the likes of Uzumaki or Franken Fran. In fact, it was because of Parasyte that I wound up being introduced to the works of Go Nagai, Hirohiko Araki, and Junji Ito. I read it, thought, "damn, I didn't know manga could get this fucked up," and started searching for even more stuff.
Glad to see I Am a Hero on the list, though. Handily one of my favorite horror manga of the past decade. It's an easy Top 3 for me.
Glad to see I Am a Hero on the list, though. Handily one of my favorite horror manga of the past decade. It's an easy Top 3 for me.
What's the Devilman manga like?
I don't think I ever read any because of the goofy blue version that appeared in some of older anime kind of scared me off.
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I could've given a list for 100+ horror manga, but I figured it'd be nice to leave some stuff for other members to recommend :D
It starts off as a typical shonen battle manga, where a kid is possessed by a demon and becomes a superhero because his heart is pure enough to fight off the demonic influence. The story takes a dramatic turn after one of the villains of the week actually recognizes the demon within the MC. Things quickly start going off the rails after that, with surprisingly cruel twist after cruel twist compounding as the series rushes towards a climax that's tonally wildly different from how the story began.
It gets really dark, which is all the more fitting with how outrageously gory it is (for the 70's, anyway). The 2018 anime adaptation, Crybaby, is absolutely worth checking out as well.
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Also, Trisc , Parasyte and many more are included in the Spiralphobia recommendations in the OP. In the manga I personally recommended, I tried to lean more into the manga with horror as their central focus, though Spiralphobia and I have a lot of overlap in the horror manga we like. Parasyte is excellent.
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Oh, god. I'm reading Kijin Gahou by Shintarou Kago, and I feel kinda sick. I can't deal with eroguro much. I honestly feel like I'd question someone who really loved this comic. I don't know that I can get through this.
edit:
I've decided on doing 31 volumes this month if I can. I may drop some series from the first two lists and grab something from the third depending on how I'm feeling.
Manga:
Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
Imomushi/The Caterpillar (Edogawa Rampo adapted by Suehiro Maruo, 1 vol.)
Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol. ongoing)
Panorama-tō Kitan/The Strange Tale of Panorama Island (Edogawa Rampo adapted by Suehiro Maruo, 1 vol.)
Seirei (Kazuo Umezu, 4 vol.)
Sensor (Junji Itou, 1 vol.)
Yamiyo ni Asobu na Kodomotachi (Sachiko Uguisu, 1 vol.)
Western comics:
Blackwood (Evan Dorkin, Andy Fish, Veronica Fish, and Greg McKenna, 2 vol.)
Basketful of Heads (Joe Hill and Leomacs, 1 vol.)
Daphne Byrne (Laura Marks, Joe Hill, Kelley Jones, and Dan McDaid, 1 vol.)
The Dollhouse Family (Mike Carey, Joe Hill, Peter Gross, and more/1 vol.)
Locke & Key (Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, 7 vol.)
The Low, Low Woods (Carmen Maria Machado and Dani/1 vol.)
Nocturnals (Dan Brereton, 1 vol.)
Plunge (Joe Hill, Stuart Immomen, and Dave Stewart, 1 vol.)
Severed (Scott Snyder, Scott Tuft, and Atilla Futaki, 1 vol.)
Comics that are too long, so I'll check some out if I need more:
Afterlife With Archie (Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla/ 1 vol.)
Beasts of Burden (Evan Dorkin, 3 vol.)
Dokuhime (Mitsukazu Mihara, 5 vol.)
Domu (Katsuhiro Otomo, 1 vol.)
Fourteen (Kazuo Umezu, 20 vol.)
Franken Fran (Katsuhisa Kigitsu, 8 vol.)
Gideon Falls (Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino/4 vol. - ongoing)
Harrow County (Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook, 9 vol.)
I, Vampire (Joshua Hale Fialkov and Andrea Sorrentino/3 vol.)
Karada-sagashi (Welzard and Katsutoshi Murase, 17 vol.)
Kowai Jiten 2020 (Various/1 vol.)
Lily Thread: Kaii no Okoru Machi (Daredemonai, 1 vol.)
Maga Maga Yama (Nokuto Koike, 2 vol.)
Manor Black (Cullen Bunn, Brian Hurtt, and Tyler Crook, 1 vol.
Onga -Phantom Video- (Doro Sunagawa, 2 vol.)
Orochi (Kazuo Umezu, 5 vol.)
Souboutei Kowasubeshi (Kazuhiro Fujita, ? vol.)
edit:
I've decided on doing 31 volumes this month if I can. I may drop some series from the first two lists and grab something from the third depending on how I'm feeling.
Manga:
Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
Imomushi/The Caterpillar (Edogawa Rampo adapted by Suehiro Maruo, 1 vol.)
Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol. ongoing)
Panorama-tō Kitan/The Strange Tale of Panorama Island (Edogawa Rampo adapted by Suehiro Maruo, 1 vol.)
Seirei (Kazuo Umezu, 4 vol.)
Sensor (Junji Itou, 1 vol.)
Yamiyo ni Asobu na Kodomotachi (Sachiko Uguisu, 1 vol.)
Western comics:
Blackwood (Evan Dorkin, Andy Fish, Veronica Fish, and Greg McKenna, 2 vol.)
Basketful of Heads (Joe Hill and Leomacs, 1 vol.)
Daphne Byrne (Laura Marks, Joe Hill, Kelley Jones, and Dan McDaid, 1 vol.)
The Dollhouse Family (Mike Carey, Joe Hill, Peter Gross, and more/1 vol.)
Locke & Key (Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, 7 vol.)
The Low, Low Woods (Carmen Maria Machado and Dani/1 vol.)
Nocturnals (Dan Brereton, 1 vol.)
Plunge (Joe Hill, Stuart Immomen, and Dave Stewart, 1 vol.)
Severed (Scott Snyder, Scott Tuft, and Atilla Futaki, 1 vol.)
Comics that are too long, so I'll check some out if I need more:
Afterlife With Archie (Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla/ 1 vol.)
Beasts of Burden (Evan Dorkin, 3 vol.)
Dokuhime (Mitsukazu Mihara, 5 vol.)
Domu (Katsuhiro Otomo, 1 vol.)
Fourteen (Kazuo Umezu, 20 vol.)
Franken Fran (Katsuhisa Kigitsu, 8 vol.)
Gideon Falls (Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino/4 vol. - ongoing)
Harrow County (Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook, 9 vol.)
I, Vampire (Joshua Hale Fialkov and Andrea Sorrentino/3 vol.)
Karada-sagashi (Welzard and Katsutoshi Murase, 17 vol.)
Kowai Jiten 2020 (Various/1 vol.)
Lily Thread: Kaii no Okoru Machi (Daredemonai, 1 vol.)
Maga Maga Yama (Nokuto Koike, 2 vol.)
Manor Black (Cullen Bunn, Brian Hurtt, and Tyler Crook, 1 vol.
Onga -Phantom Video- (Doro Sunagawa, 2 vol.)
Orochi (Kazuo Umezu, 5 vol.)
Souboutei Kowasubeshi (Kazuhiro Fujita, ? vol.)
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#1
Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
Damn. That was a really rough read. I think Kago is a really clever author, but this was mostly just disgusting. I think if I shared half the pages from this manga, I'd get a permaban. Most horror doesn't really disturb me anymore, but there's something about eroguro that just makes me uneasy—and not in a good way at all. The volume consists of nine one-shots, and I only liked maybe two of them. The rest were edgelord garbage that depicted some really horrific things. I think you have to have a really sick sense of humor to enjoy this.
Not recommended unless you find pleasure in seeing horribly depraved and sickening sights.
Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
Damn. That was a really rough read. I think Kago is a really clever author, but this was mostly just disgusting. I think if I shared half the pages from this manga, I'd get a permaban. Most horror doesn't really disturb me anymore, but there's something about eroguro that just makes me uneasy—and not in a good way at all. The volume consists of nine one-shots, and I only liked maybe two of them. The rest were edgelord garbage that depicted some really horrific things. I think you have to have a really sick sense of humor to enjoy this.
Not recommended unless you find pleasure in seeing horribly depraved and sickening sights.
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#2
Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
I had put this off, despite hearing it recommended in horror manga circles for the past five years or so. I put it off, because it looked like crap. My instincts were correct. The art is fine and some of the kills are creative, but there's really just not much there. The characters aren't interesting, the reason why Kiriko is a monster is shallow, and it really starts to feel rushed for the last couple chapters. The creative kills and slow tension disappear so they can rush to the end. It's not the worst thing I've read, and if you want some horror manga where you can just turn off your brain and go "Haha. Monster girl cool," then check it out? There's lots of stuff out there you could read instead, though. Let's hope my horror comic reading for the rest of the month only goes up in quality from here on out.
Not recommended unless you want a shallow horror manga where people brutally get murdered.
Horror comics read this month:
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
I had put this off, despite hearing it recommended in horror manga circles for the past five years or so. I put it off, because it looked like crap. My instincts were correct. The art is fine and some of the kills are creative, but there's really just not much there. The characters aren't interesting, the reason why Kiriko is a monster is shallow, and it really starts to feel rushed for the last couple chapters. The creative kills and slow tension disappear so they can rush to the end. It's not the worst thing I've read, and if you want some horror manga where you can just turn off your brain and go "Haha. Monster girl cool," then check it out? There's lots of stuff out there you could read instead, though. Let's hope my horror comic reading for the rest of the month only goes up in quality from here on out.
Not recommended unless you want a shallow horror manga where people brutally get murdered.
Horror comics read this month:
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
1. Afterlife with Archie Vol 1
Starting off with something that hurts, cause this is never going to be finished I suppose lol. You got this crazy good concept that has fantastic art to give off a more retro feel, and it was basically abandoned. I don't even know if volume 2 came out, cause they didn't reach issue 12.
Still, at least volume 1 kind of works as a standalone. Well maybe not, but it doesn't end on a cliffhanger or such, so there's that. There is some really good shake up for the gang as shit hits the fan with the outbreak in Riverdale, and it is absolutely sad to see a town which I have read so much about during my childhood fall into despair, and quite gruesomely at that. It is so good through, and there some really pretty powerful moments, like
Again, sad that this hasn't been finished. Maybe there is some chance that it will return, but for what there is in this volume is great, and it doesn't include that Sabrina issue. :P
Someday I will look at later Archie Horror stuff that seem to have been more successful, like Werewolf Jughead, and Vampire Veronica.
Starting off with something that hurts, cause this is never going to be finished I suppose lol. You got this crazy good concept that has fantastic art to give off a more retro feel, and it was basically abandoned. I don't even know if volume 2 came out, cause they didn't reach issue 12.
Still, at least volume 1 kind of works as a standalone. Well maybe not, but it doesn't end on a cliffhanger or such, so there's that. There is some really good shake up for the gang as shit hits the fan with the outbreak in Riverdale, and it is absolutely sad to see a town which I have read so much about during my childhood fall into despair, and quite gruesomely at that. It is so good through, and there some really pretty powerful moments, like
Archie taking down his dad while some good memories of the two flashes by. Like damn...
Again, sad that this hasn't been finished. Maybe there is some chance that it will return, but for what there is in this volume is great, and it doesn't include that Sabrina issue. :P
Someday I will look at later Archie Horror stuff that seem to have been more successful, like Werewolf Jughead, and Vampire Veronica.
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Francavilla is so perfect for this. I held off for years because I was waiting on the slow release, but I may as well check it out since it's never gonna get a proper ending. Shame it happened with Sabrina, but at least he went off to finish that as a show.1. Afterlife with Archie Vol 1
Starting off with something that hurts, cause this is never going to be finished I suppose lol. You got this crazy good concept that has fantastic art to give off a more retro feel, and it was basically abandoned. I don't even know if volume 2 came out, cause they didn't reach issue 12.
Still, at least volume 1 kind of works as a standalone. Well maybe not, but it doesn't end on a cliffhanger or such, so there's that. There is some really good shake up for the gang as shit hits the fan with the outbreak in Riverdale, and it is absolutely sad to see a town which I have read so much about during my childhood fall into despair, and quite gruesomely at that. It is so good through, and there some really pretty powerful moments, like
Archie taking down his dad while some good memories of the two flashes by. Like damn...
Again, sad that this hasn't been finished. Maybe there is some chance that it will return, but for what there is in this volume is great, and it doesn't include that Sabrina issue. :P
Someday I will look at later Archie Horror stuff that seem to have been more successful, like Werewolf Jughead, and Vampire Veronica.
1. Zansatsu! Ponytail
A short story (oneshot manga) about things that infecting girls with ponytail, you'll probably guess it, but I tell you right away: This story is poking fun at girls who put their self worth on their ponytail.
Probably won't recommend to people who ask for more longer story tho, but if you like short please go for it
A short story (oneshot manga) about things that infecting girls with ponytail, you'll probably guess it, but I tell you right away: This story is poking fun at girls who put their self worth on their ponytail.
Probably won't recommend to people who ask for more longer story tho, but if you like short please go for it
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#3
Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
Mieruko-chan is not a character's name. It (見える子ちゃん) translates roughly to "girl who can see." What can she see? Freaky fucking ghosts. This series was not what I expected. I've had it recommended to me a lot when I'm browsing Japanese kindle stuff, and after seeing it there and in many Japanese horror recommendation aggregate blog posts, I figured I had to check it out. I always assumed it was straight horror, but it starts out feeling more like a slice of life horror-comedy. The horror typically comes from ghosts revealing themselves to Miko (the protagonist), and her hiding that she can see them. If they find out she sees them, she could be in danger. What's interesting about the horror-comedy is that the ghosts are rarely, if ever, used as the punchline. Miko's or other characters' reactions are sometimes played for humor, but that leaves the disturbing ghosts to remain tense and frightening.
I found myself hoping that the series would move away from the monster of the week format and introduce more characters or a purpose for the story to keep going, and as my wish came true, I found myself somewhat mixed about the result. I felt that as more of a narrative and a few other characters were introduced, the sense of horror became a bit muddled in the process. Very few serialized stories have their whole direction plotted from the beginning, but a great writer won't let the reader feel like that's the case; they'll weave the plot carefully so that every new direction feels organic. Mieruko-chan did feel like it was still figuring out its path, and I'm sure the editor(s) wanted to help the mangaka, Izumi, find a way to stretch it out due to its popularity. That's not all bad, though it's hard to tell if the series will end up better for it or not right now.
One thing I really love about Mieruko-chan is how Izumi uses different art styles to depict the ghosts compared to other characters or scenery. Beyond just the designs differing, heavier shading and deeper outlines give them a sense of danger. Sometimes, there's some crosshatching drawn in a way that makes the ghosts feel ethereal, messy, and dreadful. That's very well done.
The humor is sometimes sorta lame due to the fact that the punchline is obvious, but I did find myself chuckling at the situations several times, so I guess it's more successful than not. I liked the gangster getting a kitten from Miko and being really sweet with it, and Miko's best friend, Hana, admitting that she eats what's essentially "second breakfast" as some hobbits are wont to do.
(a gangster is pictured here bringing his cat home and trying to think of names for it, like "Nyansuke" or "Nyangoroku.")
(Hana goes to the school clinic, because she has hunger pains. She believes the cause was skipping "asago-gohan," meal-after-breakfast/second breakfast.)
One thing that has bothered me from chapter one is that the danger of the ghosts finding out she can see them is never made explicit. It's dangerous, but how? Can they physically hurt her? It seems like she can walk through them, so I don't know how that would work. Would they haunt her and constantly speak to her? That would obviously have a major psychological effect on her, but it ends up feeling like ghosts are scary because... they're scary, and that's not too compelling. There are moments where ghosts try to attack her, but it's still unclear whether that would result in physical harm or death.
Overall, I'm enjoying the series and look forward to see where it's going. The current arc introduced a potential antagonist and seems to be pushing more into an overarching story. I just hope the author doesn't lose track of what made parts in earlier chapters disturbing.
Recommended, assuming you're okay with some humor and some slice of life stuff, too.
Horror comics read this month (6 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
Mieruko-chan is not a character's name. It (見える子ちゃん) translates roughly to "girl who can see." What can she see? Freaky fucking ghosts. This series was not what I expected. I've had it recommended to me a lot when I'm browsing Japanese kindle stuff, and after seeing it there and in many Japanese horror recommendation aggregate blog posts, I figured I had to check it out. I always assumed it was straight horror, but it starts out feeling more like a slice of life horror-comedy. The horror typically comes from ghosts revealing themselves to Miko (the protagonist), and her hiding that she can see them. If they find out she sees them, she could be in danger. What's interesting about the horror-comedy is that the ghosts are rarely, if ever, used as the punchline. Miko's or other characters' reactions are sometimes played for humor, but that leaves the disturbing ghosts to remain tense and frightening.
I found myself hoping that the series would move away from the monster of the week format and introduce more characters or a purpose for the story to keep going, and as my wish came true, I found myself somewhat mixed about the result. I felt that as more of a narrative and a few other characters were introduced, the sense of horror became a bit muddled in the process. Very few serialized stories have their whole direction plotted from the beginning, but a great writer won't let the reader feel like that's the case; they'll weave the plot carefully so that every new direction feels organic. Mieruko-chan did feel like it was still figuring out its path, and I'm sure the editor(s) wanted to help the mangaka, Izumi, find a way to stretch it out due to its popularity. That's not all bad, though it's hard to tell if the series will end up better for it or not right now.
One thing I really love about Mieruko-chan is how Izumi uses different art styles to depict the ghosts compared to other characters or scenery. Beyond just the designs differing, heavier shading and deeper outlines give them a sense of danger. Sometimes, there's some crosshatching drawn in a way that makes the ghosts feel ethereal, messy, and dreadful. That's very well done.
The humor is sometimes sorta lame due to the fact that the punchline is obvious, but I did find myself chuckling at the situations several times, so I guess it's more successful than not. I liked the gangster getting a kitten from Miko and being really sweet with it, and Miko's best friend, Hana, admitting that she eats what's essentially "second breakfast" as some hobbits are wont to do.
(a gangster is pictured here bringing his cat home and trying to think of names for it, like "Nyansuke" or "Nyangoroku.")
(Hana goes to the school clinic, because she has hunger pains. She believes the cause was skipping "asago-gohan," meal-after-breakfast/second breakfast.)
One thing that has bothered me from chapter one is that the danger of the ghosts finding out she can see them is never made explicit. It's dangerous, but how? Can they physically hurt her? It seems like she can walk through them, so I don't know how that would work. Would they haunt her and constantly speak to her? That would obviously have a major psychological effect on her, but it ends up feeling like ghosts are scary because... they're scary, and that's not too compelling. There are moments where ghosts try to attack her, but it's still unclear whether that would result in physical harm or death.
Overall, I'm enjoying the series and look forward to see where it's going. The current arc introduced a potential antagonist and seems to be pushing more into an overarching story. I just hope the author doesn't lose track of what made parts in earlier chapters disturbing.
Recommended, assuming you're okay with some humor and some slice of life stuff, too.
Horror comics read this month (6 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
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#4
Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
I'm sure I would've felt differently if I weren't reading this during a pandemic, but it just felt... dull. The story moves quite slowly for most of the series, and then it wraps up suddenly in two chapters. It's about a new virus being discovered in Tokyo, but given that it's ostensibly a horror manga, I expected the virus to have some frightening and widespread affects. The deaths of those who have contracted the virus are disgusting, but that's as far as the horror really goes. Otherwise, it's more of a drama watching the doctors trying to figure out a way to stop it. There's far too much dialogue where nothing really moves forward, and none of the characters are too interesting beyond the one doctor who is in love with viruses, and... that's not really interesting in a good way. I just wanted to be done with it after reading a few chapters. I don't know how I keep ending up reading more Hokazono manga without realizing it's the same mangaka, but I guess that just shows how much of an impact his manga has on me. He's never impressed me with his other horror books, but I think they're a bit more polished than this early work.
Not recommended. Hardly a horror manga, and you're experiencing a more frightening story in 2020 if you're just witnessing coronavirus' effects.
Horror comics read this month (8 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
#4 Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
I'm sure I would've felt differently if I weren't reading this during a pandemic, but it just felt... dull. The story moves quite slowly for most of the series, and then it wraps up suddenly in two chapters. It's about a new virus being discovered in Tokyo, but given that it's ostensibly a horror manga, I expected the virus to have some frightening and widespread affects. The deaths of those who have contracted the virus are disgusting, but that's as far as the horror really goes. Otherwise, it's more of a drama watching the doctors trying to figure out a way to stop it. There's far too much dialogue where nothing really moves forward, and none of the characters are too interesting beyond the one doctor who is in love with viruses, and... that's not really interesting in a good way. I just wanted to be done with it after reading a few chapters. I don't know how I keep ending up reading more Hokazono manga without realizing it's the same mangaka, but I guess that just shows how much of an impact his manga has on me. He's never impressed me with his other horror books, but I think they're a bit more polished than this early work.
Not recommended. Hardly a horror manga, and you're experiencing a more frightening story in 2020 if you're just witnessing coronavirus' effects.
Horror comics read this month (8 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
#4 Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
Oct 4) The Walking Dead #163-168 (A Certain Doom) [Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard]
Well, I'm having a hard time keeping up. Heh.
Anyway, the Whisperer's arc continues. Without spoiler tagging my entire review, this volume concludes one conflict, but the war still continues. Overall, it was enjoyable and Negan continues to be the highlight.
Total books read so far: 14
Well, I'm having a hard time keeping up. Heh.
Anyway, the Whisperer's arc continues. Without spoiler tagging my entire review, this volume concludes one conflict, but the war still continues. Overall, it was enjoyable and Negan continues to be the highlight.
I really like Andrea's character, so it was sad to see her go. To be honest though, she hasn't really had anything meaty to do for a while so I think having her be the impactful death was the right choice. It would have been silly if all the main characters survived such a massive onslaught. It was nice that she had a chance to say goodbye and everything was handled rather tastefully in my opinion.
Total books read so far: 14
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Creepy/horror manga bundle on Humble Bundle.
www.humblebundle.com
PTSD Radio - I've read 6 volumes of this, and it's all right if you enjoy the mangaka's other work (Fuan no Tane). Easy read with mostly unconnected chapters (there's a vague narrative that sorta connects some of them), though I find few of them to be impactful.
Dragon Head - I've heard this is okay.
Kasane - I've only heard great things from my friends about this one.
Gleipnir - Haven't heard very good things.
Inuyashiki - I swore off this dude's crappy manga after Gantz.
Happiness - I've heard mixed things. I kinda think Shuuzou is a hack, but I still want to read it.
Museum - This one is decent and pretty creepy at times.
Noise - Probably great, because it's Nihei.
Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon and Mu - if you're familiar with Ito's work, this is quite funny. It uses his typical horror tropes to set up comedy with his cats.
Dissolving Classroom - One of Ito's weakest works. Fans may want to check it out, anyway, but it'd be one of the worst places to start.
That's about the extent of my knowledge. It's probably worth it just to get all the volumes of Kasane, Happiness, Museum, and Yon & Mu, so despite not liking a number of the series in this bundle and thinking a few others look like crap, I still bought the 20 buck bundle haha.
Humble Manga Bundle: Terrifying Tales by Kodansha
We've teamed up with Kodansha Comics for our newest bundle! Get comics like Dissolving Classroom, PTSD Radio, and In/Spectre. Learn more!
www.humblebundle.com
PTSD Radio - I've read 6 volumes of this, and it's all right if you enjoy the mangaka's other work (Fuan no Tane). Easy read with mostly unconnected chapters (there's a vague narrative that sorta connects some of them), though I find few of them to be impactful.
Dragon Head - I've heard this is okay.
Kasane - I've only heard great things from my friends about this one.
Gleipnir - Haven't heard very good things.
Inuyashiki - I swore off this dude's crappy manga after Gantz.
Happiness - I've heard mixed things. I kinda think Shuuzou is a hack, but I still want to read it.
Museum - This one is decent and pretty creepy at times.
Noise - Probably great, because it's Nihei.
Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon and Mu - if you're familiar with Ito's work, this is quite funny. It uses his typical horror tropes to set up comedy with his cats.
Dissolving Classroom - One of Ito's weakest works. Fans may want to check it out, anyway, but it'd be one of the worst places to start.
That's about the extent of my knowledge. It's probably worth it just to get all the volumes of Kasane, Happiness, Museum, and Yon & Mu, so despite not liking a number of the series in this bundle and thinking a few others look like crap, I still bought the 20 buck bundle haha.
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#5
Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
Another one that didn't end up being what I expected. I thought it would be a straight-up adaptation of the film, but only the first chapter shares any real resemblance. The other few chapters are stories that have... lots of water in them! That's the connective tissue here, and it's about as broad and exciting as I just made it sound. The stories are all a bit too quick to really engage me, and they lack the real sense of impending dread and doom of the original film. A couple of the stories really lack any sort of psychological or supernatural horror at all, and I found that to be disappointing. The art isn't able to carry the weak stories, so I'm afraid there's not much more to say.
Not recommended. Just watch the film, because there's not much of substance in these waters.
Horror comics read this month (9 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
#4 Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
#5 Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
Another one that didn't end up being what I expected. I thought it would be a straight-up adaptation of the film, but only the first chapter shares any real resemblance. The other few chapters are stories that have... lots of water in them! That's the connective tissue here, and it's about as broad and exciting as I just made it sound. The stories are all a bit too quick to really engage me, and they lack the real sense of impending dread and doom of the original film. A couple of the stories really lack any sort of psychological or supernatural horror at all, and I found that to be disappointing. The art isn't able to carry the weak stories, so I'm afraid there's not much more to say.
Not recommended. Just watch the film, because there's not much of substance in these waters.
Horror comics read this month (9 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
#4 Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
#5 Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
#2 Signal 100
The main reason I read this is because last month I watched the live action version (I can explain). So I thought this manga should be better than the live action because they have more space for story and it's true! Manga has more nuances for the characters and their motive, and also has a lot more plots. But, it's still has the same problem (like battle royale/survival story) the deaths feels like a number.
Now, let me explain the premise: There's 100 signals planted on the students brain by the teacher using some advanced hypnotic technique, if the signal activated the person will commit suicide (horribly). The signal consist something like: affect violence on other, pee in your pants etc. So the story is about finding how to undo the signal and survive because there's always asshole who try to win, but actually there's a way to win with "less" people dying if you willing to sacrifice other. (I don't wanna do a moral take for this one lol)
Tbh, the signal part was interesting, but the story along the way wasn't that fresh for me. The psychological part is also kinda weak, I don't really remember a feeling of "oh shit that's smart" when reading it.
Last, should you read it? it depends, generally I won't recommend but if you like gore stuff, running out manga to read or just bored, go read it.
Trigger Warning: Sexual Harassments & Rape Theme (it's small part but I think I should put it)
The main reason I read this is because last month I watched the live action version (I can explain). So I thought this manga should be better than the live action because they have more space for story and it's true! Manga has more nuances for the characters and their motive, and also has a lot more plots. But, it's still has the same problem (like battle royale/survival story) the deaths feels like a number.
Now, let me explain the premise: There's 100 signals planted on the students brain by the teacher using some advanced hypnotic technique, if the signal activated the person will commit suicide (horribly). The signal consist something like: affect violence on other, pee in your pants etc. So the story is about finding how to undo the signal and survive because there's always asshole who try to win, but actually there's a way to win with "less" people dying if you willing to sacrifice other. (I don't wanna do a moral take for this one lol)
Tbh, the signal part was interesting, but the story along the way wasn't that fresh for me. The psychological part is also kinda weak, I don't really remember a feeling of "oh shit that's smart" when reading it.
Last, should you read it? it depends, generally I won't recommend but if you like gore stuff, running out manga to read or just bored, go read it.
Trigger Warning: Sexual Harassments & Rape Theme (it's small part but I think I should put it)
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I'm actually shocked that both things you read this month are ones I'd never heard of. Where are you finding these? Haha#2 Signal 100
The main reason I read this is because last month I watched the live action version (I can explain). So I thought this manga should be better than the live action because they have more space for story and it's true! Manga has more nuances for the characters and their motive, and also has a lot more plots. But, it's still has the same problem (like battle royale/survival story) the deaths feels like a number.
Now, let me explain the premise: There's 100 signals planted on the students brain by the teacher using some advanced hypnotic technique, if the signal activated the person will commit suicide (horribly). The signal consist something like: affect violence on other, pee in your pants etc. So the story is about finding how to undo the signal and survive because there's always asshole who try to win, but actually there's a way to win with "less" people dying if you willing to sacrifice other. (I don't wanna do a moral take for this one lol)
Tbh, the signal part was interesting, but the story along the way wasn't that fresh for me. The psychological part is also kinda weak, I don't really remember a feeling of "oh shit that's smart" when reading it.
Last, should you read it? it depends, generally I won't recommend but if you like gore stuff, running out manga to read or just bored, go read it.
Trigger Warning: Sexual Harassments & Rape Theme (it's small part but I think I should put it)
The first one is just a luck, I was lurking at the place I can't mention here haha. The 2nd one is a long story, because I know the live action first and then found out it was manga adaptation, then I just search it on the same place. Tbh, this thread reminds me how much horror manga I've read and forget (like Mieruko). Still debating whether I should save some money or going 20 bucks for that humble bundle, (I've read most of them but from the place that shouldn't be mentioned so I need to atone my sins)
I read 2 volume of blood rain yesterday, probably write the impression later.
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#6
Blackwood (Evan Dorkin, Andy Fish, Veronica Fish, and Greg McKenna, 2 vol./ongoing)
I'm a sucker for weird schools and occult stuff, so this felt like it was made for me. I felt a bit let down by the first volume, but that really just feels like setup in hindsight, and it's all quite fun. While it's not exactly that spooky, there's definitely a strong horror influence here from the deaths (and how they happen) to the monsters, curses, and atmosphere in some of the wonderfully eerie areas they visit in Blackwood. The characters all feel well-rounded and interesting, and it doesn't hurt that the character designs are unique and cool (not to mention there's a two-headed monkey).
The story largely follows four new students at this alternative college called Blackwood. While some are there to learn about religious studies or occultic history, there are some more mystical and special studies that some select students undergo. As far as volume two, we still haven't even really seen what classes are like, so I imagine there are a few more volumes coming down the line. As the characters were further established, I found myself overjoyed just watching them interact. Perhaps the most memorable scene for me is when the main characters get drunk together and talk about how store-bought rice krispy treats aren't okay, because you have to make them yourself. This was a scene in which the art and writing melded to capture the mood so well that I couldn't help but crack up.
The art is such a treat here, and while the story improves with volume two, the Andy Fish takes on more art duties to really push the visuals so as not to be outdone. Volume one looked nice with Veronica Fish's beautiful and weird designs, but it feels like it's volume two where the visual identity is truly realized. The colors become more outlandish, and everything gains an extra layer of polish to create scenes that stuck with me for drama, comedy, and for horror. All the panels I felt motivated to screenshot were in volume two, which doesn't surprise me.
I recommend this one if you enjoy books like Gotham Academy. It may not be too scary, but the creepy and mysterious atmosphere of the book entertained me all the way through. I'm really looking forward to more.
Horror comics read this month (11 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
#4 Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
#5 Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
#6 Blackwood (Evan Dorkin, Andy Fish, Veronica Fish, and Greg McKenna, 2 vol./ongoing)
Blackwood (Evan Dorkin, Andy Fish, Veronica Fish, and Greg McKenna, 2 vol./ongoing)
I'm a sucker for weird schools and occult stuff, so this felt like it was made for me. I felt a bit let down by the first volume, but that really just feels like setup in hindsight, and it's all quite fun. While it's not exactly that spooky, there's definitely a strong horror influence here from the deaths (and how they happen) to the monsters, curses, and atmosphere in some of the wonderfully eerie areas they visit in Blackwood. The characters all feel well-rounded and interesting, and it doesn't hurt that the character designs are unique and cool (not to mention there's a two-headed monkey).
The story largely follows four new students at this alternative college called Blackwood. While some are there to learn about religious studies or occultic history, there are some more mystical and special studies that some select students undergo. As far as volume two, we still haven't even really seen what classes are like, so I imagine there are a few more volumes coming down the line. As the characters were further established, I found myself overjoyed just watching them interact. Perhaps the most memorable scene for me is when the main characters get drunk together and talk about how store-bought rice krispy treats aren't okay, because you have to make them yourself. This was a scene in which the art and writing melded to capture the mood so well that I couldn't help but crack up.
The art is such a treat here, and while the story improves with volume two, the Andy Fish takes on more art duties to really push the visuals so as not to be outdone. Volume one looked nice with Veronica Fish's beautiful and weird designs, but it feels like it's volume two where the visual identity is truly realized. The colors become more outlandish, and everything gains an extra layer of polish to create scenes that stuck with me for drama, comedy, and for horror. All the panels I felt motivated to screenshot were in volume two, which doesn't surprise me.
I recommend this one if you enjoy books like Gotham Academy. It may not be too scary, but the creepy and mysterious atmosphere of the book entertained me all the way through. I'm really looking forward to more.
Horror comics read this month (11 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
#4 Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
#5 Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
#6 Blackwood (Evan Dorkin, Andy Fish, Veronica Fish, and Greg McKenna, 2 vol./ongoing)
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#7
Senrei (Kazuo Umezu, 4 vol.)
What the fuck. What the fuck? What the fuck! That was crazy... which I should expect when reading any Umezu manga, really. Kazuo Umezu is like the grandfather of horror manga. He was the single greatest inspiration to the most famous horror mangaka in the west, Junji Ito (Ito even made a one-shot about Umezu's influence, Umezu-sensei to Watashi), but Umezu may still remain the most famous one in Japan. He's shown up on TV many times over the years, in his iconic red and white striped shirt, and a number of his manga have received adaptations in TV and film. I used to live in the same neighborhood as him and used to walk by his home, which is infamous. It was about a 10 minute walk from where I lived.
What I'm trying to say is that he's this giant of horror manga, and I feel a personal admiration for his charm.
Senrei (Baptism) is about... well... that's sorta hard to say. I suppose it's about a famous actress, Izumi, who obsesses so much over her looks and the development of an odd mark on her face that she becomes an overbearing mother later in life who tries to enjoy the beauty of youth vicariously through her daughter, Sakura. But really? It's about (vol 1 spoilers) Izumi's plan to transfer her brain into her Sakura's head when Sakura becomes of age so that she can enjoy the beauty of youth again firsthand instead of vicariously. It's horrific! After the transfer, which takes place a good way through volume one, Izumi finds her daughter's brain on the floor and squishes it with her foot and laughs maniacally! My mouth was agape. The page when the Sakura discovers what's really going on is such a great reveal that builds tension expertly.
But really really?? Senrei is actually about (ending spoilers) the daughter imagining the whole thing and losing her mind or something? It totally comes out of nowhere and ruins pretty much everything set up throughout the rest of the series. Fuck!
The manga kept me thinking "No. Oh, fuck no. Umezu can't actually do this, can he?!" There are some real moments of terror and shock which had me sitting, staring at the page in disbelief. Unfortunately, he really didn't do it, since it all never happened. What a scam! The art is classic Umezu stuff, and when it hits those horror notes right, they really sing (like... a banshee or something creepy?). A page I really loved, and I feel this takes nothing away from anyone who would still want to read it, is when one of the other girls at Sakura's school is buried in rubble—the result of a trick in which she was led into a building just before a bulldozer crushed it. Sakura stands there, looking at the rubble and saying goodbye.
That felt so dark, and... oddly satisfying to see the plan work. I think one of the greatest strengths of the story is making the protagonist so devilishly dark. You want to see her get taken down, but she's the main character, so you're forced to sit in the audience seat and root for her dark machinations.
I've read a few of his series before—the most famous being Drifting Classroom—and this was one of the weaker ones, sadly. While I was really into it for the first half, it slows down a bit and strangely ends up rushing to the finish out of nowhere with an ending that really left a bad taste in my mouth, because it feels completely inorganic and a betrayal of everything built up to that point. I felt very mixed in the end, because there are some high points that were very entertaining, but it doesn't wrap up well. I feel obligated to mention that volume four includes two extra chapters of short stories, though there weren't especially notable.
I can't in good conscience recommend this, because the ending makes the whole read feel pointless. I was really disappointed by that, because I was enjoying it and looking forward to how it would wrap up.
Horror comics read this month (15 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
#4 Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
#5 Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
#6 Blackwood (Evan Dorkin, Andy Fish, Veronica Fish, and Greg McKenna, 2 vol./ongoing)
#7 Senrei (Kazuo Umezu, 4 vol.)
Senrei (Kazuo Umezu, 4 vol.)
What the fuck. What the fuck? What the fuck! That was crazy... which I should expect when reading any Umezu manga, really. Kazuo Umezu is like the grandfather of horror manga. He was the single greatest inspiration to the most famous horror mangaka in the west, Junji Ito (Ito even made a one-shot about Umezu's influence, Umezu-sensei to Watashi), but Umezu may still remain the most famous one in Japan. He's shown up on TV many times over the years, in his iconic red and white striped shirt, and a number of his manga have received adaptations in TV and film. I used to live in the same neighborhood as him and used to walk by his home, which is infamous. It was about a 10 minute walk from where I lived.
What I'm trying to say is that he's this giant of horror manga, and I feel a personal admiration for his charm.
Senrei (Baptism) is about... well... that's sorta hard to say. I suppose it's about a famous actress, Izumi, who obsesses so much over her looks and the development of an odd mark on her face that she becomes an overbearing mother later in life who tries to enjoy the beauty of youth vicariously through her daughter, Sakura. But really? It's about (vol 1 spoilers) Izumi's plan to transfer her brain into her Sakura's head when Sakura becomes of age so that she can enjoy the beauty of youth again firsthand instead of vicariously. It's horrific! After the transfer, which takes place a good way through volume one, Izumi finds her daughter's brain on the floor and squishes it with her foot and laughs maniacally! My mouth was agape. The page when the Sakura discovers what's really going on is such a great reveal that builds tension expertly.
But really really?? Senrei is actually about (ending spoilers) the daughter imagining the whole thing and losing her mind or something? It totally comes out of nowhere and ruins pretty much everything set up throughout the rest of the series. Fuck!
The manga kept me thinking "No. Oh, fuck no. Umezu can't actually do this, can he?!" There are some real moments of terror and shock which had me sitting, staring at the page in disbelief. Unfortunately, he really didn't do it, since it all never happened. What a scam! The art is classic Umezu stuff, and when it hits those horror notes right, they really sing (like... a banshee or something creepy?). A page I really loved, and I feel this takes nothing away from anyone who would still want to read it, is when one of the other girls at Sakura's school is buried in rubble—the result of a trick in which she was led into a building just before a bulldozer crushed it. Sakura stands there, looking at the rubble and saying goodbye.
That felt so dark, and... oddly satisfying to see the plan work. I think one of the greatest strengths of the story is making the protagonist so devilishly dark. You want to see her get taken down, but she's the main character, so you're forced to sit in the audience seat and root for her dark machinations.
I've read a few of his series before—the most famous being Drifting Classroom—and this was one of the weaker ones, sadly. While I was really into it for the first half, it slows down a bit and strangely ends up rushing to the finish out of nowhere with an ending that really left a bad taste in my mouth, because it feels completely inorganic and a betrayal of everything built up to that point. I felt very mixed in the end, because there are some high points that were very entertaining, but it doesn't wrap up well. I feel obligated to mention that volume four includes two extra chapters of short stories, though there weren't especially notable.
I can't in good conscience recommend this, because the ending makes the whole read feel pointless. I was really disappointed by that, because I was enjoying it and looking forward to how it would wrap up.
Horror comics read this month (15 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
#4 Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
#5 Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
#6 Blackwood (Evan Dorkin, Andy Fish, Veronica Fish, and Greg McKenna, 2 vol./ongoing)
#7 Senrei (Kazuo Umezu, 4 vol.)
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#8
The Dollhouse Family (Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Vince Locke, and Chris Peter, 1 vol.)
"One by one, go down, be weighed. Be weightless, come up, only one." Say these magic words, and you'll shrink down to the size of a doll to enter the dollhouse. Everyone seems kind inside, the black room, which is as much a space as it is a character. We don't talk about the black room. The dollhouse was a bequest left to Alice by her great-aunt that she never knew, and it has a very dark history.
I love Mike Carey. He has such an imaginative way of depicting child-like fantasy... and intertwining it with horrific creatures and gloom. The setup for the book feels so strong and instantly mysterious: a dollhouse left from an unknown relative that starts to contact the child, Alice. Right off the bat, you're hit with curiosity about Alice's home life, the history of the dollhouse, and the ancestry. Alice is a compelling protagonist that I felt empathy for, due to her rough life. I kept cheering for her to work things out, especially at moments of great distress. The love and care Alice shows for her family touched me, and her relationships felt engaging and believable. The cruelest characters do a good job of pushing the narrative and create an imposing sense of danger. Each piece of the story slowly unraveled, so the reader constantly has the satisfaction of learning something while also asking new questions. I had a hard time putting the book down, because I just had to know more about the several stories being told all at once; it's easy to think "I'll read one more issue" when there's a new thread to pull every 10 pages or so. I was mostly pleased with all the characters and the story, although there were a couple reveals towards the end that I didn't care for. The narrative was mostly undamaged, but tying the dollhouse to (end spoilers) aliens? didn't seem necessary to me. One other slight critique is that I wish we had one more issue to explore some of Alice's ancestors in a bit more depth, as I feel that would have added to the stakes and promoted more interest in one of the reveals.
The art is mostly suitable. I'm a bit unclear on why it feels like such a departure from previous works I've seen by Peter Gross. I don't know if Gross was rushed or if Vince Locke and Chris Peter impacted the style positively or negatively. In any case, there were a few panels that didn't look quite right to me and took me out of the book a bit. However, I really loved a lot of the panel construction and this page in particular that shows the dollhouse layout. It captures the childish glee of fairy tales while also depicting the dark and mysterious aspects that lurk in shadows, which the book does generally quite well:
Really fun book altogether, and there are great points of tension and fear that had me rattled and worried for the characters. More than that, it was an enjoyable story that had me glued to the pages until the very end.
Recommended. While some of the later revelations about the dollhouse didn't thrill me, it's overall very entertaining. Carey deftly connects several stories in each issue, and they each story is all the richer for it.
Horror comics read this month (16 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
#4 Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
#5 Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
#6 Blackwood (Evan Dorkin, Andy Fish, Veronica Fish, and Greg McKenna, 2 vol./ongoing)
#7 Senrei (Kazuo Umezu, 4 vol.)
#8 The Dollhouse Family (Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Vince Locke, and Chris Peter, 1 vol.)
The Dollhouse Family (Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Vince Locke, and Chris Peter, 1 vol.)
"One by one, go down, be weighed. Be weightless, come up, only one." Say these magic words, and you'll shrink down to the size of a doll to enter the dollhouse. Everyone seems kind inside, the black room, which is as much a space as it is a character. We don't talk about the black room. The dollhouse was a bequest left to Alice by her great-aunt that she never knew, and it has a very dark history.
I love Mike Carey. He has such an imaginative way of depicting child-like fantasy... and intertwining it with horrific creatures and gloom. The setup for the book feels so strong and instantly mysterious: a dollhouse left from an unknown relative that starts to contact the child, Alice. Right off the bat, you're hit with curiosity about Alice's home life, the history of the dollhouse, and the ancestry. Alice is a compelling protagonist that I felt empathy for, due to her rough life. I kept cheering for her to work things out, especially at moments of great distress. The love and care Alice shows for her family touched me, and her relationships felt engaging and believable. The cruelest characters do a good job of pushing the narrative and create an imposing sense of danger. Each piece of the story slowly unraveled, so the reader constantly has the satisfaction of learning something while also asking new questions. I had a hard time putting the book down, because I just had to know more about the several stories being told all at once; it's easy to think "I'll read one more issue" when there's a new thread to pull every 10 pages or so. I was mostly pleased with all the characters and the story, although there were a couple reveals towards the end that I didn't care for. The narrative was mostly undamaged, but tying the dollhouse to (end spoilers) aliens? didn't seem necessary to me. One other slight critique is that I wish we had one more issue to explore some of Alice's ancestors in a bit more depth, as I feel that would have added to the stakes and promoted more interest in one of the reveals.
The art is mostly suitable. I'm a bit unclear on why it feels like such a departure from previous works I've seen by Peter Gross. I don't know if Gross was rushed or if Vince Locke and Chris Peter impacted the style positively or negatively. In any case, there were a few panels that didn't look quite right to me and took me out of the book a bit. However, I really loved a lot of the panel construction and this page in particular that shows the dollhouse layout. It captures the childish glee of fairy tales while also depicting the dark and mysterious aspects that lurk in shadows, which the book does generally quite well:
Really fun book altogether, and there are great points of tension and fear that had me rattled and worried for the characters. More than that, it was an enjoyable story that had me glued to the pages until the very end.
Recommended. While some of the later revelations about the dollhouse didn't thrill me, it's overall very entertaining. Carey deftly connects several stories in each issue, and they each story is all the richer for it.
Horror comics read this month (16 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
#4 Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
#5 Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
#6 Blackwood (Evan Dorkin, Andy Fish, Veronica Fish, and Greg McKenna, 2 vol./ongoing)
#7 Senrei (Kazuo Umezu, 4 vol.)
#8 The Dollhouse Family (Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Vince Locke, and Chris Peter, 1 vol.)
OP
OP
Hmm? It already was. You mean as one volume or something? I just ordered the three volumes from my library a couple days ago.
One volume. The first three have been out of print for years and now sell for way too much
OP
OP
Ah, I see. I'm interested to read Courtyard, Neonomicon, and Providence finally. I've heard... mixed things due to depictions of sexual violence in the latter... two, was it? I'll have to see for myself what's going on with that.
Courtyard is a bit of a bore and Providence is one of Moore's greatest works. Not exagerating here, but Providence is right up there with Promethea or From Hell. The flaw is that it needs Neonomicon for the final issue to make sense, an utter trash comic. While I've never bought in the "Alan Moore is a sexist" debate, Neomonicon is simply disgusting from every angle
OP
OP
Awh, shite. Well, I'm glad I've been warned beforehand, and I'll be looking forward to Providence!
If you want to avoid Neonomicon, here is the plot:
A FBI agent attempts to infiltrate a cult, which turns out to be worshipping a Deep One. That creature then rapes her repeatedly, impregnating her. She then meets up with the protagonist of Courtyard, now imprisoned for a mass killing. The agent reveals that the Steppe of Lang is a concept of time and thought made real. She ends the conversation by stating she is pregnant with Cthulhu.
OP
OP
I'm a glutton for punishment, and I feel like I need to read all three (even if I regret it), so I'm going to avoid clicking the spoiler. I do appreciate the warning, though!
Of course. I hope you enjoy Providence as much as I did. It really is a fascinating take on the Lovecraft mythos
OP
OP
#9
Basketful of Heads (Joe Hill, Leomacs, and Dave Stewart, 1 vol.)
I suppose Basketful of Heads feels like a horror comedy. Not that I found myself laughing out loud a lot, but the tone often completely over the top and had me more amused than anxious. The setup is that a young woman named June is with her boyfriend on his last day being a summer deputy on a small island in New England, and they're about to head back home. Four convicts break out of the local prison, and then June's boyfriend is kidnapped. She ends up finding an axe that doesn't kill when it cuts through flesh, which she uses to decapitate the dangerous men she encounters. If that sounded like it went from 1 to 11 in a moment, that's because it does. And that's rad.
Joe Hill is such a fun writer. Whether it's dialogue between some real slimy bastards or our badass protagonist spitting a clever quip, the book had me smiling a lot. Each time June turns the tables on someone by transforming them from lethal threat to helpless talking head, it felt incredibly satisfying. Watching evil men crumble before her when there's nothing they can do to here was excellent. While the tone felt more silly than scary most of the time, discovering the mysteries behind her boyfriend's kidnapping and what's actually happening on Brody Island is a damn good time. June's growth through the night full of decapitating men and carrying around their immortal talking heads is solid, too. As she becomes more comfortable with danger and more clever with the evil men who would hurt or kill her, I was often looking forward to not only seeing how she would get out of situations, but just what she'd say to her enemies. Maybe this is becoming a consistent criticism I have this month, but I would've liked another issue or so to explore June's relationships and the ending revelations a bit deeper. The ending comes at you fast, and I think it could've had more impact if it had more room to breathe.
At first, I questioned whether the art, while beautiful, would be able to capture a tense and frightening atmosphere. It starts out looking so bright, with the sense of that summer will never end.
However, night falls, and that sense is gone. The difference is... suitingly, like night and day.
Leomacs and Dave Stewart are a great team, and while the characters, their expressions, and the surrounding environments are all gorgeously illustrated, Stewart's colors do nothing but elevate everything they touch. I had my doubts at first that the art would suit a horror book, but those concerns were completely dispelled by the end of the first issue. I'm really not sure what else to add, because I have no complaints about the art. I loved the distinct characters, and how they all emote perfectly for their personalities to come across. There are some moments without speech where the facial expressions alone are doing some nuanced and subtle storytelling, and I love that dearly in this medium.
I recommend this one! I just had a great time all the way through. While it's not too spooky, horror as a vehicle to tell the story of June's transformation from helpless to not-to-be-fucked-with star of the show worked very well.
Horror comics read this month (17 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
#4 Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
#5 Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
#6 Blackwood (Evan Dorkin, Andy Fish, Veronica Fish, and Greg McKenna, 2 vol./ongoing)
#7 Senrei (Kazuo Umezu, 4 vol.)
#8 The Dollhouse Family (Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Vince Locke, and Chris Peter, 1 vol.)
#9 Basketful of Heads (Joe Hill, Leomacs, and Dave Stewart 1 vol.)
Basketful of Heads (Joe Hill, Leomacs, and Dave Stewart, 1 vol.)
I suppose Basketful of Heads feels like a horror comedy. Not that I found myself laughing out loud a lot, but the tone often completely over the top and had me more amused than anxious. The setup is that a young woman named June is with her boyfriend on his last day being a summer deputy on a small island in New England, and they're about to head back home. Four convicts break out of the local prison, and then June's boyfriend is kidnapped. She ends up finding an axe that doesn't kill when it cuts through flesh, which she uses to decapitate the dangerous men she encounters. If that sounded like it went from 1 to 11 in a moment, that's because it does. And that's rad.
Joe Hill is such a fun writer. Whether it's dialogue between some real slimy bastards or our badass protagonist spitting a clever quip, the book had me smiling a lot. Each time June turns the tables on someone by transforming them from lethal threat to helpless talking head, it felt incredibly satisfying. Watching evil men crumble before her when there's nothing they can do to here was excellent. While the tone felt more silly than scary most of the time, discovering the mysteries behind her boyfriend's kidnapping and what's actually happening on Brody Island is a damn good time. June's growth through the night full of decapitating men and carrying around their immortal talking heads is solid, too. As she becomes more comfortable with danger and more clever with the evil men who would hurt or kill her, I was often looking forward to not only seeing how she would get out of situations, but just what she'd say to her enemies. Maybe this is becoming a consistent criticism I have this month, but I would've liked another issue or so to explore June's relationships and the ending revelations a bit deeper. The ending comes at you fast, and I think it could've had more impact if it had more room to breathe.
At first, I questioned whether the art, while beautiful, would be able to capture a tense and frightening atmosphere. It starts out looking so bright, with the sense of that summer will never end.
However, night falls, and that sense is gone. The difference is... suitingly, like night and day.
Leomacs and Dave Stewart are a great team, and while the characters, their expressions, and the surrounding environments are all gorgeously illustrated, Stewart's colors do nothing but elevate everything they touch. I had my doubts at first that the art would suit a horror book, but those concerns were completely dispelled by the end of the first issue. I'm really not sure what else to add, because I have no complaints about the art. I loved the distinct characters, and how they all emote perfectly for their personalities to come across. There are some moments without speech where the facial expressions alone are doing some nuanced and subtle storytelling, and I love that dearly in this medium.
I recommend this one! I just had a great time all the way through. While it's not too spooky, horror as a vehicle to tell the story of June's transformation from helpless to not-to-be-fucked-with star of the show worked very well.
Horror comics read this month (17 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
#4 Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
#5 Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
#6 Blackwood (Evan Dorkin, Andy Fish, Veronica Fish, and Greg McKenna, 2 vol./ongoing)
#7 Senrei (Kazuo Umezu, 4 vol.)
#8 The Dollhouse Family (Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Vince Locke, and Chris Peter, 1 vol.)
#9 Basketful of Heads (Joe Hill, Leomacs, and Dave Stewart 1 vol.)
OP
OP
#10
Dracula, Motherf**ker! (Alex de Campi, Erica Henderson, 1 vol.)
When I read the last page and saw "The End," I thought, "Oh, they got me for a second. No way it's over. Wait! It's over? No!" Much shorter than I thought. Since I was reading a digital copy, I had no clue I was turning to the last page for real. Despite its short length, it really makes an impact! I may even read it a second time this month. Dracula, motherf**ker! is about an LA photographer in the 70s who gets wrapped up in some vampire shit with movie stars and, that's right, Dracula! The writing feels fresh, and the art is full of breathtaking layouts that had me exploring every inch of the page and completely enraptured.
The dialogue feels tight and punchy. The writing suits the setting of 1974 LA, with all the characters and events bleeding style. I liked the direction of the book, but I was expecting where the book ended to be the setup for an entirely new vampire story. While I can't fault the book for ending where it did, I think it could have gone some really cool and new places if there was just a bit more after the conclusion. It's definitely a feminist take on vampire stories, and the critique of Dracula and his brides may not be an entirely original take, though it doesn't feel dated in this book one bit.
It would be hard to argue against Henderson's art being the show stealer. While a fan will recognize that it's obviously a piece of her oeuvre, the layouts and colors are a new and polished direction for her. She notes in the back of the book that she tried something new by doing spreads rather than pages, for the most part. That was a successful move, because all the space allows for her to show off.
The colors are stunning, and some pages depicting LA truly had me looking over them for far longer than I typically would, because they're fucking wonderful! The scenes of horror are depicted well, with Dracula and other vampires taking forms that bend the mind.
It's a smart move that makes the horror feel otherworldly and frightening. I can't say enough to praise Henderson's work on this book. She just keeps getting better. I just realized I'm wearing the House (Obayashi, 1977) shirt she designed while I'm typing this. Odd coincidence, but I guess I'm impressed by her work. I hope to see her doing more horror in the future!
It's really easy to recommend this book, because it's very short. If you don't like it, that's not a lot of time wasted. The atmosphere wasn't too frightening or intense, but the images of transformations, dead bodies, and creeping in the dark are done so well! Dracula, motherf**ker! may not do completely new things, but the way de Campi and Henderson captured their vampiric concepts is masterful.
Horror comics read this month (18 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
#4 Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
#5 Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
#6 Blackwood (Evan Dorkin, Andy Fish, Veronica Fish, and Greg McKenna, 2 vol./ongoing)
#7 Senrei (Kazuo Umezu, 4 vol.)
#8 The Dollhouse Family (Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Vince Locke, and Chris Peter, 1 vol.)
#9 Basketful of Heads (Joe Hill, Leomacs, and Dave Stewart 1 vol.)
#10 Dracula, Motherf**ker! (Alex de Campi, Erica Henderson, 1 vol.)
Dracula, Motherf**ker! (Alex de Campi, Erica Henderson, 1 vol.)
When I read the last page and saw "The End," I thought, "Oh, they got me for a second. No way it's over. Wait! It's over? No!" Much shorter than I thought. Since I was reading a digital copy, I had no clue I was turning to the last page for real. Despite its short length, it really makes an impact! I may even read it a second time this month. Dracula, motherf**ker! is about an LA photographer in the 70s who gets wrapped up in some vampire shit with movie stars and, that's right, Dracula! The writing feels fresh, and the art is full of breathtaking layouts that had me exploring every inch of the page and completely enraptured.
The dialogue feels tight and punchy. The writing suits the setting of 1974 LA, with all the characters and events bleeding style. I liked the direction of the book, but I was expecting where the book ended to be the setup for an entirely new vampire story. While I can't fault the book for ending where it did, I think it could have gone some really cool and new places if there was just a bit more after the conclusion. It's definitely a feminist take on vampire stories, and the critique of Dracula and his brides may not be an entirely original take, though it doesn't feel dated in this book one bit.
It would be hard to argue against Henderson's art being the show stealer. While a fan will recognize that it's obviously a piece of her oeuvre, the layouts and colors are a new and polished direction for her. She notes in the back of the book that she tried something new by doing spreads rather than pages, for the most part. That was a successful move, because all the space allows for her to show off.
The colors are stunning, and some pages depicting LA truly had me looking over them for far longer than I typically would, because they're fucking wonderful! The scenes of horror are depicted well, with Dracula and other vampires taking forms that bend the mind.
It's a smart move that makes the horror feel otherworldly and frightening. I can't say enough to praise Henderson's work on this book. She just keeps getting better. I just realized I'm wearing the House (Obayashi, 1977) shirt she designed while I'm typing this. Odd coincidence, but I guess I'm impressed by her work. I hope to see her doing more horror in the future!
It's really easy to recommend this book, because it's very short. If you don't like it, that's not a lot of time wasted. The atmosphere wasn't too frightening or intense, but the images of transformations, dead bodies, and creeping in the dark are done so well! Dracula, motherf**ker! may not do completely new things, but the way de Campi and Henderson captured their vampiric concepts is masterful.
Horror comics read this month (18 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
#4 Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
#5 Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
#6 Blackwood (Evan Dorkin, Andy Fish, Veronica Fish, and Greg McKenna, 2 vol./ongoing)
#7 Senrei (Kazuo Umezu, 4 vol.)
#8 The Dollhouse Family (Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Vince Locke, and Chris Peter, 1 vol.)
#9 Basketful of Heads (Joe Hill, Leomacs, and Dave Stewart 1 vol.)
#10 Dracula, Motherf**ker! (Alex de Campi, Erica Henderson, 1 vol.)
OP
OP
#11
Razorblades: The Horror Magazine (James Tynion IV, Steve Foxe, various, 2 vol./ongoing)
It's incredibly difficult to write about an anthology. There are likely to be works that you like and those you dislike. How do you measure that as an experience? Razorblades is a quarterly horror magazine started by James Tynion IV and Steve Foxe. While it's not explicitly a horror comic magazine, that's the focus. There are a couple short stories included, as well. There are many creators known and unknown also involved, like Ram V, Jen Bartel, Tini Howard, Dani, Jock, and more. There are also many names I didn't recognize, which I'll keep my eye on from now on.
The writing is largely average to good, with a couple great stories thrown in. I didn't find any works to be bad, though some didn't really leave an impression and will be forgotten tomorrow. Tynion and Foxe have done a great job of bringing in talents from across the spectrum, and even allowing a number of creatives to stretch some new muscle in a genre they're not known for. What I love about an anthology of horror with different creative teams is that you get to explore so many kinds of horror—fears that affect different people. That means that the reader may find a fear explored that's new and unnerves them in ways they didn't expect. I will say that the freedom this magazine presents allows some really graphic horror that I found more disturbing than a lot of other modern, western stories.
Art in the book is mostly good to great. A standout that comes to mind right away is John J Pearson's story with Ram V, A Dream of Time.
Wow. That was just incredible, and Pearson has a perfect sense of atmosphere for horror, which I think is a difficult thing for many artists to capture. I'd love to see more stories done by Pearson, because the images are expressive in ways that much of the others couldn't live up to (even when they were quite good themselves). Dani also had some art in here that felt like an appetizer, as I plan to read The Low, Low Woods very soon. It's fun seeing the crossover here from other writers and cartoonists I know and love already. Like going to a scotch tasting, this anthology allows you to discover new talents and then branch out to their other works. That's incredibly satisfying for me, because I'm always looking for more horror talents.
I just remembered that one of the stories involved strange, plant-people having sex. That was an... interesting exploration of body horror. Just an example of the great variety presented within the pages of Razorblades. In addition to the comics and prose stories, there are interviews with horror writers and artists. I loved reading the interview with Gou Tanabe, whose adaptations of Lovecraft I absolutely adore. Getting into the creative process and hearing what scares these people just adds another level to the enjoyment of the book as a whole. Lastly, there are random illustrations thrown about that sometimes have no connection to any story. One that caught me off guard was of a monstrosity that had a gaping hole of a stomach with many teeth. It showed up a few times, and eventually had an additional page that read like a report on strange happenings related to the creature. These teases could lead to a story involving the monster that stalks the pages of the magazine, or it could continue to creep in the background. I'm not sure which is more frightening.
Another easy recommendation for me, because you can read Razorblades digitally for free right now (throw them a few bucks if you're able to, though!). While not every story left me impressed, it's a worthwhile trek into horror that the medium lacks after so many other horror anthologies have been shuttered.
Horror comics read this month (20 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
#4 Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
#5 Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
#6 Blackwood (Evan Dorkin, Andy Fish, Veronica Fish, and Greg McKenna, 2 vol./ongoing)
#7 Senrei (Kazuo Umezu, 4 vol.)
#8 The Dollhouse Family (Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Vince Locke, and Chris Peter, 1 vol.)
#9 Basketful of Heads (Joe Hill, Leomacs, and Dave Stewart 1 vol.)
#10 Dracula, Motherf**ker! (Alex de Campi, Erica Henderson, 1 vol.)
#11 Razorblades: The Horror Magazine (James Tynion IV, Steve Foxe, various, 2 vol./ongoing)
Razorblades: The Horror Magazine (James Tynion IV, Steve Foxe, various, 2 vol./ongoing)
It's incredibly difficult to write about an anthology. There are likely to be works that you like and those you dislike. How do you measure that as an experience? Razorblades is a quarterly horror magazine started by James Tynion IV and Steve Foxe. While it's not explicitly a horror comic magazine, that's the focus. There are a couple short stories included, as well. There are many creators known and unknown also involved, like Ram V, Jen Bartel, Tini Howard, Dani, Jock, and more. There are also many names I didn't recognize, which I'll keep my eye on from now on.
The writing is largely average to good, with a couple great stories thrown in. I didn't find any works to be bad, though some didn't really leave an impression and will be forgotten tomorrow. Tynion and Foxe have done a great job of bringing in talents from across the spectrum, and even allowing a number of creatives to stretch some new muscle in a genre they're not known for. What I love about an anthology of horror with different creative teams is that you get to explore so many kinds of horror—fears that affect different people. That means that the reader may find a fear explored that's new and unnerves them in ways they didn't expect. I will say that the freedom this magazine presents allows some really graphic horror that I found more disturbing than a lot of other modern, western stories.
Art in the book is mostly good to great. A standout that comes to mind right away is John J Pearson's story with Ram V, A Dream of Time.
Wow. That was just incredible, and Pearson has a perfect sense of atmosphere for horror, which I think is a difficult thing for many artists to capture. I'd love to see more stories done by Pearson, because the images are expressive in ways that much of the others couldn't live up to (even when they were quite good themselves). Dani also had some art in here that felt like an appetizer, as I plan to read The Low, Low Woods very soon. It's fun seeing the crossover here from other writers and cartoonists I know and love already. Like going to a scotch tasting, this anthology allows you to discover new talents and then branch out to their other works. That's incredibly satisfying for me, because I'm always looking for more horror talents.
I just remembered that one of the stories involved strange, plant-people having sex. That was an... interesting exploration of body horror. Just an example of the great variety presented within the pages of Razorblades. In addition to the comics and prose stories, there are interviews with horror writers and artists. I loved reading the interview with Gou Tanabe, whose adaptations of Lovecraft I absolutely adore. Getting into the creative process and hearing what scares these people just adds another level to the enjoyment of the book as a whole. Lastly, there are random illustrations thrown about that sometimes have no connection to any story. One that caught me off guard was of a monstrosity that had a gaping hole of a stomach with many teeth. It showed up a few times, and eventually had an additional page that read like a report on strange happenings related to the creature. These teases could lead to a story involving the monster that stalks the pages of the magazine, or it could continue to creep in the background. I'm not sure which is more frightening.
Another easy recommendation for me, because you can read Razorblades digitally for free right now (throw them a few bucks if you're able to, though!). While not every story left me impressed, it's a worthwhile trek into horror that the medium lacks after so many other horror anthologies have been shuttered.
Horror comics read this month (20 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
#4 Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
#5 Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
#6 Blackwood (Evan Dorkin, Andy Fish, Veronica Fish, and Greg McKenna, 2 vol./ongoing)
#7 Senrei (Kazuo Umezu, 4 vol.)
#8 The Dollhouse Family (Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Vince Locke, and Chris Peter, 1 vol.)
#9 Basketful of Heads (Joe Hill, Leomacs, and Dave Stewart 1 vol.)
#10 Dracula, Motherf**ker! (Alex de Campi, Erica Henderson, 1 vol.)
#11 Razorblades: The Horror Magazine (James Tynion IV, Steve Foxe, various, 2 vol./ongoing)
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OP
OP
#12
Aliens: Salvation (Dave Gibbons, Mike Mignola, and Matt Hollingsworth, 1 vol.)
Another short one as I try to catch up due to moving taking up every waking hour of the last week. I don't consider myself the biggest Alien fan. I've the six "main" films and read Dead Orbit. I think that's about it. While I find the idea of the xenomorphs to be a great catalyst for horror, it rarely quite lives up to its potential. Often, writers want to tell their own variation of the Alien plot which means there's a spaceship, a crew, a secret robot among the crew, and a xenomorph slowly killing off all the humans. The narrative doesn't often step far outside the typical mold, which is boring. This story follows a religious crewman after his ship carrying important cargo (what could that be?) crashes on a backwater planet.
Gibbons was a good fit for this story. He captures the language of the pious crewman well, and it was an interesting lens to see the xenomorphs and the terrible circumstances that put the innocent crew within their grasp through. I liked that the story moves quickly and jumps past the setup Alien fans have seen many times, because the meat of the story is the guilt, fear, and paranoia after the crash. While the story wraps up about how one would expect, it was a fun romp in the Alien universe.
Mike Mignola drawing an Alien story. That's what grabbed me and led to me purchasing the book. Mignola doesn't disappoint here, but I wish he was given more room to flex like this:
Give me more of this please.
Only recommended if you want more Alien stuff. I could take it or leave it, and I was really only drawn to it to see xenomorphs by Mignola.
Horror comics read this month (21 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
#4 Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
#5 Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
#6 Blackwood (Evan Dorkin, Andy Fish, Veronica Fish, and Greg McKenna, 2 vol./ongoing)
#7 Senrei (Kazuo Umezu, 4 vol.)
#8 The Dollhouse Family (Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Vince Locke, and Chris Peter, 1 vol.)
#9 Basketful of Heads (Joe Hill, Leomacs, and Dave Stewart 1 vol.)
#10 Dracula, Motherf**ker! (Alex de Campi, Erica Henderson, 1 vol.)
#11 Razorblades: The Horror Magazine (James Tynion IV, Steve Foxe, various, 2 vol./ongoing)
#12 Aliens: Salvation (Dave Gibbons, Mike Mignola, and Matt Hollingsworth, 1 vol.)
Aliens: Salvation (Dave Gibbons, Mike Mignola, and Matt Hollingsworth, 1 vol.)
Another short one as I try to catch up due to moving taking up every waking hour of the last week. I don't consider myself the biggest Alien fan. I've the six "main" films and read Dead Orbit. I think that's about it. While I find the idea of the xenomorphs to be a great catalyst for horror, it rarely quite lives up to its potential. Often, writers want to tell their own variation of the Alien plot which means there's a spaceship, a crew, a secret robot among the crew, and a xenomorph slowly killing off all the humans. The narrative doesn't often step far outside the typical mold, which is boring. This story follows a religious crewman after his ship carrying important cargo (what could that be?) crashes on a backwater planet.
Gibbons was a good fit for this story. He captures the language of the pious crewman well, and it was an interesting lens to see the xenomorphs and the terrible circumstances that put the innocent crew within their grasp through. I liked that the story moves quickly and jumps past the setup Alien fans have seen many times, because the meat of the story is the guilt, fear, and paranoia after the crash. While the story wraps up about how one would expect, it was a fun romp in the Alien universe.
Mike Mignola drawing an Alien story. That's what grabbed me and led to me purchasing the book. Mignola doesn't disappoint here, but I wish he was given more room to flex like this:
Give me more of this please.
Only recommended if you want more Alien stuff. I could take it or leave it, and I was really only drawn to it to see xenomorphs by Mignola.
Horror comics read this month (21 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
#4 Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
#5 Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
#6 Blackwood (Evan Dorkin, Andy Fish, Veronica Fish, and Greg McKenna, 2 vol./ongoing)
#7 Senrei (Kazuo Umezu, 4 vol.)
#8 The Dollhouse Family (Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Vince Locke, and Chris Peter, 1 vol.)
#9 Basketful of Heads (Joe Hill, Leomacs, and Dave Stewart 1 vol.)
#10 Dracula, Motherf**ker! (Alex de Campi, Erica Henderson, 1 vol.)
#11 Razorblades: The Horror Magazine (James Tynion IV, Steve Foxe, various, 2 vol./ongoing)
#12 Aliens: Salvation (Dave Gibbons, Mike Mignola, and Matt Hollingsworth, 1 vol.)
OP
OP
#13
Infidel (Pornsak Pichetshote, Aaron Campbell, and José Villarrubia, 1 vol.)
What's worse than a haunted house full of racists!? Aisha move into her boyfriend's mother's apartment along with her boyfriend and his daughter. There are a few problems, though. There was a bombing in the building before she moved in, and her neighbors aren't so friendly towards Arabs because of it. Aisha isn't sure if it's from her meds or her lack of sleep, but she's also seeing things in the building that might not really be there.
It's not uncommon that a narrative uses genre work as a way to look deeper into cultural issues, but the way horror and racism combine in Infidel is done very well. It doesn't feel heavy-handed, because the fear tied to racists in America is a very lived experience. At first, I found the ghosts that Aisha was seeing to be a bit lame. I wasn't convinced that they were anything other than creepy, but the harm they're capable of becomes terrifying by the end, and I was surprised by how awful things got for Aisha and the others. It left me anxious, as I found myself gripping my glass very tightly as I was reading. Pichetshote writes a cast of characters that carry recognizable pains and feel complicated and real. I'm not sure that I was totally into the reason the ghosts were around, but it still worked out.
I don't think I was familiar with Aaron Campbell before seeing his work in Razorblades, but wow. Perfect for horror. The characters' reactions, as well as the movement and appearance of the ghosts were disturbing. In moments without visible threats, Campbell was able to keep building the tension, which is notable. There wasn't an over-reliance on scary monsters, because the events themselves were terrifying to imagine.
More than a good horror book, it's a good story. It's frequent enough in horror that some revelation isn't entirely satisfying, but the comic isn't overly affected by any small issues I had with it. Overwhelmingly, I was satisfied with how different this was from other western horror I've read so far.
Horror comics read this month (22 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
#4 Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
#5 Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
#6 Blackwood (Evan Dorkin, Andy Fish, Veronica Fish, and Greg McKenna, 2 vol./ongoing)
#7 Senrei (Kazuo Umezu, 4 vol.)
#8 The Dollhouse Family (Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Vince Locke, and Chris Peter, 1 vol.)
#9 Basketful of Heads (Joe Hill, Leomacs, and Dave Stewart 1 vol.)
#10 Dracula, Motherf**ker! (Alex de Campi, Erica Henderson, 1 vol.)
#11 Razorblades: The Horror Magazine (James Tynion IV, Steve Foxe, various, 2 vol./ongoing)
#12 Aliens: Salvation (Dave Gibbons, Mike Mignola, and Matt Hollingsworth, 1 vol.)
#13 Infidel (Pornsak Pichetshote, Aaron Campbell, and José Villarrubia, 1 vol.)
Infidel (Pornsak Pichetshote, Aaron Campbell, and José Villarrubia, 1 vol.)
What's worse than a haunted house full of racists!? Aisha move into her boyfriend's mother's apartment along with her boyfriend and his daughter. There are a few problems, though. There was a bombing in the building before she moved in, and her neighbors aren't so friendly towards Arabs because of it. Aisha isn't sure if it's from her meds or her lack of sleep, but she's also seeing things in the building that might not really be there.
It's not uncommon that a narrative uses genre work as a way to look deeper into cultural issues, but the way horror and racism combine in Infidel is done very well. It doesn't feel heavy-handed, because the fear tied to racists in America is a very lived experience. At first, I found the ghosts that Aisha was seeing to be a bit lame. I wasn't convinced that they were anything other than creepy, but the harm they're capable of becomes terrifying by the end, and I was surprised by how awful things got for Aisha and the others. It left me anxious, as I found myself gripping my glass very tightly as I was reading. Pichetshote writes a cast of characters that carry recognizable pains and feel complicated and real. I'm not sure that I was totally into the reason the ghosts were around, but it still worked out.
I don't think I was familiar with Aaron Campbell before seeing his work in Razorblades, but wow. Perfect for horror. The characters' reactions, as well as the movement and appearance of the ghosts were disturbing. In moments without visible threats, Campbell was able to keep building the tension, which is notable. There wasn't an over-reliance on scary monsters, because the events themselves were terrifying to imagine.
More than a good horror book, it's a good story. It's frequent enough in horror that some revelation isn't entirely satisfying, but the comic isn't overly affected by any small issues I had with it. Overwhelmingly, I was satisfied with how different this was from other western horror I've read so far.
Horror comics read this month (22 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
#4 Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
#5 Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
#6 Blackwood (Evan Dorkin, Andy Fish, Veronica Fish, and Greg McKenna, 2 vol./ongoing)
#7 Senrei (Kazuo Umezu, 4 vol.)
#8 The Dollhouse Family (Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Vince Locke, and Chris Peter, 1 vol.)
#9 Basketful of Heads (Joe Hill, Leomacs, and Dave Stewart 1 vol.)
#10 Dracula, Motherf**ker! (Alex de Campi, Erica Henderson, 1 vol.)
#11 Razorblades: The Horror Magazine (James Tynion IV, Steve Foxe, various, 2 vol./ongoing)
#12 Aliens: Salvation (Dave Gibbons, Mike Mignola, and Matt Hollingsworth, 1 vol.)
#13 Infidel (Pornsak Pichetshote, Aaron Campbell, and José Villarrubia, 1 vol.)
OP
OP
#14
Something is Killing the Children (James Tynion IV, Werther Dell'edera, Miquel Muerto, 2 vol./ongoing)
The title says it all. There's something in this small, Wisconsin town that's brutally killing the kids. Erica Slaughter (that's her name!) hunts monsters, but there might be more than she can handle.
I love James Tynion. I fell in love with his character-driven, dramatic writing during his run on Detective Comics, so when he announced he was doing a horror comic for Boom, I was already on board. I read the first issue on release, and I guess I got distracted, because I just let my issues pile up until now. Erica Slaughter is a really fun protagonist for a horror book. She's a tough motherfucker, and even though she rarely smiles, there are moments of comic relief that her rough persona lends greatly to. The cast is well put together, with the sort of characters you might expect in a small town drama: the sheriff, the nerdy kid that wants to be a hero, the older boy who thinks he is a hero, the cool friend that deserves more spotlight than most of the cast, and that badass I mentioned just before. That may sound predictable and dull, but they play off each other well in the drama and terror. The creatures killing the kids are utterly terrifying, because even though Erica reveals her penchant for slaying them early on, they don't feel like any less of a threat. Tynion keeps showing more while building new mysteries, and that keeps the narrative engaging. While the background is interesting, the events happening in each issue feel big, frightening, and consistently growing, which I wasn't certain would be the case a couple issues in. I didn't expect to be that curious about what's coming next, but I really am! I want to see the other monster hunters. I want to see the kids saved. I want to see Erica kicking ass. Let's hope the reason behind the monsters' existence isn't lame, but I have faith in Tynion to do it right.
Dell'edera isn't a name I was familiar with before, but he got his horror chops doing Aliens comics before, and it shows. His ability to keep tension building on two-page spreads with many panels is impressive, and he keeps the action intense, too. One thing I really love about his art is that his character designs look like they're all out of different settings, and yet, they don't feel out of place. Remember that character I said deserves more spotlight?
This is a side character, and her design is wonderful. Dell'edera takes such care to depict each and every individual, and that's commendable. Muerto's colors are beautiful and eerie, too. Just perfect for this book.
I can't promise that the conclusion will be satisfying, and I don't even know how far from now it'll be, but for now, yes. Check this book out.
Horror comics read this month (24 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
#4 Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
#5 Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
#6 Blackwood (Evan Dorkin, Andy Fish, Veronica Fish, and Greg McKenna, 2 vol./ongoing)
#7 Senrei (Kazuo Umezu, 4 vol.)
#8 The Dollhouse Family (Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Vince Locke, and Chris Peter, 1 vol.)
#9 Basketful of Heads (Joe Hill, Leomacs, and Dave Stewart 1 vol.)
#10 Dracula, Motherf**ker! (Alex de Campi, Erica Henderson, 1 vol.)
#11 Razorblades: The Horror Magazine (James Tynion IV, Steve Foxe, various, 2 vol./ongoing)
#12 Aliens: Salvation (Dave Gibbons, Mike Mignola, and Matt Hollingsworth, 1 vol.)
#13 Infidel (Pornsak Pichetshote, Aaron Campbell, and José Villarrubia, 1 vol.)
#14 Something is Killing the Children (James Tynion IV, Werther Dell'edera, Miquel Muerto, 2 vol./ongoing)
Something is Killing the Children (James Tynion IV, Werther Dell'edera, Miquel Muerto, 2 vol./ongoing)
The title says it all. There's something in this small, Wisconsin town that's brutally killing the kids. Erica Slaughter (that's her name!) hunts monsters, but there might be more than she can handle.
I love James Tynion. I fell in love with his character-driven, dramatic writing during his run on Detective Comics, so when he announced he was doing a horror comic for Boom, I was already on board. I read the first issue on release, and I guess I got distracted, because I just let my issues pile up until now. Erica Slaughter is a really fun protagonist for a horror book. She's a tough motherfucker, and even though she rarely smiles, there are moments of comic relief that her rough persona lends greatly to. The cast is well put together, with the sort of characters you might expect in a small town drama: the sheriff, the nerdy kid that wants to be a hero, the older boy who thinks he is a hero, the cool friend that deserves more spotlight than most of the cast, and that badass I mentioned just before. That may sound predictable and dull, but they play off each other well in the drama and terror. The creatures killing the kids are utterly terrifying, because even though Erica reveals her penchant for slaying them early on, they don't feel like any less of a threat. Tynion keeps showing more while building new mysteries, and that keeps the narrative engaging. While the background is interesting, the events happening in each issue feel big, frightening, and consistently growing, which I wasn't certain would be the case a couple issues in. I didn't expect to be that curious about what's coming next, but I really am! I want to see the other monster hunters. I want to see the kids saved. I want to see Erica kicking ass. Let's hope the reason behind the monsters' existence isn't lame, but I have faith in Tynion to do it right.
Dell'edera isn't a name I was familiar with before, but he got his horror chops doing Aliens comics before, and it shows. His ability to keep tension building on two-page spreads with many panels is impressive, and he keeps the action intense, too. One thing I really love about his art is that his character designs look like they're all out of different settings, and yet, they don't feel out of place. Remember that character I said deserves more spotlight?
This is a side character, and her design is wonderful. Dell'edera takes such care to depict each and every individual, and that's commendable. Muerto's colors are beautiful and eerie, too. Just perfect for this book.
I can't promise that the conclusion will be satisfying, and I don't even know how far from now it'll be, but for now, yes. Check this book out.
Horror comics read this month (24 of 31 volumes):
#1 Kijin Gahou (Shintarou Kago, 1 vol.)
#2 Kiriko (Shingo Honda, 1 vol.)
#3 Mieruko-chan (Tomoki Izumi, 4 vol./ongoing)
#4 Emerging (Masaya Hokazono, 2 vol.)
#5 Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara/Dark Water (Suzuki Koji and Meimu, 1 vol.)
#6 Blackwood (Evan Dorkin, Andy Fish, Veronica Fish, and Greg McKenna, 2 vol./ongoing)
#7 Senrei (Kazuo Umezu, 4 vol.)
#8 The Dollhouse Family (Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Vince Locke, and Chris Peter, 1 vol.)
#9 Basketful of Heads (Joe Hill, Leomacs, and Dave Stewart 1 vol.)
#10 Dracula, Motherf**ker! (Alex de Campi, Erica Henderson, 1 vol.)
#11 Razorblades: The Horror Magazine (James Tynion IV, Steve Foxe, various, 2 vol./ongoing)
#12 Aliens: Salvation (Dave Gibbons, Mike Mignola, and Matt Hollingsworth, 1 vol.)
#13 Infidel (Pornsak Pichetshote, Aaron Campbell, and José Villarrubia, 1 vol.)
#14 Something is Killing the Children (James Tynion IV, Werther Dell'edera, Miquel Muerto, 2 vol./ongoing)