horror anthology

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Lenni Reviews: “Statues: Junji Ito Story Collection”by Junji Ito

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

The actual summary works here, so I don’t spoil or sound rambly: “Art teacher Okabe creates strange, headless statues. One day, he is found murdered, his corpse headless. From that day on, art club member Shimada seems off somehow… Elsewhere, in a curious town custom, the dead are placed on a tatami mat and set out on the river. Kanako’s grandmother lives alone in a house near this river. What did she witness at one of these funerals long ago? And a mysterious disease makes girls suddenly become more beautiful. But soon they all die. The only way to survive might be worse than death itself”

This collection of stories is pretty good, but also very rapid-fire and short. Some of these could easily be expanded a bit more so they don’t feel like they’re incomplete. I still enjoy them, but a couple more pages would have helped them feel more fleshed out. No pun intended. 3.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Moan” by Junji Ito

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This is a collection of short stories:

  • Supernatural Transfer Student – The “Supernatural Club” in a school invites the strange new kid to join them
  • Moan – A mother becomes obsessed with cleaning to the point that it corrupts the home
  • Blood Orb Grave – After a car accident, a couple ends up in a village where the residents are obsessed with blood
  • Flesh Colored Mystery – A woman is attacked with a strange substance
  • Near Miss – A flight suddenly goes missing and the desperate search to find it
  • Under the Ground – The graduating class of 1974 has its 20-year reunion, unearthing a time capsule but one classmate can’t let go of the past

None of these stories went where I thought they would, and that didn’t always work for me. They’re not BAD by any means, and a wild twist is preferable to something blandly predictable. I have to admit though, I was left confused more than scared most of the time. 3.9 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “The Liminal Zone” Vol. 2, by Junji Ito

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This is a collection of 4 stories:

  • Demon King of Dust: Yuichi lives in a mostly abandoned town that is cursed by dust.
  • Village of Ether: 4 college students find a deserted mountain village that houses a perpetual motion machine.
  • The Strange Hikizuri Siblings Chapter 3: Hotaru encounters this strange family.
  • Shells of Manjunuma: A swamp where the turtles are possessed by ghosts.

These are weird but good stories. I’m glad there are only four, as sometimes the really short ones don’t pack as much of a punch as Ito’s longer works. These also feature some impressively disgusting body horror. That final story is sadder than I’m used to from this author, even with the horror elements. I won’t spoil anything, but overall, this is pretty gross so be aware for any sensitive stomachs. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Bad Dreams in the Night” by Adam Ellis

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This book is a collection of horror comics by Adam Ellis.

Far be it from me to not jump on a horror anthology whenever I can. And from one of my favorite comic creators online? Sign me up. I freely admit I’m biased because I love Adam’s work so much. I can also admit that if you follow his posts, you’ve seen these comics before, but having them in your hand to read and such a pretty book (I’m a sucker for books with a ribbon) is great. If you wanna curl up with some quick, spooky tales, this is a great collection. 5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Face Meat” by Bonten Taro & Ryan Holmberg

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This book is an anthology of horror stories that give a very pulp magazine, “Tales from the Crypt” vibe. While the stories are short, they pack a punch. Some of the art is colorized and some is black and white but there is plenty of blood and gore typical of the genre. There is a bit of nudity thrown in there but it’s not overdone. It’s fits the exploitation sort of feeling these usually give off. There’s ghosts, yokai, and all sorts of supernatural creatures told in a rapid fire fashion so for me, this read really fast. If you’re in to pulp fiction, this is an awesome collection and totally worth the read. 4.9 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Alley: Junji Ito Story Collection” by Junji Ito

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This collection of short horror stories leans heavily towards urban legends like spirits in creepy alleys and cursed ice cream trucks. Your scare milage may vary throughout this as the stories are hit or miss for me. The hospital one freaked me out the most. The body horror alone gave me chills and is the best in the volume, in my opinion. It isn’t perfect and I don’t wanna say too much lest I spoil something but it’s a decent collection but if body horror isn’t your thing, best skip this one because Ito is very good at that. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Stitches” by Hirokatsu Kihara & Junji Ito

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This is a horror anthology but is not like what I would typically gravitate to as a work featuring Junji Ito. It’s not a full on graphic novel. It’s a short story collection with illustrations from Ito in the same vein as Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark with a complete comic at the end as a bonus. The stories aren’t bad but the illustrations do NOT take advantage of how horrifying Ito’s art can be, which is shocking. How do you have Ito collaborate on a project and have him draw more than a puppet on the ground or a pretty girl dancing? The stories are decent, they give the sense of unease and do their job but holy crap was attaching Ito’s name to this a let down… 2 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Betwixt: A Horror Manga Anthology” by Ryo Hanada, Aki Shimizu, Shima Shinya, Becky Cloonan, Michael Conrad, Leslie Hung, Sloane Leong & Hua Hua Zhu

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This manga is a horror collection featuring creators Ryo Hanada, Aki Shimizu, and Shima Shinya with cover art by Junj Ito. It features doppelgangers, evil mirrors, demon cats, ghosts, and spirits. It’s pretty solid and varied with some great art. It’s perfect if you’re looking for a quick jolt of some spooky stuff, this isn’t a bad book if not very memorable. 3.9 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Mimi’s Tales of Terror”, by Hirokatsu Kihara, Ichiro Nakayama & Junji Ito

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

College student Mimi and her boyfriend Naoto go through a series of horrific stories in this creepy collection.

This volume has a series of creepy and effectively scary stories that showcase some powerful ability to scare with only a few pages. They’re all strong offerings with some chilling and disturbing creatures. Some of Ito’s work can be hit or miss but this is a solid collection to scratch that horror itch. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Tombs” by Junji Ito

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This short story collection features some great examples of Ito’s work. If you do not like body horror, this is NOT the volume for you. Nearly every story features horrid distortions of the human form. Even the weakest story in this collection will leave a lingering creepy feeling (I’m not a big fan of “Slug Girl”). Some of Ito’s previous collections weren’t doing it for me but this is one hell of a rebound. There’s some very original ideas here and they are executed with Ito’s classic spine chilling art. 4.9 out of 5.

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