horror graphic novel

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Lenni Reviews: “Island in a Puddle” Vol. 2, by Kei Sanbe

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Minato is still trapped inside a criminal’s body but some memories are starting to bleed through, giving him knowledge and skills he can use to defend himself.

We are also introduced to a blind woman named Rumi who is helping Minato and she is a precious bean who must be protected at all costs. If Minato is going to be stuck living this fugitive’s life, he might as well have one person who isn’t awful

This is all really interesting but I wonder how long this can go, how will they switch back, and how messed up Minato will be after all this. This kid is dumped into the body of a guy who has no problem killing people so Minato is forced to do things his kid brain shouldn’t need to deal with. I can’t wait to see what happens. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “The Liminal Zone” by Junji Ito

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

This manga is a collection of four short stories that are not connected to one another: Weeping Woman Way, Madonna,The Spirit Flow of Aokigahara, and Slumber. These are Ito in his classic, creepy, bonkers form. The art is haunting and I did find a chill running up my spine at some points yet baffled in others. Definitely an example for Ito fans to appreciate and much better than the last collection of his I read. The last two stories are the weakest out of the collection in my opinion but I still enjoyed this book. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Mieruko-chan” Vol. 5, by Tomoki Izumi

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The old woman, Mitsue (also known as Godmother) has been helping Miko with her powers so she can help keep her best friend, Hana, safe. Yuria also wants to become as strong as Miko and find out what it is about Hana that attracts so many frightening spirits. But a former disciple of Godmother, Rom, wants to use Miko for his own plans.

Rom has some odd designs on some shrine and is really pushing Miko to get involved despite Mitsue’s warnings so, we’re getting into a larger plot here. I’m excited to learn more about how all of this works and why Rom is so keen on getting Miko to this shrine. The pacing has been pretty constant, slowly moving forward to what I hope will be some ghost fighting shenanigans. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Orochi: The Perfect Edition” Vol. 2, by Kazuo Umezz

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

This volume contains three stories:

  1. Prodigy: Orochi follows a baby through his life to see how things will turn out and try to help him.
  2. Home: Orochi goes with a man who left his home village and returns after many years.
  3. Key: Orochi gets a new apartment to observe the people who live there.

While these premises seem simple, Umezz makes each one disturbing. This has such a Tales from the Crypt vibe and I love it. The second story has to be based on that Twilight Zone episode with the evil boy with powers and the third is a play on The Boy Who Cried Wolf. These are not criticisms, they’re cool retellings with their own style. This collection is good even though there’s some clunky dialog here and there. 4.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Gideon Falls Deluxe Edition Book 1: The Legend of the Black Barn” by Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino & Dave Stewart

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

Wilfred is a pastor with a rough past who is sent to Gideon Falls due to the previous pastor’s death. When he arrives, he meets Norton, who believes the town is evil and is obsessed with collecting proof. There is a legend of a mysterious Black Barn that appears and disappears, heralding misfortune but Wilfred is unconvinced. Until a series of mysterious murders take place and there are less and less logical explanations.

This is a time and reality bending horror that I thought Ice Cream Man was going to be. The art really drives home the fear and mystery, using shadow and panel placement effectively and the writing is really good. It ends on a cliffhanger but there is plenty here to satisfy your needs for a mind-bending horror if you’re looking for one. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Crueler Than Dead” Vol 2, by Tsukasa Saimura & Kozo Takahashi

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Maki along with Miura, Yugo, and Shota bring the last of a vaccine against the zombie virus to a supposed sanctuary called The Dome. When they arrive, they find it corrupt and disgusting, a place where the elite live in luxury and the rest life a desperate life of starvation and squalor. The leader, Colonel Shimamoto, believes the vaccine will save humanity but only in the way he deems fit.

If you’ve ever read any zombie story ever where the main crew goes to where they believe there is hope and shelter, you know how this plays out. Corruption, exploitation, and sorrow. It’s almost comical how poorly things go so fast to the point where you wonder how those rich assholes managed to have any control in the first place. There’s plenty of gore and character growth but this felt very shallow. Maybe using The Walking Dead as an inspiration wasn’t such a good idea. Maki is the most interesting thing about this series and if there is more, I hope they stick with her. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Something is Killing the Children” Vol 4, by James Tynion IV, Werther Dell’Edera, Miquel Muerto & AndWorld Design

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In this volume we are introduced to Jessica, the hunter who saved Erica as a child and brought her into the House of Slaughter.

I think this is my favorite volume in the series so far. Young Erica is just the right balance of badass but still a child. She still gets scared and isn’t super human. We also get some insight into how the House of Slaughter functions and get to know some of the members. I like the writing; it keeps these hunters grounded and relatable. They kill monsters for a living but they’re still just people and their job can take a tole. It shows how what they do weighs on them. I look forward to more hunters being involved with adult Erica, too. 4.9 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Graveneye” by Sloane Leong & Anna Bowles

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is recommended for mature readers.

Isla lives alone in a mansion deep in the woods and she hires Marie to help around the house. But Isla has some dark secrets and, told from the point of view of the house, puts the reserved Marie in peril.

It’s a unique choice to have the house tell the story and it’s one dramatic house. The writing is lyrical and poetic and since we don’t get much dialogue from the characters themselves, we don’t get a full explanation of that the heck is going on or what Isla is. I like the art, I think it fits the drama in the writing and having blood red as the only color is impactful for the eye. But I didn’t feel like I had the complete story so it was overall unsatisfying despite being initially intrigued. 3.2 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Crueler Than Dead” Vol.1, by Tsukasa Saimura & Kozo Takahashi

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Maki Akagi wakes up half-naked and injured in an underground bunker with a young boy who seems ill. Unsure of where she is, Maki is shocked by an injured soldier who tells her that the boy and Maki are the last results of an experiment to cure the zombie-infested city above them and this place has the last of an experimental vaccine. Maki takes the boy with her to deliver the samples to a refugee center in the hopes a lab there can replicate it and save humanity.

This is a pretty good zombie manga. Maki is a great character and while the side stories are good, I’d like it better if more time was spent on her. Other than that, it’s a typical zombie horror story with all the tropes such a story includes. The art does a great job of making the undead disgusting and scary. Worth checking out if you like these. 3.7 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Island in a Puddle” Vol. 1, by Kei Sanbe

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

Minato is a young child who cares for his little sister, Nagisa, due to his mother’s neglect; as she vanishes for days at a time. When their mom returns to take them to an amusement park, a freak storm and a strike of lightning results in Minato switching bodies with a thief and a murderer with a dead body at his feet.

From the same mind that brought you Erased, this premise is really messed up. I can’t imagine what Minato is going through when in a flash he goes from his mother abandoning him to being a wanted murderer while his little sister is living with a criminal who has gods know what plans. As a first volume, it works perfectly to introduce all the characters and hook you into the story. I can’t wait for the next one and see how this all plays out. 4.9 out of 5.

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