horror graphic novel

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Lenni Reviews: “Dark Gathering” Vol. 4, by Kenichi Kondō

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

Keitaro is pushing himself too hard after the god squatting on Ai has unbalanced Yayoi’s collection of captured spirit dolls. As they have vowed to defeat this god, Yayoi and Keitaro need to capture a new crop of sprits to be an army to face him.

I was worried that this new mission would mean a bunch of filler but I like the chance to see different types of spirits and the unique ways of acquiring them. The horror is on point with the creature design and the stakes in the story as we get another antagonist introduced. Eiko is starting to worry me though. I wonder how her story will play out. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Takopi’s Original Sin” by Taizan5

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is recommended for mature readers. Trigger warnings for suicide, child abuse, and bullying.

An alien, Takopi, arrives on Earth with the mission to spread happiness through the universe. His first subject is Shizuka, a 4th grader with a terrible life. However, Takopi’s misguided and simplistic attempts leave misery in it’s wake.

This is a rough read. I’ve seen people call it “misery porn” and given how much time is spent watching our main cast miserable and hurting only to have a rushed conclusion (that I kinda understand but it still feels rushed to me). I have to agree. I tried to embrace that last crumb of positivity but I felt exhausted by the end of this. If you’d like to try this one out, be aware of the trigger warnings and have something fun to read afterwards. 3.7 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead” Vol. 12 Haro Aso & Kōtarō Takata

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

Akira and Shizuka are on a desert island and discover a journal written by a doctor working on a vaccine for the zombie virus and has a person who may be immune to it.

Love the fact the corporation is a straight up parody of Umbrella. That’s funny. Other than that, this volume ends on a cliffhanger. The group is as funny to watch as always and the hope the doctor brings is a reminder that despite Akira’s goofy personality, this world is a dangerous place with flesh eating monsters. I’m of two minds about the cliffhanger. I kinda want the happy ending but also wonder if the downer ending would make a more compelling story. 4 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: “Mao” Vol. 13, by Rumiko Takahashi

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

This volume reveals who killed Sana and what Yurako really is.

A lot of this is learning about Mei and why she works with Shiranui while the main group deals with a  corrupt industrialist (there are a lot of crappy elites in this series) and other than the overarching plot evolving Byoki, Nanoka’s abilities, and the secrets being kept in the background, I like watching Mao work and hearing about the various entities they battle. I like a nice mix of ‘villain of the week’ and long form story in my media and this series is doing that pretty well so far! 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Dark Gathering” Vol. 3, by Kenichi Kondō

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

Keitaro, Yayoi, and Eiko are actively hunting spirits together but regular life must go on so Keitaro gets a job tutoring Ai, a young lady who is plagued by bad luck and spirits.

This volume has much less breaks for humor so, it’s pretty fucking creepy. Yayoi is less creepy cute and more genuinely terrifying, the spirits are getting stronger, and its fucking fantastic. I am psyched for the next book as this one was gripping and scary. 4.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Lovesick” by Luana Vecchio

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review. Trigger warning for nudity, sex, and gore. 18+

Domino is a popular dominatrix on the dark web red rooms but her infamy puts a target on her back and the demented little world she’s created may fall apart, robbing her of her ultimate dream: to be cannibalized.

This is a fucking brutal ride. It’s the type of media that I struggle to say I liked or enjoyed it, due to the content but I couldn’t stop reading it. The whole thing is about people who get off on the thought of being killed and eaten and the people who organize events to make that happen so they can consume human flesh. Content warning for blood, guts, sex, violence, maybe grooming… Just don’t read it if anything about killing and eating people triggers you. The art has a perverse beauty to it at times and does not shy away from the visceral details of the subject matter. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead” Vol. 11 by Haro Aso & Kōtarō Takata 

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

The group goes on a pilgrimage to visit 88 temples in order to cross that off of Akira’s bucket list. Along the way, Beatix is captured by thieves and the rest rush to save her. After that adventure, the group ends up on a yacht full of rich people who only want to party.

Sometimes it feels a little forced when they have to deal with the zombies. I get they have to since that’s the entire point but it’s getting predictable. I still enjoy our group but cramming in zombie attacks feels formulaic this time around. 3.7 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Choujin X” Vol. 3, by Sui Ishida

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

The Yamato Mori trains choujin to either become keepers or just to keep control of their abilities so they can lead a normal life. Ely is doing very well but Tokio is struggling not only with his abilities but what he wants for his future.

This volume is fucking WILD. The paper chojin is insane an so creatively done. I thought this was going to be mostly training but there is a ton of action and variety in the different abilities a choujin can have. My jaw actually dropped while reading this. And that damn cliffhanger at the end? This is a great volume. 4 out of 5.

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