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This star means that the title
or site is recommended especially for younger teens
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It seems that almost everyone fears something, whether it be bees or confronting their innermost feelings. Or goo. Or the undead. The list goes on and on. I myself have never been a fan of slasher-type stories, but I've always enjoyed taking a walk on the dark end of the street. Here are some great titles to get started creeping yourself out.
Jump to a title:
Boneyard
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Courtney Crumrin
Descendants of Darkness
Fray
Hellboy
Jack the Ripper
Leave it to Chance
Pet Shop of Horrors
The Ring
Route 666
Uzumaki
Wild.com
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I think probably every one of us daydreams about being left an incredible inheritance by some wacky uncle we never knew we had. The possibilities! A huge manor house, piles of money, a family secret č it's a recipe for intrigue and adventure, maybe even romance, or so the movies tell us. Michael Paris has found himself in just that situation: his solitary and eccentric grandfather has left him land in the town of Raven's Hollow. After his less than encouraging first view of the town č there is a permanent, impenetrable cloud over the entire Hollow -- Paris is greeted by a lynch mob, led by the town's Mayor, desperate for him to sign over his inheritance. Confused but determined to see his property before agreeing to anything, he arrives on site, wheedling Mayor Wormwood and mob in tow. To his surprise, the land is in fact a graveyard. On top of that, the graveyard's inhabitants are anything but lifeless č a cigar chomping skeleton, an erudite crow, a seductive sea-creature and a charming vampire among them č and they are determined to protect their home, come hell or high water. And it just might come to that. Enduring impressive bribes, embarrassing bouts of half-nakedness in front of suspiciously solicitous townspeople, and the good-natured jabs of the Boneyard's critical denizens, Paris begins to see that evil may not be where he expected it. Maybe we shouldn't trust the movies so much. Moore's crisp black and white ink work and marvelous ability to nail facial expressions makes this upside-down story of "us-against-them" engaging, at times hilarious, and left this reader eagerly anticipating the next installment. Thanks to the fabulous Kat Kan for pointing this series out to me in her own review! review by robin |
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Taking off from the hit TV show, this volume traces the evolution of two of the most deliciously devious villains to hit Sunnydale - William the Bloody, otherwise known as Spike, and the mad but oddly endearing Drusilla, the vampire Bonnie and Clyde of the Whedonverse. Moving from happier days at the 1939 World's Fair to the dissolution of the relationship in heat- drenched Argentina, this volume contains all the wit, adventure, and horror Buffy fans have come to expect. The best aspect of these Buffy graphic novels is how they fill in what's left out of the show's story arcs, and often they are written by the writers of the show, and so the canon and sense of whimsy are all well maintained. The artwork here is especially beautiful and gothic, and it's fascinating to see each artists' take on these two demons and their world -- especially considering recent happenings on the show. review by robin |
| The television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer has long been a phenomenon unto itself -- beloved by critics and followed by legions of devoted fans. This modern, urban, undeniably funny and chilling revamp of classic horror movie tales has built a rich and complex universe. In Tales of the Slayers Joss Whedon and fellow writers (including cast member Amber Benson) explore the history of slayers past, from the Napoleonic era to the American West. Joss Whedon and his fellows use comics and graphic novels to explore stories that never aired in the show, and the series of graphic novels produced have been far superior to most tie-ins. For similar titles, try Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Origin, based on Joss Whedon's original script for the film, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Ring of Fire for a stand alone "episode." review by robin |
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In the introduction to Courtney Crumrin Kelly Crumrin observes that the only children's stories that remain popular for years after they're written are the gross, shocking, and scary ones. You be the judge. This first installment of the Courtney stories is creepy enough to ensure that they will remain popular for some time by Kelly's standard, but Courtney Crumrin herself is a girl I wish I had sat next to in elementary school. When her parents decide to move the family from the city to a posh suburban neighborhood Courtney isn't exactly thrilled, especially because they'll all be moving in with her uncle, Professor Aloysius Crumrin. As you might guess from his rather ominous name, Uncle Aloysius is guarding plenty of dark secrets in the back rooms of the most haunted (and most talked-about) mansion in the neighborhood, secrets that hide behind the curtains and lurk in the back yard! As the old mansion and her elderly uncle start to seem more ordinary, Courtney discovers that she has some interesting magical talent, and that the scariest things in her new neighborhood may be the "normal" people she sees every day. review by alison |
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Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things was the witty, creepy, and strangely sweet story of a young misfit transplanted into a world of magic. In Coven of Mystics, Naifeh really brings his grumpy heroine to life. Magic provides Courtney with an escape from the mundane world she hates, and she's not shy about meddling with danger or trying out spells on unsuspecting classmates. She soon meets her match, however, in the form of Miss Crisp. The stern teacher not only makes Courtney do some homework herself, she also opens her eyes to the perils of turning one's back on the world. Readers will be totally engrossed in Courtney's world, where the woods are full of creatures both gentle and nightmarish. Coven of Mystics is full of delights: a midnight meeting where the town's cats choose their new leader, the Council of Elders and their eerie Hall of Wonders, and a beautiful witch suffering from a terrible curse. This final mystery draws both Courtney and Uncle Aloysius out of their isolation when the gentle Skarrow, a night thing and Courtney's first real friend, is wrongly accused of harming the mistress he loved. While she's reckless, moody, and sometimes bratty, Naifeh has also endowed Courtney with a keen mind and a strong sense of justice. In other words, he's made her into a real teen. His beautiful, atmospheric artwork provides a good helping of creepiness to go with his emotionally complex story. Oni Press has rated the series for ages 7 and up, but I consider it an important series for teens; younger children may find the horror too disturbing, and the book's messages will certainly have more meaning for readers 12 and up. review by jen |
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Ted Naifeh's excellent series continues to grow and deepen in Courtney Crumrin and the Twilight Kingdom. When the story opens, Courtney is still experiencing fallout from the dramatic events of Coven of Mystics. Uncle Aloysius has withdrawn even further from the community, and Courtney's magical activities have drawn some unwanted attention. On top of all that, Courtney finds herself attending Saturday school with the children of other witches and warlocks to learn coven history from Miss Crisp. As might be expected, Courtney finds it no easier to fit in here than anywhere else. Worse, she sees a little too much of herself in the class's arrogant and charismatic social leader. Yet Courtney can't just turn her backs on these classmates; when they fail to heed her warnings and turn one of their number into a demon by mistake, Courtney must lead them into the forbidden Twilight Kingdom to reverse the spell. Can she protect them from the forest's dangers? Naifeh's tale grows more powerful with each volume, and Twilight Kingdom has moments of pure heartbreak. It also has moments of happiness, as Courtney finally begins to make peace with the human beings in her life. review by jen |
Ever wonder if there is a way to escape government regulation and red tape? Don't waste your time – even after you're dead the Ministry of Hades will see to it that your soul is sorted, catalogued, and properly assigned in the afterworld ...Read More Volumes in Series Currently Reviewed: Descendants
of Darkness Volume 1 |
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When Joss Whedon was younger he always wanted to read the comic book about the strong ordinary girl as superhero. When he grew up he wrote Buffy: The Vampire Slayer partly in response to the horror movie trope in which the little blond girl always dies. In his world the little blond chick kicks demon ass and saves the world, a lot. In Fray Joss Whedon has written the comic book that he always wanted to read č the strong girl, with a regular looking body, and sufficient amounts of clothing, who carries the story and saves the world. I'm not sure if I'm ecstatic that he wrote this story, or profoundly depressed that in order to read this story he had to write it himself. Fray is set somewhere in a post-Buffy future. Sometime in the past the vampires were vanquished and banished from the earth. As a consequence the line of Slayers died out and the Watchers became a fringe group of zealous lunatics. Which, as anyone who has ever read a book can tell you, is exactly when you should start getting worried. Melaka Fray is a bit of a loner. She doesn't get along with her older sister. She gets into the occasional bar fight. And, she's one of the city's best thieves. She is understandably confused and irritated when a large thing with horns shows up and insists that she's the Slayer and the last hope of the world against a bunch of fairytale monsters used to scare children at night. But, a few run-ins with the undead, a startling revelation from her past, and one conspiracy later and Melaka is more than a little convinced, even if she is in way over her head. The dialogue is sharp, and Whedon's post-Buffy world is both alien and familiar. He has created a new context without letting go of the familiar mythology of our own world. Karl Moline's art brings Whedon's vision alive on the page with rich colors. His Fray is not a buxom bombshell, she is lean and lithe and alive. You can see her growing up and becoming an adult over the course of the novel. Moline has not only made Fray lifelike, he's made her real. I can't begin to recommend this book enough. You don't have to know anything about Buffy the show to get involved with these characters, they stand on their own and will demand your attention and your involvement in their story. However, if you were a Buffy fan and wanted to know what happened later, albeit much much later, this is satisfying on yet another level. Plus, Fray's weapon of choice is the seriously cool ax seen in Season 7. review by petra |
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Hellboy-- you'd think the name would say it all. I had visions of devils dancing on shoulders with impish glee. The solid, heavily shadowed figure on the cover of Mike Mignola's classic, however, should've clued me in-- Hellboy is far from an imp. In fact, he talks more like an ex-G.I. 1940s-era private detective than anything else, with the deadpan humor and bulky presence to match. He may indeed be a devil from hell-- no one's really sure, not even him. Having emerged fromŽsomewhereŽinto the company of members of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense during the prevention of an evil Nazi scheme dubbed Ragnarok, Hellboy was immediately taken under the wing, and into the heart, of paranormal whiz kid Trevor Bruttenholm. The big bright red guy grew to become their top investigator, and in the company of firestarter Liz Sherman and aquatic gentleman Abe Sapien, he fights the paranormal baddies with the best of them. Then his origins, or lack thereof, come back to haunt him, bringing with them murderous frogmen (yes, frogmen) and a vicious enemy no one predicted. Suddenly it's seeming like the end of the world wasn't so much prevented as delayed. Mike Mignola's artwork is the true star of Hellboy, drawing noir influences into rich colors and a linear style very much his own and seeming to invoke Orson Welles' ghost for editing in the panel jumps. The horror aspect is understated but potent while the action has a Raiders of the Lost Ark feel to it, minus too much cheese. review by robin |
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I will admit to a fascination with Jack the Ripper. Apparently like a good chunk of the American public, I am intrigued as to what causes such great evil to manifest in certain men and women, and all of the stories, from the suave Republican Ted Bundy to everyone's favorite fictional cannibal Hannibal, begin with the Whitechapel murders. The string of murders which have continued to puzzle criminal experts since the 1880s remain sensational, and the various speculations on the identity of this first icon of serial killers are often the most intriguing, if often ridiculous, tales of all. Rick Geary has a series of titles, dubbed A Treasury of Victorian Murder, which each examine a particular case of the time, from the Ripper to accused murderess Lizzie Borden. This volume is presented as journal following the case as it happened, obviously of a gentleman of the upper classes given his access to the crimes and their details, and Geary does an excellent job of presenting the case, the players, and the suspects without ever speculating on the killer's true identity. The artwork is suitably dark and strong, its woodcut style giving every image an almost physical weight on the page. Though graphic enough to transmit the severity and violence of the crimes, the art is never ghoulish in its portrayal of the victims. An admirable addition to Jack the Ripper titles, certain to delight young investigators and those in search of a good, chilling tale. review by robin |
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In the town of Devil's Echo, demons and goblins from other realms are so common that for generations the city has employed a full-time "occult investigator" to keep paranormal activity under control. Lucas Falconer is the veteran of many such battles by the time his daughter Chance is old enough to feel ready to fight some battles in the city's defense on her own. When Falconer tells Chance that the job that killed her mother is too dangerous for a girl, Chance sets out on her own to solve the city's biggest occult crime. As Chance struggles to save a powerful shaman and his daughter from abduction by shape-changing thugs and to defeat the biggest toad ever seen, she stumbles on evidence that this occult turmoil is all somehow connected to the upcoming mayoral election. If Chance can't unravel the ring of political corruption in Devil's Echo, it could mean the destruction of the city and its resident pixies, sewer goblins, dragons, and demons. Chance's affinity for reptiles, police officers, and investigative journalists is a superpower equal to her occult crime fighting skills, and both come in very useful as she sets out to save the inhabitants of the strangest city on earth. review by Alison |
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Not much has changed in Devil's Echo since the last installment of Chance's adventures. Trick or Threat opens in the midst of the city's annual Halloween parade, a beautifully drawn gathering reminiscent of Mardi Gras in New Orleans or a vampire ball. Chance plays sidekick to her famous father Lucas Falconer as the parade wends its way through town, and gets an unexpected opportunity to put her new law enforcement skills to the test. In the parade's aftermath, Lucas Falconer remains convinced that his daughter's passion for all things occult will lead her into fatal danger. To prevent Chance from disobeying his order to avoid magical crime, Lucas sends her into exile at a Boarding School for Young Ladies far from Devil's Echo. To no one's surprise, Chance's interest in magical crime fighting does not immediately endear her to the rest of the class, but as usual Chance has a few tricks up her sleeve (including boxing lessons!). When unexplained noises and accidents around campus suggest criminal activity of a ghostly nature, Chance enlists her classmates to uncover the secret that lurks under the girls' dormitory. As she gets closer to the heart of this new mystery, Chance's problem is not making friends, but keeping them safe. Robinson, Smith, and company have had as much fun writing the Chance series as their audience has reading it, which has happily led to a second installment which is accessible to both new and old Chance Falconer fans. review by Alison |
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"Dreams, love, and hopeŽ" are what this pet shop sells. So says Count D, the mysterious owner of a outwardly unassuming but inwardly labyrinthine pet shop in Los Angeles' Chinatown. The pet shop and its pets are connected to an inordinate number of unsolved murders and mysteries, and hotheaded Detective Leon Orcot is convinced that Count D is providing something a little more dangerous, and probably illegal, to his clients than pets. The problem is he never seems to be able to pin down any sort of evidence, and as his life gets more and more intertwined with the shop and its owner, Orcot finds it more and more difficult to separate dreams from reality. The pets from the shop are certainly powerful for their owners, but each should remember that getting what you deserve and getting what you want can be two very different things. read more... The Series reviews by robin |
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The Ring is, at its heart, a traditional ghost story. Yes, it has been modernized somewhat č there literally is a ghost in the machine, in this case a television set č but it is traditional in that it relies on things like atmosphere, mood, and setting to create suspense. Much of what passes for horror nowadays is about as scary as a rerun of Quincy; if you've got a strong stomach and a liking for power tools, you're set. Traditional horror relies on tickling the more primal parts of our brains, where the basic fears dwell č darkness, loneliness, the unknown. The plot: rumors spread through Japan of a cursed video; if you watch it, you will die exactly one week later. Reiko Asakawa, a reporter, hears the stories and is curious. She tracks down the video, watches it, and immediately wishes she hasn't. Hoping to solve the video's riddle, Reiko makes a copy and shows it to her ex-husband (at his suggestion, not hers), and he agrees to help her. But the clock is ticking... Teens who like horror will pick up The Ring; it is different enough from the American version of the movie to sustain interest. Also, there is a second volume (not reviewed here), so readers can learn what happens after the movie ends. Recommended. review by George |
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Cassandra Starkweather hadn't seen ghosts since she was eight years old. She used to see them all the time, until she found a way to make the visions-and the visits to the psychiatrists- stop. Then her college roommate died in a freak accident, and the ghosts came back with a vengeance. Helene brings Cassie a message from beyond the grave: there's a war in the afterworld, and Cassie must use her special gifts to stop the Adversary from harvesting the souls of the dead. Unfortunately, Cassie is the only one who can see ghostly visitors; everyone else thinks she's crazy. Confined in an institution, Cassie finds herself surrounded by agents of the enemy. When she breaks out, she's labeled a dangerous criminal and hunted by the police. How can she fight the Adversary on the run? And if she goes too far to stay alive, how can she tell what's right anymore? Route 666 is a true horror comic with some pretty serious violence and gore, but it's still appropriate for teens. It was certainly scary enough for this reviewer, who turned some pages over more quickly than usual. The writing and art are up to CrossGen's usual high standards, and Tony Bedard's plot throws the reader plenty of curves. The horror in Route 666 is much more than light thrills and chills; the human conflict is convincing. review by jen |
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Kurozu-cho may once have been just a normal, rural, Japanese town but when Junji Ito's horror story begins the evil influence that poisons the lives of townspeople is part of daily life, subtly casting its gloomy shadow over the town. Kirie Goshima is a shy high school student, not concerned with much more than getting to the bus station in time to meet up with her boyfriend Shuichi every morning, looking after her little brother, and helping out with her father's traditional pottery business. All this changes when she stumbles across Shuichi's father crouched in an alley, transfixed by the sight of a swirling snail shell. Shuichi explains that his dad has been acting strangely for weeks, locked in his room mesmerized by the spirals in swirling water, painted umbrellas, rolls of tape, metal springs, and any number of other commonplace objects. Hideously, Shuichi's father's body begins to reflect his spiral obsession, twisting and contorting until his bones break under the strain. As Shuichi's mother is driven slowly insane by spiral visions of her dead husband, Shuichi himself becomes increasingly withdrawn and paranoid, seeing Kurozu-cho's destruction in the eerie signs of the spiral that haunt Kirie, her family, and her classmates at school. The town's deathly spiral spirit claims one victim after another, preying on those nearest to Kirie, and leaving her to face the horrifying moment when the spiral begins to appear and grow from her own body. Junji Ito has been writing horror since 1987 and has perfected an eerie style reminiscent of Garlands of Moonlight's silver and black frames. These stories end on the same uncertain note – for Kirie and the other inhabitants of this small town, daily chaos and loss have become a part of life. The residents of Kurozu-cho may be numb to the gruesome perils of their situation, but for readers the Uzumaki series goes beyond spine-tingling suspense to revolting mayhem, and finally arrives at a haunting, unquiet numbness. Visually fascinating, but not for the faint of heart. review by alison |
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Everything and everyone in the remote Japanese town of Kurozu-cho has been touched by the evil of the Uzumaki (spiral), until every spot and step seems cloaked in a miasma of foreboding. Under a curious spiral-shaped cloud from the smokestacks of the local crematorium, the townspeople cling to normal lives until disaster inevitably strikes. Kirie doesn't think she's anyone special, and in fact she's amazingly normal considering the upheavals her town's resident spirit has wrecked on her life, but for some reason she keeps finding herself at the center of Kurozu-cho's malevolent spiral. The dead won't stay dead in Kurozu-cho, hideous plants blossom in dark rooms, and the lines between the human and insect worlds are becoming ever blurrier. In every story Kirie's friends, classmates, and family are horribly transformed before her eyes until even society's safest places become beacons and breeding grounds for the spiral's darkly magical effects. As the spiral maelstrom of Kurozu-cho swirls with Kirie at its center, she is powerless to stop evil's progress or to help her friends, watching helplessly as disaster follows disaster. review by alison |
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Wild Com is actually a collection of three short stories. The first, “Psychic Squad Wild Com,” features a young girl named Michiru Ozeki who has the power to control fire. At first she is scared of her powers and tries to deny it or pretend it isn't there, but she eventually is persuaded to use it to help save people from a forest fire, at which point she finally accepts her powers and agrees to become a member of the Psychic Squad. The second story, “The Beasts of June,” is a love story that is filled with death, powerful symbology, interesting metaphors, and artwork that enhances everything very effectively. The third story is “The Eye of the Needle” and is the creepiest and most shocking story of a trio that are all quite disturbing, yet highly intriguing and complex, grabbing hold of the reader's attention until the very end. This last story is especially so, as a very handsome man named Shiki Haibara rises to fame and splendor. However, he is brought down by a dark event in his past that he hadn't even remembered, not to mention his abandoned girlfriend Uiko. Shiki's vanity and arrogance end up being his undoing as he meets a sinister end. These three stories, though short, are among the most creepy and dramatic tales that I have read. They will suck you right in and won't let go until the end; if you like mystery, horror, and drama, Wild Com is one that I can wholeheartedly recommend. review by jack |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Tales of the Slayers
Courtney
Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics
Courtney
Crumrin and the Twilight Kingdom
Fray 
Jack
the Ripper 
Uzumaki
(Volume 1)
Uzumaki
(Volume 2)
Wild
Com
copyright Robin Brenner 2002-2004