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Graphic Novel Review: Bone Parish, Volume 2 by Cullen Bunn, illustrated by Jonas Scharf

Bone Parish, Volume 2 by Cullen Bunn, illustrated by Jonas Scharf

BOOM! Studios, 2019

ISBN-13: 978-1684154258

Available: Paperback, Kindle, comiXology

 

Bone Parish, Volume 2 follows the Winters family, a New Orleans crime family that created a hallucinogenic drug made from the ashes of the dead. Anyone who takes the drug, called “The Ash”, lives the memories of the deceased. The second volume opens with Grace Winters and the rest of the family attending the funeral of Wade Winters, the youngest sibling, who was killed by a rival cartel. After the funeral, Grace approaches a shadowy figure in attendance who did not approach the other mourners. He is not unfamiliar to her. After all, Andre is her deceased husband. She used the last of her late husband’s ashes for him to be able to attend his son’s funeral.

Throughout the story, Grace starts seeing herself take on Andre’s physical traits, such as seeing his reflection in a mirror where her own should be, and her eyes begin to take on the eerie purple glow that his did when he appeared to her. Her own transformation isn’t the only one occurring with the use of Ash. Other cartels are employing their own people to attempt creating their own strains of the drug, but the results are not the same as the Winters’ product. The “test cases”, typically any drug addict they pick up off the street, are attacked by the memories of the dead who want to go on living. The physical side effects the users experience can only be described as Cronenbergian. While all of this is occurring, Wade’s death has created new rifts. Grace pushes daughter Brigitte to keep creating “The Ash”, especially considering other drug families are trying to create their own strains. Brae constantly berates Grace, Brigitte, and Leon about Wade’s death, the latter of whom he believes is at fault, and about the family business. He is less than prudent and levelheaded when he meets a mysterious woman painted with a Día de Muertos skull, and gets in bed with the enemy, as well as hiring a biker gang for personal protection. Leon, despite his older brother’s tirades and everything else in play that is picking apart already tenuous familial bonds, still believes his late father’s words, that family is the only thing that matters. The question remains, just how much strain can those bonds handle before they are torn apart?

As with the first volume of this series, I am not surprised that Bone Parish, Volume 2 has been nominated for a Stoker Award. Bunn has become one of my favourite writers in the horror genre. He weaves a good yarn, and the artists who are paired with him create fantastic visuals. Scharf’s artwork adds significantly to Bunn’s story. Highly recommended.

Contains: body horror, drug use, gore, murder, sexual content

 

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

 

Editor’s note: Bone Parish, Volume 2 is a nominee on the final ballot for this year’s Bram Stoker Awards in the category of Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel.

Posted on April 18, 2020 by , Reply

Book Review: The Twisted Book of Shadows edited by Christopher Golden and James A. Moore

The Twisted Book of Shadows edited by Christopher Golden and James A. Moore

Twisted Publishing, 2019

ISBN-13: 978-1949140156

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition

 

Christopher Golden and James A. Moore, inspired to create a diverse and varied horror anthology, teamed up with Haverhill House’s Twisted Publishing imprint to create a collection that did not include the heavy hitters of horror. They wanted to highlight stories by new authors, and give as many authors as possible a fair chance. They also wanted to be able to pay the authors more than a pittance. To that end, the editors created a GoFundMe crowdfunding project in October 2016, asked for submissions, and required a blind submission process. Out of the 700 stories they received, 19 were selected, also by a unique and diverse editorial committee, for the anthology. I noticed that ten, over half, of the stories are written by women.

In Melissa Swensen’s “The Pale Mouth”, the world must remain vigilant in constant lighting, and no shadow may be permitted indoors or out. Layla, as the Primary of her household, has responsibilities in taking care of the home. Every lightbulb is monitored and has a life counter. If any light is found to be out or defective, it is her fault. But the darkness is so tempting.

“Cake” by M.M. De Voe tells the story of a frazzled mother in second-person perspective. You can’t seem to get your spouse to help keep an eye on the children, and your beautiful toddler daughter has a knack for obtaining sharp objects. Surely, your two sons are to blame. Who could accuse that perfect blonde child who can’t even reach the counter of doing such a thing as getting the butcher knife, or getting a hold of the sharp cleaver, or locking the front door with you on the other side?

Eóin Murphy’s “The Birthing Pool” gives us a tale of Lovecraftian folk horror. A couple is expecting their firstborn child. Jim takes Sarah to the small fishing community of Danog to see his Aunt Sylvia for her final birth class. What happens is beyond Sarah’s comprehension. A town of cultists, ready to sacrifice their own firstborns at the birthing pool, is also ready to welcome Sarah’s sacrifice. However, Sarah isn’t one to back down, and Jim certainly deserves his comeuppance.

I have a soft spot for stories that include Alaska as a setting since it is my home state. In “Midnight Sun” by Andrew Bourelle, Alginak is the last of his people. Oil pipeline construction are destroying the land. He always seems to run into the same camp of white construction workers who don’t stop at the destruction of land, but also in killing the local wildlife, some of which he has befriended. Bourelle’s rich use of the Alaskan landscape is superb, and Alginak’s story is intense.

P.D. Cacek’s “Mirror, Mirror” centers on a mother’s obsession with watching over her terminally ill baby and her husband’s concern for her wellbeing. When he is finally able to convince her to rest, he makes a series of terrible mistakes.

That’s only a handful of the great stories in this anthology. I would like to see more collections curated in such a way where lesser known writers have the opportunity to publish their work. There are so many new voices, at least to me, in this volume that I want to continue reading. I do hope they all continue their craft. I’m glad to see that this has been nominated for a Stoker Award.

Highly recommended.

 

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Editor’s note: The Twisted Book of Shadows  is a nominee on the final ballot of this year’s Bram Stoker Awards in the category of Superior Achievment in an Anthology.

Posted on April 18, 2020 by , Reply

Book Review: Out of Water by Sarah Read

Out of Water by Sarah Read

Trepidatio Press, 2019

ISBN-13: 978-1950305056

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

 

There are a handful of authors who have emerged in the past year or two that have made a splash in the world of horror. Thankfully, many of them have been recognized either by review sites such as this one or through awards. I was handed The Bone Weaver’s Orchard last year and was impressed with the writing. Sarah Read immediately established herself in the top tier of new writers that would soon make waves in publishing. That novel overflowed with style and character that lent a “classic” tone to the story that felt both natural and fresh.

When Out of Water arrived from the always quality Trepidatio Press, I waited until I had time to enjoy these stories. That old cliche rang true once again: good things do come to those who have to wait for ideal times for great stories in the middle of chaotic lives!

Instead of hitting on every story here, I’ll focus on a few that resonated with me long afterwards or jarred me with an emotion right away. There were plenty.

“Endoskeletal” is a perfect representation of the modern horror story. Archaeology in the genre is always a treat. What begins as something that seems typical goes sideways pretty quickly, with a character who sticks with the reader in a memorable, claustrophobic tale.

“Making Monsters” grips the reader by the throat. Read examines the inner workings of its disturbing lead character, while making the story enteraining just as much as it is bleak.

“In Tongues”- just read it. Weird religious tales written well have a tendency to burrow under the skin, and the author nails it here.

Finally, “Underwater Thing” feels a bit Lovecraftian, yet wholly original as well. The father-daughter dynamic is painful but full of suspense. It’s probably the highlight of the collection.

Other stories hit on different cylinders, with topics that are wide-ranging but have a common thread. There’s a sense that mood will determine which story could be a favorite for that particular day which, for me, is a strong sign of a stellar collection. The writing is  detailed, but not flowery. Read imbues each story with just enough imagery for the reader to conjure the visions to bring each to life.

It’s easy to see why this book was shortlisted for the Bram Stoker Awards. Recommended.

 

Reviewed by David Simms

 

Editor’s note: Out of Water was nominated to the final ballot of the 2019 Bram Stoker Award in the category of Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection.

 

Posted on April 18, 2020 by , Reply
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