April: Graphic Novels and Short Stories

Suggestions from the beginning of the year:

Hellboy
Locke and Key
American Vampire
Preacher

I confess I don't read graphic novels or short stories so someone else will need to step in and point out good reads for this.

I can definitely recommend Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, though the stories feature plenty of fantasy and mythology as well as horror.

I also like Ed Brubaker's Fatale series, which combines noir mystery with horror.

I'm planning to read Morning Glories, which I'd obtained through one of the Humble Bundle packs.

As for short stories, 20th Century Ghosts might be a possibility. I've not read it yet, but I've loved everything else by Joe Hill that I've read so far.

I've also enjoyed Kelly Link's short stories, though maybe they would be considered more "magical realism" than "horror".

I've picked up a Joyce Carol Oates collection following suggestions in last month's thread - the collection I've got is called The Evil Eye

For short stories I'll be reading Teatro Grottesco - I've never read any Thomas Ligotti before.

For graphic novels - Saga of the Swamp Thing and Creepshow.

I'm still waiting for Volume 2 of Swamp Thing to show up (I was hoping to read the first four volumes) but just in case it doesn't I'm also fitting in a couple of The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror books.

>3 Peace2: The Evil Eye sounds interesting, not outright horror but creepy and disturbing.

I'm looking forward to April's reads. Awesome recommendations, you guys! :) Most of them I've never read, and I actually love/read graphic novels (mostly manga though). I might dig through my own stash first.

I'm planning to read From Hell by Alan Moore (it's about Jack the Ripper >1 majkia: if that's a topic that interests you). Also plan to read Vol. 1 of Locke and Key.

I read Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft. I really liked it. I requested Vol. 2 & 3 from the library.

>7 luvamystery65: I just picked that one up from the library today. Not sure if I'll get to it this weekend or not...

That's a great series! Joe Hill is an amazing writer.

I second the Joe Hill recommendation! I loved the entire Locke and Key series.

I finished Morning Glories, Volume 1. It's a young-adult graphic novel set in a boarding school about a group of new students and their very sinister teachers. This series has a promising start and has a very creepy feel, but I also found the plotlines extremely confusing. Perhaps I need to read more before I can judge whether I like this series or not.

I also finished a collection of short stories called Campus Chills. The contributions are from a number of Canadian writers, including Kelley Armstrong, and they are all set on Canadian university campuses. It was a mixed bag ranging from excellent to mediocre, but I found it a lot of fun to read, especially since I've been on most of these campuses.

>8 LibraryCin: I hope you enjoy it.

>9 drneutron: & >10 mathgirl40: Off to pick up my copies. Whoop!

Locke & Key. Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft / Joe Hill
4 stars

After a guidance counsellor is murdered, his family moves to another state, to the house where the man had grown up. The three kids begin to discover the secrets of the house. The youngest boy, Bode, has discovered a key to a door... when he goes through the door he becomes a ghost and when he comes back through the door, he goes back into his body. There are also secrets in the well, more sinister secrets.

I really liked this. I was pulled in from the start, though at the beginning because there was a lot of back and forth in time, it took me a bit to get a handle on what was happening and who was who. The artwork (it's a graphic novel) was very well done (it is graphic, with blood and violence). I will definitely continue with the next in the series.

I'm starting Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows tonight and my Penguin Ink copy of The Bloody Chamber should arrive tomorrow. Love the cover!

>10 mathgirl40: Nice reads! :) I've seen Morning Glories at work, but I really know nothing about it. And Campus Chills looks awesome, too (I like Kelley Armstrong. :) Good job!

>12 LibraryCin: Wow, no wonder I keep hearing such good things about that series! It sounds great by your review. :) Best of luck with the rest of the series!

I'm a little slow at getting my April read started, but I went with Found and Other Stories by Todd Rigney for now. (I might read some horror manga later on.) The first novella in the book, Found, was made into a movie, which I really loved. (Heads-up {*snort* sorry, if you see the movie, it was a bad pun}, the movie is very gory.) I'm maybe a 1/4 of the way through the book, but if work and sleep don't get in my way--ha!--I might be able to finish it in the next few days. *fingers crossed*

>13 luvamystery65: Ooh, good luck with both books! :) And, yes, the cover of The Bloody Chamber is lovely, almost like a tattoo.

>14 saraslibrary: Thanks! Hard to say when I'll get to the next one, but... :-)

I also have at least one more coming up.

STILL waiting for volume Swamp Thing vol 2 to turn up! It shouldn't be any later than the end of the month but I'm getting impatient! I've just started Teatro Grottesco - the first story was my kind of weird, and I've a feeling I'm going to enjoy it.

>10 mathgirl40: You have a bit of a theme-within-a-theme going on there, what with university campuses and boarding schools...

>13 luvamystery65: I have a copy of The Bloody Chamber somewhere, I didn't think it would count. It's not as nice as yours, I must admit. If I can find it and find the time I might try to get through it too. That's if Swamp Thing doesn't turn up.

>16 LibraryCin: You're welcome! :) No worries on when you get to your next book. It'll happen when it does. And you can always keep reading the series after April. That's what I plan on doing anyway. :)

>17 Moomin_Mama: I'd be impatient, too! *fingers crossed you get your copy before the end of the month* Teatro Grottesco looks interesting. I have a short story collection by Thomas Ligotti I might try and fit in (My Work Is Not Yet Done), but I'm not sure if I'll have time.

>16 LibraryCin: Oh, I'll definitely read it after April. I have too many books based on various groups and challenges each and every month to continue with any series immediately. Of course, graphic novels should be easier for that, but I'm still likely to wait till it fits another challenge. :-)

>17 Moomin_Mama: I thought we could read short stories for this month's challenge? I am reading Locke & Key so I'm not worried, but why doesn't Bloody Chamber and other stories count?

>20 luvamystery65: If it's short stories, it would count. This month is graphic novels and (or) short stories.

>21 LibraryCin: Yes, it's a collection of 10 short stories including The Bloody Chamber.

>20 luvamystery65: I didn't realise it would count as horror - I thought Angela Carter wrote feminist versions of fairy tales! Now I know :D

>23 Moomin_Mama: Okay, I get it. It's tagged feminism, fairy tales, gothic, and horror. I don't think it's a creep fest, but I was planning on reading it so I'll count it along with Locke & Key which is definitely creepy but good.

>24 luvamystery65: If I like the sound of a book I'll stick it on a wishlist and avoid reading anything else about it. Often I've forgotten why I even wanted it by the time I get hold of a copy, it's a great way to avoid spoilers and books surprise me a lot more for it. Sometimes though, it leaves me completely clueless... and choosing books from my stash based on the cover and my poor memory!

I started Trigger Warning, which will work for this month. Already read a couple of truly creepy stories. *shiver*

Finished Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror Spine-Tingling Spooktacular and The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Fun-Filled Frightfest. They were in my tbr stash and I'm still waiting for Swamp Thing.

Have never read a Simpson's comic before and enjoyed them just as much as the tv version. The second of the two had a greater variety of illustrations and stronger stories, but both were great. I also liked the Kodos and Kang adverts spread through each, but thought the double-paged Simpson spreads were often the weakest part and seemed like filler.

I'd give each 4 stars. Not strictly horror but lots of horror references to enjoy, and a lot of fun.

>27 Moomin_Mama: I always love The Simpson's Treehouse of Horror episodes. :) I've never read a Simpson's comic before either. Maybe I should remedy that. I'm glad your reads were pretty good.

I'm very slowly working on Found and Other Stories by Todd Rigney. I've only finished the first story ("Found," which was made into a movie, and also good); but going on that one alone, I'm loving it. Twelve more stories to go. Sounds like a lot, since I said I just finished the first one. But "Found" is more of a novella and fills up about half of the book. Still... *fingers crossed I finish it before the end of the month*

>27 Moomin_Mama: Oh, that sounds fun! I hadn't realized they'd made comics out of them!

From Hell / Alan Moore
3 stars

This is a fictional graphic novel, suggesting one Jack the Ripper theory.

To be honest, I was a bit disappointed. It was ok, but there was a lot of info that had me wondering what it had to do with anything. I got bored during some of these parts. I also wasn't crazy about the artwork. There were some panels with no dialogue and it was hard to tell what was supposed to have been happening. I was impressed with the very extensive/detailed author's note at the end, though. Overall, I'm rating it ok.

>30 LibraryCin: That's to bad it was only "ok." I think the artwork was kept me from reading it, too. We have it at work, and I flipped through it once, but I wasn't interested enough to read it. Now you have me thinking the movie's better than the book. :)

>30 LibraryCin: Have you read any of Alan Moore's stuff before, or seen the film? If so, how did it compare to each? I've never read From Hell but I didn't think the film had the depth of Moore's writing (although I did enjoy it). His plots are very layered with meaning and information relevant to the subject, so I'd assume that the film and the graphic novel are very different in tone.

>30 LibraryCin: >31 saraslibrary: The artwork put me off too! But I really must get round to reading it...

But if you want good horror artwork, have a look at this:

Love and Death double page spread

It's from the volume I haven't got yet but it's typical of Swamp Thing when Alan Moore was writing it.

>32 Moomin_Mama: Thank you for the image think! :) That does look much better than From Hell (from what I remember). I'm still so used to manga illustrations, though. I had wanted to read more mangas for April, but now I can't seem to find where I put my TBR stack. :D

*fingers crossed you get the volume you want* You have the patience of a saint. :)

>33 saraslibrary: I don't think I've read a manga before. Can you recommend any good horror titles?

>34 Moomin_Mama: Most of the mangas I've read are geared towards young adults, but here's a quick list of horror mangas I liked:

1. Arkham Woods by Christopher Rowley (based a little on Cthulhu Mythos)
2. the Island series by In-Wan Youn (I only read the first 2 books.)
3. Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba (I've only read the first book, but I've seen a couple of the movies. Pretty good story all-around.)
4. Haunted House by Mitsukazu Mihara
5. Redrum 327 by Ya-Seong Ko (I've only read the first book.)
6. Tomie 1: The Junji Ito Horror Comic Collection by Junji Ito (I've seen one of the Tomie movies, too. Meh, it was ok.)
7. the Model series by Lee So-Young (I've read 5 of the books, all out of order. But if you like gothic-y, romantic vampires, then you might like it.)
8. Pet Shop of Horrors by Matsuri Akino (I've only read the first 3 books. I love animals/monsters, so I enjoyed the stories and the idea of a "pet shop of horrors." ;)

I could probably keep going on and on, but I don't want to burden you with a ton of books. Even though they're the size of a mass market paperback, they are super fast reads! Most read from right to left, though, and almost all of them have instructions on how to read them.

I did a search on LT for horror manga, and I didn't come up with much. Pet Shop of Horrors showed up, of course, but most were how to draw manga, etc.

I found this site that lists 10 good series: http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/10/30/top-10-horrorthriller-manga?page=1 . I can't believe I forgot I Luv Halloween. It's more of a graphic novel than manga, since you read it left to right and the illustrations are more Western. That trilogy I've read and just love! :)

Here's another site with 65 recommendations: http://spiraphobia.tumblr.com/recommendations . I don't recognize any of the titles/series. *shrugs*

There are several more sites out there, but again, I don't want to overwhelm you with all this. Just enjoy it! :) If your library has a graphic novel/manga area, just browse. I'm sure you'll find something good.

>31 saraslibrary: and >32 Moomin_Mama: It's been years since I saw the movie, but I remember liking it... I'd guess I liked the movie better than the book. If I ever took time to watch movies, I'd be tempted to watch it again! :-)

"His plots are very layered with meaning and information relevant to the subject" Now if you like that, you'll probably like From Hell the graphic novel, as well.

I have read Watchmen, as well. Wasn't crazy about it, either. I'm thinking back, but off the top of my head, I'd guess I rated it about the same: 3 stars, ok?

>35 saraslibrary: Arkham Woods, hey? hmmm. I've only read one book by Lovecraft (and didn't like it), but I really like the board game Arkham Horror. :-)

>24 luvamystery65: I do like your new horror thread, very nicely laid out! I didn't want to be the first to clutter it with comments. Will be very interesting to follow - you've already piqued my interest in The Trail of the Serpent and Glen Duncan, I enjoyed comparing your opinion of The Monk with mine (seems we agree on that one), and I'm looking forward to your thoughts on Ring and Interview with the Vampire, both of which I've read.

>35 saraslibrary: That's plenty of recommendations to look into, thanks for that Sara - must remember not to add an 'h' at the end (of your name, that is), it causes all sorts of mix ups :)

>38 Moomin_Mama: Thanks for visiting my thread. Feel free to clutter it and I would appreciate recommendations. I put nominated on the months where I have something picked out but it's not set in stone.

Saga Of The Swamp Thing: Vol. 2 - finally :D (arrived, not yet read)

Swamp Thing: Saga of the Swamp Thing:
Older volume with introductions from Ramsey Campbell and Alan Moore, and no covers. Was most impressed with the rewriting of Swamp Thing's history and the illustrations, especially the facial expressions, which capture everything from joy to confusion to terror, and can also be pretty scary. Ground-breaking in its day (I started reading the series just before Alan Moore came in - at 10! - and was blown away), and I think it still holds up.

Saga Of The Swamp Thing: Book Two:
New reprint, with an introduction by Neil Gaiman, and covers. Includes the 'Arcane trilogy' storyline which really pushed the boundaries - DC released Swamp Thing without the Comics Code stamp of approval from this point on. Very disturbing, unlike anything in comics at the time. The most mind-blowing artwork in 'Rite of Spring', and the cutest but saddest story in 'Pog' - I got a lump in my throat. A depiction of Hell worthy of Bosch and a greater variety of artwork and stories than the first volume.

Swamp Thing: The Curse:
Older volume, no introduction, no covers. This is where the 'American Gothic' storyline started. Swamp Thing travels America witnessing various archetypes of evil, all with a distinctly American flavour. These stories are probably the most straight horror stories after 'The Arcane Trilogy', and I still find them scary. The vampires are terrifying but even with their 'Lost Boys' appearance they still manage to be very original. The zombie story and 'The Nukeface Papers' are scary but the werewolf tale is more poignant, but again the illustrations really complement the mood of the stories.

Saga of the Swamp Thing: Book Four:
New reprint, more from Neil Gaiman, plus covers. The first few stories continue where volume 3 left off, covering serial killers, The Winchester House, and psychedelia. All are as consistently good as those in volume 3, but the stories that follow take things up a notch with a story of cosmic evil worthy of H. P. Lovecraft. The death/transformation of one character (no spoilers!) was quite simply the most disgusting and disturbing thing I'd come across and still makes my toes curl, which says something considering how brief it is and how horrific much of the series had been.

I really wish I'd been able to get some of you to try this series. The plotting is intricate and immensely clever, and the first and last stories - the rewriting of Swamp Thing's character and origins and the final showdown between good and evil - showcase Alan Moore's genius. I can't speak for From Hell as I've never read it, but I'd say this is better than Watchmen. Volume 3 is probably the best for anyone who wants straight-ish horror tales and not Alan Moore's convoluted, reference-heavy plots - that's if you can bear to try him again, >36 LibraryCin: ;)

>41 Moomin_Mama: Great reviews! I may indeed try this series one day.

>42 mathgirl40: If you ever do get round to them, do let me know what you thought, even if its just to bite my head off that they were a disappointment! They made such an impression on me as a teen and were so different for their time that I'd love to what a new reader would make of them.

>41 Moomin_Mama: I should have said that volume 3 is as reference-heavy as the others but they are all horror references so should be more pleasing to a horror fan...

>41 Moomin_Mama: LOL! I could possibly give him another try. Volume 3 would be the one called "The Curse", then? And it's not necessarily a series where I should start at vol. 1? Thanks!

>44 LibraryCin: Welllll... it is part of the series but each episode or double-episode is a discreet horror adventure in itself, part of a journey that Swamp Thing is sent on to experience various American horrors. I don't know if I'm convincing you but I'm really trying to sell it!

Yes, you're right, volume 3 is called 'The Curse' in the older editions. The new re-release is called 'Saga of the Swamp Thing: Book Three'.

>45 Moomin_Mama: LOL! Well, if they are quick (and graphic novels generally are!), then maybe I could give the first volume a try (to at least get the introduction to it), then move on to vol. 3... Or, maybe I'll like it enough to try all the volumes :-)

>37 LibraryCin: Yeah, I haven't read anything by H. P. Lovecraft, but I don't think you have to, to enjoy Arkham Woods. I've never heard of the board game, but it sounds interesting. :)

>38 Moomin_Mama: No problem. :) And no worries about saying Sara or Sarah (though I do prefer Sara). I had a great-grandmother who couldn't stand that my name didn't have a H at the end and would still write my name the way she liked it. *eye roll* :) I'll answer to both.

>40 Moomin_Mama: Yay! It arrived! :)

>41 Moomin_Mama: Nice, thorough reviews! :) I might give it a go sometime, but I'm really bogged down with my own books, which I'm trying to get through first.

I know April is technically over, but I'm just now getting around to catching up on some LT threads, including this one. I had planned on reading more graphic novels/manga, but I got consumed by Found and Other Stories by Todd Rigney. I almost gave it a 5--it was that good--but there were one or two short stories I wasn't so crazy about, so it's more of 4.5 stars. My favorite out of all of them was the first novella, which was made into the same-named movie: Found. I highly recommend the book and movie (that is, if you can handle the gore).

>47 saraslibrary: Ok, I'll check into Arkham Woods, then. :-)

The board game is fun. It's a "cooperative" game where all the players are fighting against the "monsters" that are invading Arkham. Even as a group, it's not easy to win, though. These are some pretty tough monsters to fight!

>48 LibraryCin: Cool! I hope you like it. :)

That does sound like a fun game! I checked it out on Amazon, and there were a lot of good reviews of it. A little pricey, though (at least for me). :)

>49 saraslibrary: Most newer European games (maybe because they are imported?) are around the $50 mark, I think. Though I haven't looked at the price on Amazon. :-)

>50 LibraryCin: Wow, I really have been living under a rock. :o I think the one on Amazon is $40-ish; I don't recall now.

I love board games too, and Arkham Horror sounds fun. A friend of mine and I play the cooperative game Pandemic regularly; it's quite addictive. I'm also thinking of getting the new board game based on the Chew graphic novel series. I had been thinking of recommending Chew here on this thread, but it's not really considered horror, even though it does involve a dystopian future, people with supernatural powers and cannibalism. :)

>52 mathgirl40: Those are ones I've not heard of, but I haven't played board games much for a number of years. My ex and his friends were really into them (especially the European ones), so it's the "older" ones that I know.

>51 saraslibrary: I'm not sure how well-known Arkham Horror is, but hopefully you've heard of Settlers of Catan? That's the really popular European game that has become more and more and more popular in North America over the last 10ish years (maybe a bit longer... 15?) or so.

>52 mathgirl40: Well, you kind of did just recommend the series Chew. ;) And thank you! I've seen it a few times at work, but had no idea what it was about. I agree--it's not out-and-out horror, but I think a lot of people on here might like it, myself included. Thanks again for explaining what it was about! And I had no idea there was a board game based on it. I hope you get it and like it.

>53 LibraryCin: No, I can't say I've heard of Settlers of Catan. Sorry. :) The depth of my board gaming goes back to Monopoly, Candyland, etc from my childhood days. I don't really have anyone to play against, and the few times I did play alone, it was pretty anti-climatic. Thanks, though. Maybe when I'm out and about, I'll check in the board game section in a few stores. Sounds like I'm really missing out on some good stuff.

>47 saraslibrary: Found and Other Stories sounds well worth a read, if it's as good as the movie.

Settlers of Catan is the best game ever! :)

We're in Canada, and it's popular here. It's not quite as well known as games like Monopoly, but it's sold in most game shops and its a favourite among game clubs at university campuses and the like.

>54 saraslibrary: Yes, you're right. I did just recommend Chew and I do so without reservation, at least to people who are interested in the horror genre and thus won't be squeamish about the gross scenes. :)

>56 mathgirl40: Yes, it is, isn't it!? Oh, I'm in Canada, too! :-) I do have friends in Montana who are big fans of it and other European games, as well. I was so excited to play against them once and win (winning meant I got my name in the top of the box - they keep track!). LOL!

Some of the others I like are Puerto Rico, Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride...

>57 LibraryCin: Always nice to see a fellow Canadian here. :)

I also like Carcassonne, and we play Bohnanza frequently too. The European games are great, but we've recently discovered a fun Japanese game, Machi Koro.

>55 Moomin_Mama: The story and movie are very, very similar, down to the violent ending, even what he does to his mother. It's hard to decide which I liked better. Maybe the movie by just a little bit. Found and Other Stories is one of the few books I've bought new in years. I know the novella Found can be bought separately, but I'd recommend getting the above-mentioned combo. There are some good short stories in the collection.

>56 mathgirl40: I definitely like horror and very little makes me squeamish anymore, so I'm sure I'll like Chew if and when I get around to it. :)

>58 mathgirl40: Oh, those are two more I've not heard of!

Teatro Grottesco:
I wasn't sure about some of the stories but all of them linger in the mind, leaving quite an impression. Probably the most dreamlike writing I've ever come across, but not ethereal and surreal - more like that strange feeling of deja vu that comes with recurring dreams where everything is like a skewed version of real life with occasional glimpses of the unreal or magical. And most definitely nightmarish. Mysterious corporations, slowly disappearing factories, puppets on strings, rumours, word-of-mouth artistic movements and conspiracy theories, gas station carnivals (the title of one of the stories - best story title ever), disappearances, and complete and utter madness. A darker version of our world where nothing has a rational explanation, point, or meaning, very little context, odd connections or a sense of unconnectedness, where anything can happen and where nightmares can, and do, intrude on every day life.

Like listening to a lunatic struggling to describe his dreams.

4 stars, but could turn into 5 with a reread. Thomas Ligotti writes in a very repetitive style that accentuates the weirdness of his stories, but I found my mind wandering if I was tired of distracted. His particular outlook took some getting used to - I really wasn't sure what to make of the stories at first and I think they'll sink in properly on a second read.

>26 sturlington: How are you getting on with Trigger Warning?

>61 Moomin_Mama: I finished Trigger Warning, liked it rather more than Fragile Things, although there were stories that reminded me of well-written fanfic. There are a couple of pretty creepy ghost stories, though, and a couple of well-done reimagined fairy tales. Overall, I'd recommend it, especially if you already like Gaiman.

>61 Moomin_Mama: Have only read Coraline which I found disappointing. Trigger Warning sounds like a good place to start again.

>63 Moomin_Mama: So you know, the final story, which is quite long, is set in the American Gods universe and references events from that book. I thought it was quite good, but it may not be easy to follow if you haven't read AG already.

>64 sturlington: Thanks for the warning! It may even whet my appetite for American Gods, you never know.