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How did the DC character most noted for simplicity handle thehyper-complexity of the Crisis on Infinite Earths? In the ever-able hands of Alan Moore, Swamp Thing: A Murder of Crows rises above the mid-1980s corporate reorganization to grant our hero his apotheosis into his current plant elemental form. Fans of John Constantine will eat up the smart-aleck astral con man's performance throughout, and the central struggle--uniting good and evil against something much bigger and older than either--is classic Moore. The art is bold and beautiful, organic by necessity, and contributes as much to the reader's suspense as the script. It seems that Moore et al. have spent so much time transcending their medium that they may have created a new one of their own. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (8)

The mother of all battles...
...is the apex in this Fourth Volume of the Alan Moore helmed issues #43 - 50 of D.C. Comics, 'The Swamp Thing.' But before this battle occurs some interesting things take place. For starters we get an imaginative hallucinatory ride as two people under different circumstances eat servings of the Swamp Thing's 'yam fruit,' and experience vibrant psychedelic journeys that change their lives in one way or another. The Swamp Thing also does battle with a serial killer, faces a legion of ghosts in a Winchester Mystery House-esque haunted mansion, stumbles into violent chaos when parallel worlds collide, learns some new Elemental tricks while meeting his ancestors, and finally faces off with the ancient tribe of Warlocks - the Brujeria - who are bent on unleashing an ancient evil that will destroy Heaven itself. From this point, the last few chapters build up too a whopper of a climax in the ultimate battle between dark and light that the universe has ever seen.

Definitely a great volume in this series as it offers fans everything that they've come to expect while taking it to new metaphysical heights and thus gearing readers for some intersting twists to come.

The best book in Moore's series.
When I read this book, I could feel myself warming to the whole storyline, and when I got near the end I knew I couldnt stop for anything. Most comics have a very black and white feel, and there are standard storylines that both Marvel and DC use constantly, but the whole Swamp Thing series is totally different. I felt as though I was reading a novel, where anything could happen, and I could identify with Swamp Thing. Swamp Thing isn't a super hero, he's just a regular guy who finds himself turned into a plant. One part of him, the human part keeps looking for answers, but the plant part already knows the answers, and just wants to surrender to the green. In this fourth book Swamp Thing learns what will happen when he lets the plant part of himself take over, but he also seems to strike a balence, He relaxes into himself, and by the end of the book he seems changed. Swamp Thing grows up in this book.

Swampy Saves the Multiverse
In this round of Swamp Thing installments from Alan Moore (original issues #43-50, which includes the double-size anniversary issue), plot elements that had been developing for a year or more finally come to fruition. That would be a battle even bigger than good vs. evil in the final story of this collection, fittingly titled "The End." Here we see the full apotheosis of Alan Moore's groundbreaking work with comic horror writing, a defunct style that he courageously made hip again at the time. And although the Swamp Thing series was thematically unlike anything else DC was doing at the time, Moore still ties Swampy's saga into the greater DC universe. John Constantine and a collection of minor and obscure characters associated with magic and sorcery help in the great battle for the universe. Meanwhile Swamp Thing allies himself with the heaviest hitters in DC's stable of occult characters, including Spectre, Etrigan (The Demon), Phantom Stranger, Dr. Fate, and the very suave Deadman. There is also a flawless crossover with the then-current Crisis on Infinite Earths epic, surely one of the great endeavors ever undertaken by a comics company.

One very interesting aspect of Moore's plotlines during this period is how Swamp Thing himself often falls into the background of the stories, as the focus is on the horrors around him, and he makes dramatic Lone Ranger-like appearances to save the day. Even in "The End" Swampy is a minor presence, action-wise, then defeats the force of darkness simply by reasoning with it rather than fighting. In this collection's first tale, "Windfall," Swamp Thing only appears on one page, and the focus of the story is a psychedelic fruit that grew on his back. During this period of the series, things were changing artistically, as regular artists Stephen Bissette and John Totleben were often overworked or unavailable. Here Stan Woch and Ron Randall really make their presence felt, especially in the most tremendous story of this stretch, "The Parliament of Trees." This concept is surely inspired by Tolkein, and in turn I bet that Woch and Randall's visual creations were an influence on the producers of the recent "Two Towers" film. By the end of this collection Moore and his great team of artistic collaborators continue to teach us about the deep roots of the Swamp Thing character, and he's not yet done learning himself.

Magic in the Mire
Lets face it, Alan Moore is God's gift to the comic book reader. His stories are so intense, so cerebral, so completely real that I guarantee if you give any of his books to a non-comic fan they will never look at you like you're a childish freak again.
Swamp Thing was his first real American hit and its easy to see why: the tales age like a fine wine and you can use any issue as a jumping on point without becoming the least bit confused.

A Murder of Crows lures you in gently with three stand-alone stories that are reminiscent of Tales From the Crypt, but scarier because they are the quiet kind of horror that gradually build to frightening heights. From there you're launched headfirst into the muck of the massive 'Crisis' crossover DC used in the '80s to clean out its proverbial junk room of convoluted plots and multiple Supermans (There were somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 at the time), only your mind is not in the least bit boggled. Moore keeps things tidy (Plotwise anyway, some of this stuff is not for the squeamish) and the characters to a minimum so you always know what's going on with who and where. The depth he is able to go into as he bounces you from South American cults to British seances to Under-World War III will amaze you. For those Hellblazer fans out there, John Constantine's presence provides some serious magic of the non-Harry Potter variety as well as some wonderfully snarky commentary to lift the gloom a little.

You'll smirk, you'll cringe, you'll shudder and squirm.

You won't have a read you'll have an experience.

Alan Moore Magic in a Swamp + Beyond
In "Murder of Crows", the Swamp Thing graduates from one dimensional 'monster that was once a man' to a world-saving elemental with Alan Moore's signature mix of horror and mysticism. This is the climax to the Swamp Thing's quest for truth and who and what he really is. Along the way he crosses tormented ghosts, a serial killer, a crossover from 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' and most of the magical heavyweights in the DC Universe. I would recommend starting earlier in the run (beginning w/ 'Saga of the Swamp Thing'), but if you want only one peak, this is the one to get. Even if horror is not your bag, if you enjoyed 'Crisis' this is a must have. The ending may leave you wondering if you crossed over into 'Crisis', but the journey is vintage Moore. Outstanding! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent! Worthy of being in the "Sandman" universe.
"Children and Monsters" starts exactly where "Devil in the Gateway" ended: after Lucifer finished doing God's quest, he received a gate into the void - a place outside of creation. That is the main storyline of this novel. This graphic novel also contains three parts:

The first story tells how Lucifer journies into the Japanese dimension of death. As we found out in the previous novel, the Japanese goddess of Death obtained Lucifer's wings (which were torn off him). Thus, Lucifer embarks on a quest to get back his wings. I loved this part! If I didn't know, I could've sworn Neil Gaiman wrote this part.. it really felt as if it belonged in the "Sandman" universe.

The second story is above an immortal girl who was born thousands of years ago, yet can't die because she was cursed by her gods for not getting an abortion.

The third story unites the previous novel with the first two parts of this one.. Lucifer comes back with his wings and wants to enter the void, only to have an army of angels try and stop him. All the previous threads come together here.

I think this graphic novel was much better than the previous one. It definitely feels more and more like an extension of the original "Sandman" series. If this level continues - I am definitely going to stay till the end! Highly Recommended!

Absolutely Stunning!
As an avid (trader paperback-only) reader of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, and the non-Gaiman spinoff "The Dreaming," Mike Carey's "Lucifer: Children and Monsters" wins top marks all around.

The first Lucifer collection "Devil in the Gateway" re-introduced us to Lucifer from the Sandman stories. "Sandman" fans will recall that he gave up his wings, closed shop, retired to a nightclub in Los Angeles and watched the ensuing chaos resolve itself.

In "Devil in the Gateway," Lucifer named his price for a task requested of Heaven. Not much of a task... the mere disposal of a few ancient gods. In exchange for this errand, Lucifer's price is paid: a Letter of Passage.

Lucifer transforms the letter into a gateway leading Outside of Creation. The gateway is crafted with the divine name so that even the Creator himself cannot close it without destroying all of Creation.

In "Children and Monsters" Lucifer's must reclaim his wings from the Japanese pantheon of gods (on mortal terms, no less), deal with the assembled Armies of Heaven, and finally resolve a unfinished scenario with one of his fellow Fallen.

Since I'm not one for buying issues each month, I can only say that I eagerly await the third book. ... Read more

Book Description

Collecting issues 7-12 of the popular gothic soap-opera series - follow the conclusion of the triangle of fate between Isabella, Damion, and Lex; discover the secrets behind Chrys and Sebastian; and see triumph turn to humilation in Vermilion the poet’s ultimate plot against Lex.Plus NEW material, including an introduction byDarick Robertson and guest pageby Jhonen Vasquez! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Not as squishy as the first...
I'm not too fond of John Gebbia style. The illustrations seem rushed and sketchy. I don't think I'd have ever picked Gloom Cookie up if he'd been the original illustrator. What's with the blobs for hands? It's not THAT hard to draw a hand!
Other than that this still a cute series. The story is interesting, the characters are fun, and the setting is gloomy. The artwork is the only reason this didn't get 5 stars.

Great collection of comics
I had to get Gloomcookie's Vol II, after I read the first volume. The storyline was still as great as ever. Only this time, a different artist was used. I was alittle disappointed that the original artist wasn't used, only because Ted's art was more vibrant and eye catching. Don't get me wrong, the new artist is cool, just not the same. I definately recommend this second volume. If you read the first volume, you have to read the second.

bad art ruins a potentially good story
The art has gone really downhill with this one unfortunatley, not because the artist isn't skilled, but because the work looks rushed and disinterested.
On the upside, our gothy soap opera continues, and you will see more of all the wonderful characters Serena Valentino created (except Vincent) even Max is back! There is even a new character, as Lindy gets a boyfriend, but he's one of Vermillions crowd (gasp!) and you will find out that there is more about Chrys then you knew. I feel this is worth reading, but only if you enjoy the characters enough to follow their stories.

The wonderful world of gloomcookie
I absolutely love gloomcookie! From the moment I accidently discovered the first book in a cartoon shop I was captivated. And although the artwork in the second volume is not as smashing as in the first, the story is so wonderfully fascinating and addictive it does not really matter much. The complexity AND simplicity of it is incredible.
Highly recommended! ... Read more

Book Description

In a failed attempt to alleviate her pain, Angel accidentally unleashes the Malignancy Demons upon her and her family, each of which personifies and draws its power from particular bad feelings. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A surreal nightmare
The story predates the series. It is a nice prequel with the exception of the addition of Dawn. Dawn muddies the mythology and the back story. However in this case it doesn't matter. The artwork is extraordinary. It should be framed. The demons are very creative. The stills take my breath away. Angel in his birthday suit doesn't hurt the eyes either. I love the use of poetry with the artwork. The monsters are real in the sense that we all have encountered them. The artists have given them form and personality. Perhaps they are easier to fight that way. Bravo!!! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Haunted again, Revenge, again
Not one of the better Constantine tales; this time out Constantine is out to get a fellow magician who destroyed an old girlfriend, by way of Aleister Crowley's "Scarlet Woman." With rather stiff art by John Higgins, this standard tale of vengeance is only enhanced by Ellis's glimpses of the down and dirty side of London. Perhaps this is the actual reason for the story; it gives Ellis the option to wax poetic. If so, it's too bad he couldn't have attached it to a more compelling story.

Constantine is always good, but....
Warren Ellis (The Preacher, Planetary, Transmetropolitan) is one of the most prolific and edgy authors we've got today, ranking up there in my book with Garth Ennis, Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Frank Miller and Grant Morrison.
This time around there was something that just didn't click with me. Yea, the story was great and the imagery was well thought out but John Higgins' artwork kind of ruined it for me. Those of you who are used to seeing John as a ragged, disheveled mystery man will be shocked by the artwork that portrays him almost as a buffed model! His featured are much too chisled and his head is way too pretty for my taste.
This time around we see John pining over yet another girlfriend's death (how many of his exes survive? No wonder Kit left!) (sorry, casual reader. Constantine fans will know what that means.) He feels obliged to poke around to find the one responsible as it was a particularily grisly murder and mutilation. He drags in favors from both the police and his underworld contacts, as usual, and in his usual machievellian manner. He finally realizes that the killer was using the girl as the focus of his arcane power and offed her when she dried up. Tracking him down proves to be difficult when John is beaten up when he gets too close. (The echo of Bugs Bunny's "This means war" comes to mind at this point.) It's a noir tale, a detective story, possibly a Chandler homage, who knows?
The story doesn't really offer many surprises, but it does speak on a noir level, and the atmosphere and ambiance is great to get into. I wouldn't really say that the story is predictable, but it doesn't surpass storylines such as "Dangerous Habits" or even the flawed "Good Intentions". I don't want to give anything away about the identity of the killer, but suffice it to say that the buildup far surpasses the payoff. Constantine's method of retribution is quite clever, not to mention vicious, which is typical of Hellblazer.
Get this book for another great constantine story, but be forwarned: he acts typicallly like, but doesn't really look much like the John we know and love. A good, but not great chapter in the life of everyone favorite chain-smoking sorcerer.

Bloody Great!
The most interesting aspect of this book, and several of the others, is the fact that John Constantine rarely uses magic. It's his trademark, aside from arrogance and a trench coat, but I've found the best stories deal almost exclusively with the man.

In this volume, our chain-smoking hero tries to hunt down the killer of one of his ex's, whose spirit is now trapped on earth. Some familiar faces pop up, and John takes the reader on an interesting trip through London's history. The writing here is great, and the art crisp, and the story is self-contained enough that even if you've never read a Hellblazer comic before, you could follow along. A great buy. ... Read more

Book Description

When Peruvian terrorists abduct Count D and Detective Orcot, they find themselves bound, gagged and held at gunpoint deep in the jungles of South America. With one chance at survival, Leon has no choice but to put his faith in Count D-- and as usual, Count D and his exotic pets have a way of changing a person's life for better or worse. Whether it's a boy's pet that delivers a Christmas surprise or a pet that provides a struggling musician with some off-key inspiration, you can be sure that the count's magic comes with a price. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

my favorite of all the volumes so far.
Okay, first a disclaimer: I'm not a die-hard manga or anime fan. I own a few volumes of CLAMP stuff, but I've never really gotten into the whole genre. So I'm no expert.

Having said that, I am absolutely crazy about this series. It's true that the art isn't the best -- yet. It improves drastically as the series goes on, and by volume 10 (not yet released in English) it just blows me away. But as of volume 2 it's still pretty darn good, so don't let that deter you.

The real reason to buy this manga, as far as I'm concerned, is the characters. Where else are you going to run across a character like Count D? Where else are you going to find such a great foil for him as Leon Orcot? The chemistry between them is beautiful, and this particular volume contains two of my very favorite episodes in the whole manga: "Dragon," at the beginning, and the eco-conscious "Destruction" at the end. Wonderful stuff. My highest recommendation. I can't wait until volume 5's release!

One of the best manga series ever.
At first I was a little worried about buying this manga in English from Tokyo Pop because they've had problems with translation in the past. But with the exception of Count D calling Leon officer instead of Detecive, this is one of the most accurately translated manga's I've seen. The stories are very original and have a haunting moral at the end of some (e.g. Daughter, Dream). But it can also be very funny at times (Count D and his sugar addicition). The art work is very unique and beautiful. Mari Akino puts so much detail into every pannel. This book is definately worth purchasing if you can find it.

It has captured me and refuses to let go...
Not that I want to be let go of course :) This manga drew me in from the very start of the first volume and has only continued to do so in this one as well. Covering the fascinating stories of Dragon, Dice, Delicious, and Destruction, this manga is one you'll have a hard time putting it down till you read it from cover to cover and even then it will pull you back for more (I've already read it at least twice).
I'll admit this manga does have some bloody portions as well as creepy parts (it does have the word horror in its title for a reason), but even if you are the overly sensitive type you should have no problem overlooking these. The story and the art are the main focus here, and Matsuri Akino has a wonderfully beautiful, yet mysterious way, of portraying both. You can't help but tingle in dreaded excitement as some of the more unlucky owners' fates unfold. The tales are sometimes heartwarming (such as in Dice), and yet sometimes there is a illfated case where you feel as if some type of justice has been served (such as in Delicious). It's hard to boil the stories down like this, as they are all such a wonderful mix. There's even some comedy thrown in (such as the conversations between Leon and Count D).
Plus where else can you see so many mythical creatures being interwoven into a story so smoothly? :) All in all it's a must read.

Terribly exciting!
My little sis kept bribing me to read some trigun and that sort, but I read about one small manga and thought, 'this has no real story plot'... i am known to be a biased person, and yesterday i was in florida with my friend on spring break and we went to the mall. well, it was quite early because we had to catch a flight that afternoon and wed never been there before. nothing was open but the bookstore. well, we went in and i was looking through the graphic novels for my little sister and i found these PSoH books that grabbed my attention. being an old good charlotte fan, i thought that the instant that i picked up this books that the man on the cover, soon discovered to be the notorious 'count d' looked alot like good charlotte bass player billy martin, who i have been nuts over for as long as i can remember... so beautiful, but off topic. so, i read the back and bought it out of sheer curiosity to read on the plane and give to my little sister later. so we went to the airport and got to our terminal a lot earlier than expected and i decided to pull out the book, ten minutes till flight. well, i finished PSoH before my flight and was so excited about telling my little sister to get more! instead of ever giving my little sis a chance to read it, i read it over and over and over, all day yesterday and tonight, i went to the local Borders and bought all the ones i could find to read! so these books are A++++ and i reccomend them to anyone, fun-filled, gory, and beautiful artwork. keep up the good work!

A wonderfully diverse manga
I can say that I'm biased from the get-go because PSoH is my second-favorite manga of all time. BUT, this is not without foundation. PSoH is the *only* manga that I've found that can suck in anybody of all ages (not that manga isn't appealing to all ages), including the most difficult subject of all: my mother.
That said, there is something about the characters, the emotions, and the mysterious storyline that makes PSoH one of those manga you simply must buy. Each story, while possible to stand on its own, is also part of a much larger plotline and all have little hidden clues within that merit multiple reads. This particular volume I have read about four times, and it doesn't get old. The art, in my opinion, is exquisite, and as said in one of the other reviews, it only gets better as the series progresses. This is true in any manga you find (Oh My Goddess! comes to mind). If only they would print the forepages in color as they were originally in the digest run!

This issue in particular is very very well-written and entertaining. Worth the cover price and more. ^_^ ... Read more

Book Description

Motorcycle mania has gotten the best of Megumi, college student (and Goddess roommate) Keiichi Morisato's little sister. Driven to be the best biker around, she decides to test her skill against the Phantom Racer, a ghostly apparition that sometimes appears on a dark stretch of country road. Keiichi and his earthbound-goddess girlfriend, Belldandy, aren't far behind to keep an eye on her, but Megumi better watch the road, because racing phantoms could get her killed! Meanwhile, at Keiichi's technical school, the cybernetic creations of a nutty professor nicknamed "Dr. Moreau" are trouble waiting to happen. Can Keiichi and Belldandy stop the crazed Doctor from unleashing mechanized mayhem on the unsuspecting college campus? ... Read more

Book Description

Buffy is dead. Her friends are trying to get on with their lives. Between them, there is enough anger, frustration, loss, guilt, and tragedy to resurrect an ancient demon. Sunnydale being what it is, things aren’t looking too good for Willow, Xander, and the gang. A lovelorn demon has been set free into our dimension, and its food is the grief of Buffy’s nearest and dearest. If that’s not bad enough, a horde of demonic reptilian sorcerers plan to resurrect their fallen comrade and paint the town blood red. Can Buffy’s friends face the threat without a Slayer to defend them? Willow finds that she can learn a great deal from these reptilian mystics. And if there’s going to be one resurrection, why can’t there be TWO? ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The death of Buffy
This volume contains two stories: "The death of Buffy" and "Withdrawal".
- "The death of Buffy" is a bittersweet story of what happened after the season 5 finale "The gift", about how the Scooby gang dealt (or at first didn't deal) with the death of Buffy. I could especially feel Dawn's pain. It's a wonderful fill-in the blanks story between "The gift" (5.22) and "Bargaining" (6.01 & 6.02). We get to see how the Buffybot came back into the Scooby scene, how Willow and Tara came to live in the Summers household and how Willow got the spell to resurrect Buffy. Great story! 5 stars out of 5.

The second story "Withdrawal" is a short story that takes place after the episode "Gone" (6.11). This story features Velatti, a character that was introduced in the book "Creatures of habit". So I would recommend reading this book before reading this story. I give this story 3.5 star out of 5, only because it was so short.

All in all, a great volume! I'd recommend this volume to every BtVS fan, especially if you like comics.

A graphic novel
I was expecting a novel. What I got was a graphic novel- a longer, sturder version of a comic. Still it was terrific. Filled in what happened in between The Gift (season finale of season 5), and the season premiere of season 6. ... Read more

Book Description

In 2002, The Ring came to American silver screens and brought a whole new style of horror and suspense to the States. Based on a series of novels by Suzuki Koji, The Ring became a media franchise in Japan with its fascinatingly creepy, yet scientific and otherworldly subject matter. Not to mention its very scary "monster," the spirit of a girl whose body was dropped in a well many years past. As you'll find reading through Dark Horse's series of Ring manga, this story is rich with an undergrowth of science and hatred, of strong will behind the murderous ghost of Sadako. Birthday, the fourth in a series of five Ring manga, is a trilogy of stories, each enriching the main storyline of The Ring series. "The Casket Floating in the Sky" centers on Mai Takano, and how she becomes wrapped deeper into Sadako's grasp. "Lemon Heart" tells of one of Sadako's early loves, and eerily wraps itself back into the plotline of Mai Takano. The "Sadako" story goes into the depths of both Sadako's death and her rebirth. Slowly, the details of how The Ring truly works are trickling out into the daylight. ... Read more

Book Description

Flesh-Colored Horror is a collection of bone-chilling vignettes, centered on what at first seems like ordinary people Tales of obsession, love, loss, beauty, and the perversities of nature will leave you afraid to turn off your lights before you go to bed! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Man, I would KILL to be that beautiful......
Actually, this is only a 3 ½ star book, but Ito gets the benefit of the doubt. The stories themselves are wonderfully gruesome and creepy, but its painfully obvious that this is an earlier effort of Ito's, lacking the polish that the Uzumaki series had.

The drawings are plainer, and the dialogue is pretty stilted with occasional yawning gaps in it, but the stories are well worth the effort of journeying through.

In the first story, "Long Hair In The Attic", we learn a lesson of asking people to appear in a different way, and succumbing to another's desires of what they think we should be.

"Approval" is a tasty piece of undying love, and a valuable lesson in when to let go of that love.

"Beehive" is my least favorite, a strange story of a strange boy who has a symbiotic relationship to bees and wasps.

"Dying Young", one of my favorites, tells a tale of ugly girls who suddenly grow pretty, and the cost of such a miracle to their lives.

"Headless Sculptures", another favorite, shows what happens when a man's artwork becomes more than realistic.

And lastly, "Flesh Colored Horror", is truly the most horrifying story of all, because it shows the horrid lengths a woman will go through to maintain her beauty, even at the cost of abusing her very own child.

A great collection, just be aware that when this book was done, Ito was merely warming up to his full talents. Enjoy!

A must for a horror fan....
...even if you are not strictly a manga fan. This is some of the creepiest stuff I've seen anywhere, and with a collection of nearly 220 English-translated manga, that's saying a lot.

Gah!
Let me say that I am always and I mean always nervous every time I read a manga by Junji Ito. Why? Because they are some of the most screwed up pieces of writing that you possibly can read. the other reviewers have already written in detail about what th stories are about so I won't waste mine or your time going into detail about them, but let me say tha they are all quite disturbing. I would have the rank this book third in the works of Junji Ito that I own, the others being the two vols of Tomie and the three vols of Uzumaki, but the only reason for that is that this collection is a series of short stories that are not related to each other, but let me say the horror of these stories will stick with you and you will gasp in shock when you read them!

Beauty and its Potential Consequences
Junji Ito's understanding of the mind-boggling dread that takes shape in a viewer's imagination, plus his insight into what words and images can be crafted to keep perennial wheels of dread rolling, is something that I, a fan with a horror-seasoned find utterly amazing. Seeing something he crafts is like watching perfection being sculpted, perfection with the ability to bend the imagination like the wind bends so many reeds. Even in his earlier, more experimental works, you can see a masterpiece being shaped, a reflection that would later be completed in one of the greatest pieces of spine-tingling reading I ever happened across, Uzumaki. Within this collection are six stories that span seven years, all originally appearing in Monthly Magazine Halloween between the years 1988 and 1995.
Taking them from oldest to youngest, covering two in depth to give those unfamiliar with Ito a feeling of them, they are:

Long Hair In The Attic (1988) deals with a girl named Chiemi and the breakup she's finds herself suffering through plus the reprocussions it brings. Mortified by the revelations she's had in the last day, Chiemi decides once and for all that today is the day to do away with the long hair her boyfriend once coveted. Before she can do so, however, something gruesome happens and Chiemi's body is discovered, her head missing (and never recovered). Sometime later, as her sister is lying in her bed, she hears strange noises coming from the attic, noises that she tells herself have to be rats, only the noise being made sounds exactly like Chiemi when she used to grind her teeth at night. But what could it be? O, what could it be?

Approval (1991) is also a good one, dealing with a boy's love for a certain girl and a father that won't allow this to be. It doesn't seem to matter what he does or how often he visits, either. for her father never approves of him. After a time he finds out things that further infuriates him, making him want to seek vengeance, only convoluting the matter more and ultimately costing him in the worst of ways.

Dying Young (1991) is where the first threads of the spiral, of Uzumaki, can be seen manifesting. The story focuses upon a group of three girls, all considered ugly until, one day, one obegins to get pretty and people paying attention. She continues to get even lovelier, too, until she collapsed on the running track and died of a heart attack And this began something of an epidemic, all the pretty girls dying one by one, and rumors began to spread about how to stay alive. Some girls whisper things, rumors of the darkest proportions, stating that the only way to stay alive was to kill a girl your age on the third Friday of every month. Still, these were only rumors, right?

To note, the three pieces I chose to skip are: Beehive (1991), Headless Sculptures (1995) and Flesh-colored Horror (1994), all worthwhile reading and all terrifying in their own right. In fact, if you're a fan or if you are simply intrigued by the concept, then these, along with Uzumaki, are something I would highly recommend. Its horror at its finest.

Creepy!
And at this price, it's worth it. One or two of the stories are only average, but many of them have that bizarre Japanese approach that leaves me with goosebumps. Recommended for anyone wanting a short, sweet shiver. ... Read more

Book Description

Within these pages you'll find bizarre investigations into haunted trains, Nazi war criminals, vengeful spirits of drowned witches and an imprisoned sewer goddess as well as an all-new short story by Mike Mignola with Catwoman artist Cameron Stewart.Featured creative teams include Miles Gunter and Michael Avon Oeming (Bastard Samurai) along with Mike Mignola; artist Guy Davis and writer Brian Augustyn (Gotham by Gaslight); Geoff Johns & Scott Kolins (The Flash); and Joe Harris (screenwriter of Darkness Falls) and his X-Men collaborator Adam Pollina (Big Daddy Danger). And if that ain't enough we've included a sketchbook featuring all five artists! ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Unique, surreal and disturbing.
This manga further proves just how varied the subject matter of Japanese comics can be. It's horror, there's violent imagery, but the concept behind the goings on is utterly unique. And the sense of doom hovering over the small town where the story takes place is palpable.

I like the abstractness of the threat presented by the spiral. There doesn't appear to be a malevolent consciousness behind the eeire goings on presented. Some characters are victims of the spiral, others use it to their advantage.

Art wise, Uzumaki is great. Distinctly Japanese yet with a character all its own. There is a flair in the design and line work that gives simple scenes a richness. Page composition is also good, letting the actions and reactions determine the size and shape of panels.

There is some pretty startling imagery here (the fate of the one man obsessed with spirals is what drew me in), and I guess it might be too much for some people. I'm in no way a fan of 'gore' just for the sake of gore. Here it is purposeful, and there really is a nightmare quality to a lot of the events that can be pretty fascinating.

The author/artist does a nice job of exploring different applications of the evil spiral concept. It works well in this collection, and the stories complement each other nicely. I don't know if the series can continue to progress in an interesting manner, but this collection is very worthwhile.

There are a lot of manga translations out there now, and many of them end up blending together in terms of look and feel. Titles that have stood out for me before include Mai the Psychic Girl, Area 88, Nausicca, 2001 Nights, Battle Angel Alita, and Parasyte. Uzumaki takes its place among these titles in my mind for its uniqueness of vision, both in look and in concept.

Lovecraft's Japanese Heir
I saw Uzumaki Vol. 1 and 2 in a comic shop here in Perth, Australia, and grabbed them right away. I had read Junji Ito's Tomie Vol. 1 and 2 just weeks before, and I knew I could expect to feel the same spine-tingling thrill from reading this new collection of disturbingly weird and eerie images from Ito's twisted imagination.

Uzumaki is a collection of tales about a small coastal town haunted not by a ghost or a demon but by a shape - one of the most common and natural of shapes, the spiral. The mere idea of a shape exerting its deadly influence on the innocent folks of a small town is positively Lovecraftian in scope, and Ito does not disappoint.

Vol. 1 opens with the tale of a man who collects anything spiral-shaped and then spends hours staring at them, becoming increasingly unhinged as the tale unfolds. Next, in the most disturbing story in Vol. 1, a woman with an acute phobia of anything spiral-shaped shaves her head and snips off her finger-tips in an effort to get rid of all traces of spirals on her body. The panic on her son's face when he realises that an anatomy chart in her doctor's office displays the spiral-shaped inner ear sucked me right into Ito's tale of fear, dread, paranoia and mounting hysteria. The other stories in Vol. 1 are interesting enough to read, i.e. competent but do not quite reach the heights of the first two stories.

Vol. 2 ups the ante by presenting even more disturbing tales. The first story, appropriately entitled "Jack in the Box", has some of the most gruesome images I've ever seen in any medium, involving the disintegrating corpse of a dead boy intent on seeking vengeance from a girl who rejected him while he was still alive. And even if you are tired of vampire stories, "Mosquitoes" and "The Umbilical Cord" will still manage to give you a couple of sleepless nights, make you look at pregnant women and babies differently, and possibly give you a life-long phobia of maternity wards. Ito manages to give the old vampire angle a very frightening twist by linking pregnant women to mosquitoes - biologists would know what I'm talking about.

For any horror fans, I cannot recommend Uzumaki Vol. 2 enough. I hope Vol. 3 comes out soon, I cannot wait to find out what happens to Kirie, the pretty young heroine of the series, and her boyfriend, when the mother of all spirals - a hurricane - strikes their small town.

The ultimate experience in twisted surrealism
Uzumaki comes from the mind of Junji Ito, widely considered today's best Manga horror artist. Ito first burst onto the manga scene in the early 90's with the popularity of his "Tomie" series, about an immortal, regenerating girl whose beauty drives men insane. There have been a bunch of Tomie movies, as well as a Hong Kong adaptation of Uzumaki, widely considered Ito's ultimate creation. To date, 3 volumes of Uzumaki have been published. The first volume is a remarkable feast for the imagination.

Kurozucho is the once-peaceful coastal town where Kiri lives. Kiri and her boyfriend Shuichi have noticed lots of strange things in their town recently, having to do with spirals. Shuichi's dad is dangerously obsessed with spirals of all shapes and sizes. This obsession ultimately leads to his death, as his own body becomes twisted into a spiral form, crushing his bones. At his funeral, the smoke from the crematorium releases his ashes into the sky in the form of a twirling spiral that dumps into the sea. Soon the whole town becomes infested with swirling spiral shapes.

Any plot or summary of Uzumaki will simply not do it justice. The concept as a whole seems simplistic and foolhardy and that's exactly what makes it so genial, that Ito can take such a simple offbeat premise and carry it to unimaginable depths of horror. Twirling hair becomes terrifying, as does a bowl of spaghetti, anything in the shape of a spiral. Uzumaki also explores depravity and people who go absolutely insane whenever they see a spirally shape. One woman, for example goes to ever-increasingly horrifying measures because of her fear of spirals. First, she shaves the hair off her head. Then, in a gruesome scene she cuts off the skin of her fingertips and on and on until total self-mutilation becomes the cause of her death.

This first volume contains 6 chapters, totalling about 200 pages. The chapters are all interconnected with the same similar premise and also with the presence of Kiri and Shuichi, who are both in every chapter. Each chapter however is distinguished by its own little storyline, a sort of twilight zone-ish ode to the bizarre central premise. It reads pretty fast, in about 45 minutes unless of course you choose to carefully absorb Ito's illustrations as I did. Stunning in its imagery, clever in its telling of a story, Uzumaki may well be what what gets me back into reading comics, after years of novel reading. Essential for any fan of horror or the weird in general.

The movie does not compare
If you saw the movie and are now interested in the book. Be prepared for a much better ending. This book is great, including the other 2. You should own them all. Alot more happens in these books then what happens in the movie. And they are alot weirder.

Creepy, Surreal Manga
Uzumaki is one of the few things that I've read lately that really scared me. It's a creepy, well drawn, Japanese comic about a town possesed by the idea of the spiral. It may be a weird idea, but it works, and Junji Ito moves it along by using grotesque images and twisted situations. The main character is mostly there to bring the reader from one bizarre horror to the next, but the comcic is extremely compelling despite that. It's a relativelty gory comic, so if you don't want to see people twisting themselves into spirals then this comic might not be for you. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Garth's Stand-Alones are the Best
I'm not sure why everyone's so disappointed with this collection. I think it ranks right up there with DANGEROUS HABITS, Ennis' first collection. The mutli-part epic Hellblazer stories are always good, but you cannot beat Garth Ennis for small, personal stories, which TAINTED LOVE has in spades.

"Down all the Days" and "Rough Trade" are from issues #68 and #69 and feature the King of the Vampires (first introduced in #50). Forget Buffy for a second, Garth's take on vampires is fantastic and truly original (as fans of PREACHER already know). The King is as great a vampiric character as any ever created.

"Tainted Love" was a short story from VERTIGO JAM #1. A great little horror story from John's past featuring a demonic adversary familiar to Constantine fans.

"Heartland" is from #70, and focuses on Kit's return to Ireland. It's a testament to Garth's writing that a story about the main character's girlfriend is every bit as good as any regular issue. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't read a comic about Spider-Man's wife.

"Finest Hour", from #71, is another all-time favorite story of mine. And again, John is barely in it (only a coincidence, it's not like I don't like him or something). John falls asleep near the grave of a fighter pilot and relives the last few moments of his life.

"Confessional" is from the one-shot HELLBLAZER SPECIAL. It features a teenage John, an insane pederast preacher, and the First of the Fallen, and leads into the story arc "Rake at the Gates of Hell" from #78-83 (never collected, unfortunately).

So yeah, John is drunk and homeless the entire time, there are no big demons or magic tricks, and no cons pulled. But these are still some damn good stories for fans of horror, drama, comedy and...well, just entertainment in general.

This is not Preacher
It is worse. It tries to be Preacher, it tries to be Hellblazer... it is naught. Constantine is one of the coolest and most awful characters ever created. When the torch passed to Delano from Moore, there was no loss. Delano's run was just great very intelligent, and the violence vas never to show off or to be a bad boy, it was used when necessary, as a part of the story. But here we have vomit, urination, gore etc. Things a b movie or gore movie fan might find exciting, but which an intelligent reader finds boring. Yes, not a scandal or rebeliuos, just plain boring. It is a sad fact that Ennis, who wrote the amazing "Dangerous Habits" story, sunk so childishly low.

Sure it's depressing, but...
...but that's the whole point of it. And if you actually read it, instead of just looking for the most Preacheresque or horrific panel, there's a really touching story about the difficulties of fitting personal demons (not necessarily of the hoofed kind) and a sensible love story in the same life. Oh, and reading this book does make any subsequent cocky exploit of mr. Constantine even more exhilarating to read. Really.

Enough angst already
John Constantine, magician and cold hearted *ahem* individual without compare spends a lot of time whining about how hard life is. Whatever... It's still a fairly neat read as it fills in a fiar amount of back story on his life.

The best of "Hellblazer," served in all temperatures.
These stories are a revelation, both into the startling talents of Ennis and Dillon and for pointing the way towards a more emotionally mature mainstream comic industry.

Sure, there's plenty of "Preacher"-style over the top stuff here: If Constantine isn't bleeding, he's vomitting or urinating, often on a humiliated enemy. But we also get emotional depths DC/Vertigo books are all alleged to have, but rarely do.

In particular, the absolute finest "Hellblazer" story ever, "Heartland," doesn't ever feature John in the story directly, but his absence haunts Kit, his ex-girlfriend, as she flees home to Dublin. It's a story that conveys the bittersweet feeling of loving someone not good for you, and making that wise move of staying away from them, even through the pain.

This is smart, funny, touching, scary and, yes, horrific stuff. Absolutely brilliant fiction. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Garth Ennis brings a fresh, in-your-face attitude to the character of John Constantine, a part-time occultist who gets into more trouble than he prevents. If you like sneaky, underhanded deals that often go awry, check out this second collection of comics stories by Ennis. This tale is from the same creative force behind the Preacher series. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Best Ennis Hellblazer collection
John Constantine, the character this series is about, is a man who looks like any other man. Despite of his overconfidence, constant smoking and the trenchcoat he seems to be joined at the hip with. But Constantine practices magic and had words with about every demon in hell. He's an expert and he's cunning to boot, although alcohol seems to be more of his interest. This book collects #62-67 of the series, which isn't a standard "good vs. bad" title but deals with characters who all are somewhere in the middle. Along the way their private lives are not ignored neither.

The cover-story, which runs through 4 of the 6 issues, is about 'The Snob', formerly known as the archangel Gabriel. While John is very much in love with Kit, Gabriel is doubting his faith and the faith people have in him. His associates aren't happy with his behavior because of it and since it all leads back to something John once said, they're decided to make his life hell. Apart from that there are also stories about John trying to talk his niece out of getting into magic and about John's fortieth birthday (in the very first Vertigo Hellblazer issue).

Better than the earlier Ennis Hellblazer collection ("Dangerous Habits"), which wasn't bad either. The strength lies, next to interesting storytelling, in the fact that the story-arcs aren't out of the blue. They seem logical phases in Constantine's life and blend in with his everyday reality. Good and fluent Steve Dillon art in all the issues. Although it's before he realized his art doesn't need sketchy lines in it (as shown in 'Preacher'), it's close to what it is today. One of the best Hellblazer collections so far. Prior knowledge of the title is a pro, not a must.

impact in ten seconds...
Fear and Loathing was the first comicbook I read about John Constantine after I'd decided I'd take up collecting Hellblazer. And afterwards I sat on the sofa not knowing what had hit me. This bundel has such an impact I'd put it on the hazards list of heartpatients. Constantine's character is so human that it is very easy to identify yourself with him. Though I still think Ennis took all the bad things that can happen in life and made them happen to one person to see how long he'd be able to stretch such a persons life. Really great tradepaperback! We need more of these!

Some days in the life of humanity's hellbound protector
I'm surprised that there are no other reviews of this book, so I'll give one. It's actually a very simple chapter in John Constantine's life. It shows everything that Garth Ennis gave him, his humor, his horror, his ability to fight and be fought and to win out in the end. His roguish charm which takes him through so much, is shown not to be able to take him through everything that life throws at him. It is the perfect prelude book for Garth Ennis's run on the title. ... Read more

Book Description

DJs will be mixing up some body-moving grooves, smart drinks will be available at the bar, and we'll be giving up a virgin sacrifice for the blood goddess. An old friend of Spike is in town, and he's getting every teenager in Sunnydale to trip the light fantastic at some very special underground raves. He has a plan that could mean big things for vampires everywhere, and Spike agrees to help him out. Everyone who is anyone is rolling at these after-hour parties, including a whole posse of vampires. Buffy and the Scooby gang are going out and getting down to put an end to what's become a euphoric feeding frenzy for some the baddest baddies in town. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

the art gets a 4, the story a 3, maybe a 2
The art in this book was really good. I didn't like the black and white drawings as much, which is why I don't think the artwork deserves a 5, but the paintings are excellent. The drawings didn't always look much like the characters from the show. For instance, the drawings of Anya hardly ever looked like her. The paintings, though - some of them looked almost looked like photographs, put through photoshop filters or something. Very nice. I found myself wishing that some of the BtVS comics could look that good.

Now, the story. It takes place during one of those bleak times in the series - after Buffy died for the second time, before the musical. Willow and Tara have some rough relationship moments because of Willow's overdependence on magic, and it's this problem that starts the monster troubles in this book. Buffy's still trying to get over the fact that she was torn out of heaven, Dawn is doing her best to become a deliquent, and Spike loves Buffy. Oh yeah, Xander and Anya are having relationship disagreements as well while they plan their wedding. Basically, this book doesn't tell you anything about the series or characters that you don't already know. This wouldn't necessarily be a bad this, if the story had been better. I didn't think the story was all that interesting, and it was only because the book was so short that I managed to get all the way through it at all. I would recommend this book for the art, but the story isn't worth it.

Please write more of these!
This book was put out in a different format. Mostly story line, but a few pictures. I absolutely loved it, and hope more will be coming. So much better than the comics, where there are just a million pictures of monsters, and almost no story. Glad to see Spike taking a more prominent role. Any story with Spike (or Angel) is worth a look, and this is one of the better ones.

Blood, Buffy, and Tears
Buffy is having increasing difficulty adjusting to her return to the living in the sixth season. No matter how hard she tries, she has been unable to reconnect with her life and friends. During her absence, everyone seems to have developed a completely new set of problems. Giles cannot decide if he is leaving. Xander and Anya are engaged, but do not seem very happy about it. Tara is increasingly distressed about Willow's compulsive quest for increased power. Spike is in love with Buffy and not handling it very well. And Dawn, well, Dawn seems intent on becoming a juvenile delinquent. Nobody seems to have much time for Buffy, except maybe Spike, and he has too much time.

Now Dawn has taken up sneaking out at night with her friend Melinda and hanging out at the local rave. This is a tough scene, and the guy Dawn likes best, Skeeter, makes a hobby of drug dealing. This is bad news, since Skeeter is hung up on Velatti the DJ. Velatti has one major flaw, her other night job is drinking blood. The beautiful vampire convinces Skeeter to team up with Parnassus another bloodsucker, with a new drug to sell. This concoction gets its human users high and then turns them into a whole new flavor of vampire intoxicant. Dawn and Melinda, teenagers anxious to be cool are drawn right into the middle of this vampire's version of a meth lab.

While Buffy frets about Dawn, and tries to figure out how to get her life back, Willow discovers an ancient volume called 'The Book of Tears.' Unable to control herself, Dawn delves deeply into the book's spells and somehow unleashes a new horror on Sunnydale. Parnassus suddenly finds himself entranced by the Queen of Tears. In return for a promise of the ultimate high, he begins the process of opening a portal to the Queen's dimension. The main ingredient for this is the sacrifice of a virgin. Enter Dawn, once again.

With the entire Scooby gang dealing with one kind of addiction or another, Spike turns out to be the hero of this piece. He is the only one who realizes that there seems to be a disaster in the making. Unfortunately, no one wants to listen to him until it is nearly too late. By that time, Dawn has vanished and everyone is clueless.

On top of the show, we have Buffy comics, graphic novels, plain novels and now, illustrated novels. One has to admire the determination of the BTVS marketing folks for continually finding something new for Buffy's fans. Brian Horton and Paul Lee have combined forces to provide some excellent color and ink work. This makes up a bit for a novel that reads a bit too much like a comic book. Fassbender and Pascoe are good with snappy dialog, but they lack the skill of someone like Chris Golden when it comes to making an entire novel hang together. Still, it's good reading, but not to die for.

Intriguing Buffy tale...
This is an an intriguing, well written Buffy novella by the soon to be former creative team of the Buffy comic book.

There's a new vamp in town, and he's got a plan to get the ultimate blood high. add to this the undercurrents of subplot from the jsut-finished sxith season of the tv show, and this is an enjoyable quick read. FYI: There is also a sequel to this story: issue #46 of the ongoing Buffy comic series. ... Read more

Book Description

Ji Ye is a Korean art student who comes to Europe to study. Her brushstrokes aren't going as well as she would like, but she’s determined to make it as an artist. One evening her friend brings a drunk man over to crash at her pad. That night she has bad dreams that the drunk is really a blood-sucking vampire. But when she wakes up, she realizes it wasn't a dream! Unafraid, she's suddenly bitten by the creative bug, and starts to paint his portrait. His beauty and alluring preternatural energy lets Ji Ye's artistic juices flow, and the two strike a deal: Ji Ye will allow the vampire to feed on her, and in return he will pose for her. This could be exactly what Ji Ye needs to finally succeed as a painter-- but at what price? ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Kyaaaah! MODEL! *dazed by the beuty*
A modern vampire story with a classic, sensual edge! "Model," having the bold lines and eloquent finish characteristic of good Korean manhwa, met elegance as well as drama with the sexiest vampire to grace the pages of a manhwa. This first volume was a little slow in my opinion, not really hinting at the storyline the rest of the volumes would until the very end. Nonetheless, the gorgeous art was more than enough to compensate for the slow developement. Also the INCREDIBLY HOT GUYS didn't hurt much either! *drool*. . . yummy vampire and son. ^__^

Beautiful!
Oh, I really wanted to review this manhwa first....Anyhoo.... Yeah, I went to go snag this baby the first day it came out at BORDERS! (Ask the people in Oakbrook, they know me there TOO well, ha ha ^^) Okay, I'm a freak for manga/manhwa...So what are you gonna do? This book features very wonderfully drawn artwork. Lee So Young is a very talented manga ka, and every page of this book will get you drooling. Are you people all clear with the concept that this is a manHWA and therefore indicates it is NOT Japanese?! (Excuse me, but I am Korean and we are so sick of people giving the Japanese too much credit for what's ours.) No, I'm NOT racist!! Just....mad!!! ERAAAARGGH!!! *Eclipse is holding Lady Sephiroth down as she prepares to launch Dark Arrow* If you folks haven't read this, you don't know what you're missing!!! *Eclipse lets her go* And check out Demon Diary! It's a scream!! Eclipse is so hot!!! (MINE!!!) Mwahahaha!
READ "MODEL", VERMIN!!!!

Is her art worth dying for?
Desperately seeking bishounen? You might want to check out this series! Lee So-Young has crafted a gothic-style vampire series that is likely to appeal to many of the shoujo audience who enjoy a blend of horror and fantasy with plenty of sexy anime guys appearing on the pages. While the story is not particularly new or fresh, the art treatment is excellent and the overall presentation is bound to attract fans of manga who also like such shows as Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and anime like Night Walker.

Ji Ye is an artist studying Europe when the unexpected happens. She winds up with a drunken vampire in her apartment that drinks her blood. Rather than freaking out at this, Ji's dedication to her pursuit of art makes her decide that the beautiful male vampire is her perfect model for a portrait. The two strike a deal. Ji will allow the vampire to have her blood, if he will allow her to paint him. Of course, Ji's in for a dangerous time of it, the vampire's inscrutable motives for allowing her to live and paint him are puzzling. The complicated characters of the vampire, Michael, and his mysterious servants leave a mystery that is too irresistible for Ji Ye to leave alone. Ji is perhaps the most refreshing character in this story, her obsession and fascination with painting tempered by a stubborn curiosity and a refusal to simply give in to the moody and threatening vampire. I enjoyed the overall story, although at times the plot was a bit too predictable or cliché for my liking.

The artwork shows the true strength of Lee So-Young's craft. She creates rich, textured backgrounds that evoke the mood and themes of this story beautifully. Old castle-like mansions, elegant clothing, and atmospheric touches all pay homage to the traditional vampire stories. The two main male characters featured in this first volume are extreme examples of bishounen art. Both extremely effeminate in appearance-too much for my personal taste-they do convey an air of unworldly beauty and alien motivations; separate from the world of Ji Ye and her peers.

Overall, this series will probably fit best with those readers who like paranormal romances, with overly romanticized vampires. There is little violence or nudity to contend with, but the subject matter and relationships are not necessarily appropriate to younger preteen audiences. A good manga with a decent storyline and creative, stylized art work that melds well with its chosen subject. A definite recommend to the shoujo vampire fan!

Happy reading! ^_^ Shanshad

A great vampire manga.
Jea has graduated and moved to Europe to pursue her dream to become an artist. She's been living there for four years and one day her boy-magnet girlfriend Melissa comes knocking at her door with the most beautiful, drunken young man you could ever see begging her to let him stay the night at her house as he has passed out. She gets totally pissed off at her for leaving him there to go see her boyfriend, especially considering she was flirting with him all night beforehand.

She's unable to sleep that night on behalf of there being a complete stranger in her house and then has a dream of him pinning her to the bed and biting into her neck. She wakes to believe it was all a dream and when she steps out of bed to go get a glass of water, already feeling paranoid enough as it is, steps on his arm outstratched from underneath her bed to realize he actually had bitten her, and after stepping on his arm he gets up on her bed and bites her neck again still drunken all this time.

After waking up from having passed out she finds herself inspired and begining to sketch him...until he wakes up and detests it! He blows his top about her having undressed his upper have for the purpose of the sketch. He's mad that a mear mortal dared to touch his body.(*cough Narcissist.*cough, damn those allergies!)

She goes on to tell him that she considered them even for him haven drank her blood, and not having realized he had drank her blood from being intoxicated, he throws up. Although realizing her blood isn't "Tainted", he admits to liking her "Type" of blood and they strike a deal. "Quid Pro Quo", he poses as her model in return for her blood and the story begins.

I'm still reading through this first book of it that I got earlier today, but I find it to have quite beautiful artwork and a very interesting story so far. If you like vampires (*cough He's hot too.*cough) as much as I do, you should definitly buy this first book. If you do I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! ... Read more