It is not news that some of the worst serial killers in history didn’t look like murderers. In fact, many were handsome. Some were neighbors. Many had kids and families and were pillars in their neighborhoods. In Bastard, Jin seems like a normal teenager, but his dark side is deadly.
The series is written by Carnby Kim and illustrated by Youngchan Hwang, the same team behind the disturbing Sweet Home. The pair continues to deliver top-notch creepiness with every moody panel. With good pacing and plenty of quiet areas of just unsettling visuals, the webcomic does exactly what it sets out to do—make you look over your shoulder even in your own house. A shadow here, blood splatter there, and you are likely to feel a little disturbed.
The muted, gray tones of the art work well, much like they do in the creative team’s other works, and even brighter panels are still shrouded in darkness. As for the characters, you know Jin is a murderer from the start, but the people surrounding him aren’t much better. Bullies and neglect surround him, and while not an excuse for bludgeoning people to death, it does help you better understand his loneliness and despair.
To read Bastard in its entirety on Webtoons, click here.
