Vwa ha ha! Welcome, fools, to Beat’s Bizarre Halloventure. Every week this October, three villainous writers will recommend their favorite spooky books and series from Japan, Korea and elsewhere. This week we have another mysterious mansion, even more witches, and, of course, chainsaws.
In the House of the Damned
Writer/Artist: JINAN
Translation: yw740030
Editor: Sally
QA/QC: Sue Hong Min
Graphic QA: Amelie Ko
Platform: Tappytoon (Mature)
As Albert’s father lies on his deathbed, clutching his son’s hand, he asks him for one thing and one thing only: to kill the master of the Valdez mansion and avenge his death. Now, Albert is dead set on fulfilling that promise. He has heard so many rumors about this master: that he is a hideous monster, afflicted by a contagious disease that melted his face away. But on his first day as a new hire at the mansion, when he ambushes the master in bed, he discovers something much more unexpected.
In the House of the Damned is JINAN’s first commercial vertical scroll comic. A short series with 15 chapters, it is uncensored and aimed at mature readers. You know what that means—it’s spooky and horny.
Almost all my recent reviews, like MADK and The Gay Who Turned Kaiju, have been about works with the theme “queer as monster.” Even as someone who usually stays clear of horror, I’m excited that manga and manhwa publishers and platforms are picking up more of these titles! So long as they do, I will proudly continue to represent The Scaredy Cat Club in these dire times (the month of October.)
In the House of the Damned caught my attention with its vivid reds and greens, creepy atmosphere, beautiful chapter covers, and tangible suspense that puts you under its spell, or in this case, curse. It’s hard in the opening chapters to put your finger on just what it is so unsettling about this mansion and its workers. Albert is further confused by the fact that everyone working for the master is devoted to him, even though they have never seen the man himself. Is there something sinister lurking beneath it all? Or was Albert brainwashed by his father’s intense hatred? How is he to uncover the truth when he himself is blinded by the master?
I have only read four chapters, though I have a few guesses about how things may unfold. Still, I wanted to recommend this series because not only is it short and soon will be completed, but it also drops you into the thick of things. You’re immediately surrounded by atmosphere and left to piece together JINAN’s hints, resulting in a quick and gripping read. What’s better than a reclusive, hideous monster that turns out to be the most beautiful man alive, and an obedient son that strays from the right path and finds himself insatiably lusting after him, as an allegory of repressed homosexual desire in a violently homophobic world? — Merve Giray
Orange Crows
Writer: James Perry II
Artist: Ryo Kawakami
Lettering: Lucas Rivera
Cover Design: Louis Csontos
Editors: Lillian Diaz-Pryzbyl and Hope Donovan
Publisher: Tokyopop
Released back in Tokyopop’s early days when it was publishing original works, Orange Crows holds up well all these years later. Set in a world of eccentric warlocks, witches and possessed hats, James Perry II and Ryo Kawakami‘s series reminds me (in a good way) of Soul Eater, D.Gray-man and Zombiepowder.
The story follows Cierra, a forsaken witch. Five years ago she was exiled from her community after a terrible accident scarred her permanently and took the life—perhaps—of her closest friend. But one thing leads to another, and Cierra finds herself suddenly pulled from exile and drafted into the Orange Crows, a super-team of witches and warlocks who protect the city that once shunned her.
Throughout these riveting six chapters that make up the first volume, the reader meets the team, unravels the tragedy that brought Cierra down, and explores the rich world that they inhabit. There is a healthy amount of mystery to sink your teeth into as well as incredible action.
That all may sound like a lot, but Perry II sets a nice pace. I found myself engrossed in every detail and scene; a few times I even found myself uttering the word “fascinating” out loud. Kawakami’s art likewise really does justice to this story. It’s dynamic, atmospheric, and easy to follow, with wicked character designs. The scene where a young Cierra stands in a gravestone where the tombstones are held aloft by tree branches is sooooo cool.
Unfortunately, Tokyopop only ever released one volume, and this is an ongoing story. Thankfully Perry II was able to successfully Kickstart volumes two and three. I’ve seen pictures of volume two, not of volume three, but I know in some way they are out there. Still, there’s no way that I can find to get my hands on them. Which is a shame; in a just world this series would be successful and have 12 volumes. That’s how much I enjoyed this.
The first volume is still in print, though, and I implore you to get a copy. I wish I had read it sooner. — Derrick Crow
Chainsaw Man
Writer/Artist: Tatsuki Fujimoto
Translation: Amanda Haley
Touch-Up Art and Lettering: Sabrina Heep
Design: Julian JR Robinson
Editor: Alexis Kirsch
Publisher: VIZ
Chainsaw Man began its run in 2018 as an off-kilter horror comic about a boy named Denji who becomes a chainsaw monster to survive because he wants to one day touch a woman’s breasts. Then it grew into Shonen Jump’s greatest cult success of the past few years. That’s not to say it’s the magazine’s top title; One Piece, Demon Slayer and even Jujutsu Kaisen are more popular. But all the up-and-coming manga artists want to draw comics like Chainsaw Man artist Tatsuki Fujimoto. In fact, several of Fujimoto’s former assistants (like Tatsuya Endo and Yukinobu Tatsu) now have best-selling manga series of their own.
So what’s Fujimoto’s special ingredient? Well, he has a flair for memorable images, like Denji riding a monster shark through a typhoon as he fights a living bomb. His characters inhabit a restrictive and spiteful world, where they are more likely to die unceremoniously than find happiness while they live. No other series in Jump right now is better at capturing just how unfair it feels to be a teenager or young adult and be alive today.
Fujimoto’s greatest strength, though, is his ability to come up with absurd metaphors that nevertheless perfectly describe reality. What if growing old was like turning into a tree and living for so long that you forgot you were a human? Could you love somebody enough to turn them into boxed lunches and then eat all the boxed lunches? Does understanding the cosmos really mean that you will only be able to think about Halloween until you die? This is especially relevant the week of Halloween of course.
After the 11th volume of the series wrapped up the initial Public Safety arc, Fujimoto moved onto the ongoing Academy arc. It’s a downgrade from the start in some respects; the art is much worse, the recurring characters aren’t as likeable, and Fujimoto struggles at first to find a place for Denji in his new story. But Asa, the heroine of the Academy arc, is such a fun character to follow that it makes up for it. Nobody else drawing boy’s action comics is as good at coming up with terrible people you can’t help but relate to. — Adam Wescott
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