There are two universal truths in today’s rapidly changing comics industry. The first is that Junji Ito is the defining artist of our era. The second is that more people are reading horror manga and Webtoons (aka vertical scroll comics) than ever before. Therefore we at Comics Beat have chosen to embark on a new venture: Beat’s Bizarre Halloventure. Every week through October, three writers will recommend some of their favorite scary books and series from Japan, Korea and elsewhere. This installment features such terrifying topics as: the ocean! The 1920 American Prohibition era! Zombie capitalism!

Children of the Sea cover. Two young boys and a girl float in green water surrounded by fish.

Children of the Sea

Writer/Artist: Daisuke Igarashi
Translation: JN Productions
Lettering: Jose Macasocal
Publisher: VIZ

Daisuke Igarashi is one of the more interesting manga creators out there right now, telling haunting experiential stories through his unique watercolor-y pencil style. Stories that are meant to leave you with feelings to work through rather than answers that wrap everything up in a nice little bow. There is no better example than Children of the Sea, Igarashi’s five volume epic that is more about the adventure than the destination.

The story follows Ruki as she meets two siblings, kids around her own age raised by the sea. Something mysterious is happening to them and the fish of the world’s oceans. It is up to Ruki to figure out what. When I first read this series, what first struck me was the incredible cinematic feel to Igarashi’s panel layouts. The book felt like a movie before it was ever an actual movie. There’s a sense of pacing to it that is both exciting yet also slow and deliberate, breathing in the world and letting the characters and the atmosphere take over the story.

Anything Igarashi puts out is worth hunting down, but Children of the Sea is something special. I do remember that I was underwhelmed by the ending when I first finished it. While I haven’t fully shaken that off, sitting with my thoughts and feelings helped me to understand that Igarashi wanted to give the readers an unknowable experience that moves you and lets you wrestle with what it all meant in the end. I think that’s wonderful.

I implore you to read this book. No one does it like this guy. — Derrick Crow

drunk bullet cover. a man wearing glasses points his gun at the reader. he holds a sword at the ready in his other hand.

Drunk Bullet

Writer/Artist: Takauchi Yanagi
Translation: Ella Barton
Lettering: Rafael Zalats
Editing: MediBang Inc.
Platform: MANGA Plus

Drunk Bullet, a manga series by Takauchi Yanagi, launched on Shonen Jump+ in June 2024. Set in the turbulent aftermath of World War I, it follows the journey of Gary, a booze-loving ex-soldier who returns to the United States only to find himself amidst the chaos of prohibition. Combining action, humor, and an unusual historical context, this fast-paced series has already carved out its own niche in the manga world.

The story kicks off with Gary’s discovery of a sobering reality—America has banned alcohol. As he searches for a way to quench his thirst, fate introduces him to Paul and Delphine, siblings who run a restaurant secretly serving alcohol to regular customers. Their quiet life is shattered when a liquor-seeking gang shows up, forcing Delphine to negotiate. This incident sets Gary and Paul on the run, with a bounty on their heads and a cross-country adventure ahead. Along the way, they visit different locations, sampling the best local drinks, all while dodging danger and chasing their next glass of booze.

Drunk Bullet cleverly mixes its historical backdrop with ridiculous but lovable characters, making it more than just an action-packed romp. The Prohibition era setting adds intrigue as well as a deeper context beyond the brawls and banter. Drunk Bullet’s focus on alcoholic beverages plays out like an adventurous tasting tour through 1920s America. Cameos by real drinks like Molson’s Canadian beer add a fun touch.

Drunk Bullet’s blend of action and humor feels familiar yet fresh, drawing comparisons to classics like Gintama with its fast-paced silliness and impressive fight scenes. Gary is equal parts Vash the Stampede (from Trigun) and a lost soul obsessed with booze, while Mona, the foulmouthed getaway driver, gives off strong Cowboy Bebop Faye Valentine vibes. Yanagi’s art is another highlight—exquisite detail is given to every scene, especially the drinks, making them look tantalizingly real. The characters’ quirks and the engaging storyline have me eager to see how they handle the dangers of 1920s Chicago and beyond. — Ilgın Side Soysal

the cover to tokyo zombie. behind two small figures wearing shirts and long pants is a huge green screaming zombie face with yellow eyes. at the bottom of the cover page are the words "adults only."

Tokyo Zombie

Writer/Artist: Yusaku Hanakuma
Translation: Ryan Sands
Lettering and Retouch: Evan Hayden
Editing: Ryan Sand and Colin Turner
Publisher: Last Gasp

There isn’t a zombie story quite like Tokyo Zombie by Yusaku Hanakuma. There’s certainly weirder ones, definitely gorier ones, and maybe funnier ones. But Hanakuma combines all three to make Tokyo Zombie one of the wildest and silliest horror comics ever made.

Describing the plot of the manga does it no justice. Outside of Tokyo is a massive garbage pile called Dark Fuji, where everyone dumps everything from trash to industrial waste to (of course) bodies living and dead. From this vile combination, the dead rise from the dump to plague Tokyo. Factory workers and amateur jiu jitsu fighters, Fujio and Mitsuo, try to fight their way out of the city. Then Mitsuo is bitten on a snack run.

What follows goes absolutely nowhere one expects for a zombie story after the grim seriousness of The Walking Dead. There’s still the social commentary of survivors creating a new world out of this strange new paradigm. In Tokyo Zombie, however, those in power force the lower classes to do menial labor like laundry as well as powering their generators. Since there is no tv, culture or jacuzzis, the only entertainment is zombie fights. Slaves, ex-wrestlers and amateur fighters battle zombies in animal masks who also happen to be ex-fighters. It’s all ridiculous.

Hanakuma creates a world in Tokyo Zombie where any weird idea that he can think of naturally fits. His visual style, which he refers to as heta uma (translated as “bad, but good”), lends itself to the gross visuals, comedy, and even the fight sequences. There’s the nasty violence one expects from a zombie story but since it’s a comic, limbs, and heads get comically ripped off. Since Hanakuma is a fighter himself, the fights throughout the book have a technical accuracy but are also thrilling visually. It also helps, thanks to the translation by Ryan Sands, this book is laugh out loud funny. Every page has a gag or line that makes you bust out laughing.

Amongst all of the weirdness and violence is some stark social commentary. Poor folks had it rough even before the zombie apocalypse. After that, things became even worse. even before the zombie apocalypse have it rough and after, it gets even worse. As bizarre as their exploitation can be in this book (human powered generators, folks), the outlandishness feels real, especially after the last four years post-pandemic. Tokyo Zombie may be a weird and funny comic loaded with over-the-top violence and sex. But it is also a horror story with some real bite to it. — D. Morris


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