Tomie

Starred review from January 30, 2017
J horror, a catch-all phrase for the distinctly Japanese flavor of scary narratives, is a genre rife with flesh-crawling eeriness, visceral body horror, and ambiguous motivations. American horror comics can seem simplistic and inarticulate in intent and execution by comparison, and they’re entirely overshadowed by this masterpiece by one of J horror’s greats. The title character is a sexually voracious succubus who appears as an appealing high school–age girl. She is repeatedly and horribly murdered, only to soon return and wreak havoc on those who did her wrong. Impossible to describe without spoiling its many surprises, this volume is a cornucopia of stark terror with a creep factor that is barely contained by its meaty 700-plus pages. Ito’s (Uzumaki) simple, clean linework roots its scares firmly in everyday reality and then plunges the reader into a writhing hellscape. For those not familiar with J horror, this is a splendid introduction.