In today’s ever-changing comics industry, there are two universal truths. First and foremost, Junji Ito is an iconic artist of our time. The second is that more people are reading horror comics and online comics (also known as vertical comics) than ever before. Therefore, we at Comics Beat chose to embark on a new adventure: Beat’s Bizarre Halloween Adventure. Each week in October, three authors will recommend some of their favorite horror books and series from Japan, Korea, and elsewhere. This issue’s themes include the following scary topics: The Ocean! 1920, the era of Prohibition in the United States! Zombie capitalism!
son of the sea
Writer/Artist: Daisuke Igarashi
translate: JN Production Company
Engraving: Jose Macasocal
Publisher: Visualization area
Daisuke Igarashi One of the funniest comics creators working today, he tells the stories of unforgettable experiences through his unique watercolor pencil style. The purpose of a story is to give you feelings that need to be addressed, not answers to everything wrapped up in a pretty little bow. There is no better example than this son of the seaIgarashi’s five-volume epic is more about adventure than destination.
The story follows Luci as she meets two siblings, two children of her own age who grew up by the sea. Something mysterious is happening to them and to the fish in the world’s oceans. It’s up to Ruki to figure it out. When I first read this series, the first thing that struck me was the incredibly cinematic feel of Igarashi’s panel layouts. The book feels like a movie before it becomes an actual movie. It has a sense of pace that’s both exciting and slow and deliberate, settling into the world and letting the characters and atmosphere lead the story.
Anything Igarashi comes up with is worth hunting down, but son of the sea It’s something special. I do remember being overwhelmed by the ending when I first finished it. While I’m not completely over it yet, sitting down with my thoughts and feelings helped me understand Igarashi’s desire to give the reader an unknowable experience that moves you and leaves you struggling to understand what it all ultimately means. I think that’s great.
I implore you to read this book. No one likes this guy. — Derek Crow
drunken bullet
Writer/Artist: Gao Neiliu
translate: Ella Barton
Engraving: Raphael Zarac
edit: MediBang Company
platform: Comics Plus
drunken bulletcomic series Gao Neiliuintroduced in Shonen Jump+ The story takes place in June 2024. middle. Combining action, humor and an unusual historical setting, this fast-paced series has carved out a niche for itself in the comics world.
The story begins with Gary discovering a sobering reality – alcohol has been banned in the United States. As he searches for a way to quench his thirst, fate introduces him to Paul and Delphine, a brother and sister who run a restaurant and secretly serve alcohol to their regulars. Their peaceful life is shattered when a booze-hunting gang shows up, forcing Delphine to negotiate. The incident sends Gary and Paul on the run, with a bounty on their heads and a cross-country adventure looming. Along the way, they visit different locations and sample the best local drinks while dodging danger and chasing their next drink.
drunken bullet The clever blend of historical setting and ridiculous but lovable characters makes it more than just an action-packed romp. The Prohibition-era setting adds intrigue, and a deeper context beyond the bickering and banter. drunken bulletThe focus on alcoholic beverages is like an adventurous tasting tour through 1920s America. Cameos of real drinks like Molson’s Canadian beer add to the fun.
drunken bulletThe blend of action and humor makes it feel familiar yet fresh, in contrast to e.g. Gintama for its fast-paced silliness and impressive fight scenes. Gary is the equivalent of Vash the Stampede (from three shots) and a lost soul obsessed with alcohol, while foul-mouthed getaway driver Mona exudes a strong presence cowboy bebop Faye Valentine atmosphere. Yoo’s art is another highlight – each scene is given exquisite detail, especially the drinks, making them look incredibly authentic. The characters’ quirks and engaging storyline have me eager to see how they deal with the dangers of 1920s Chicago and beyond. — Ilkin Side Soybeans
tokyo zombies
Writer/Artist: Yusaku Hanakuma
translate: Ryan Sands
Lettering and decoration: Evan Hayden
edit: Ryan Sander and Colin Turner
Publisher: last breath
There’s no zombie story like this tokyo zombies go through Yusaku Hanakuma. There are certainly weirder ones, certainly gorier ones, and maybe even funnier ones. But Hanakuma combines all three tokyo zombies One of the craziest, stupidest horror comics ever created.
It wouldn’t be fair to describe the plot of the manga. There’s a giant garbage dump outside of Tokyo called “Dark Fuji,” where everyone dumps everything from trash to industrial waste to (of course) dead and alive corpses. In this unholy union, the dead rise from the dump to haunt Tokyo. Factory workers and amateur Jiu-Jitsu players Fujio and Mitsuo try to escape the city. Then Mitsuo was bitten while running.
After experiencing the severity of The Walking Dead , what comes next is definitely not a zombie story. There are still survivors creating a new world of social commentary from this strange new paradigm. exist tokyo zombiesHowever, those in power forced the lower classes to do menial labor such as washing clothes and powering generators. With no television, culture or jacuzzis, the only entertainment is zombie fights. Slaves, ex-wrestlers, and amateur fighters fight zombies wearing animal masks, who also happen to be ex-fighters. It’s all ridiculous.
Hanakuma created a world tokyo zombies Any weird idea he could come up with was a natural fit. His visual style, which he calls heta uma (translated as “bad but good”), lends itself to raunchy visuals, comedy, and even fight scenes. People expect nasty violence in a zombie story, but since this is a comic, limbs and heads are comically ripped off. Since Hanakuma is a fighter in his own right, the fights throughout the book are not only technically accurate, but also visually exciting. This also helps, thanks for the translation Ryan Sandsthis book is truly laugh out loud. Every page has a joke or line to make you laugh.
Amid all the weirdness and violence, there’s some blatant social commentary. Poor people had it tough before the zombie apocalypse. After that, things got worse. Even before the zombie apocalypse, things were about to get worse. While their utilization may be weird in this book (human dynamo, guys), the weirdness feels real, especially after the last four years post-pandemic. tokyo zombies Might be a weird and fun comic filled with over-the-top violence and sex. But it’s also a horror story with a sense of reality. — D.Morris
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