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hellocookie's review against another edition
5.0
A brilliant array of creators, each with their own chilling tale to get under your skin and give you goosebumps with.
lurieta's review against another edition
4.0
This was a beautifully creepy collection of horror comics. Some of the stories were more engaging than others, but the variety of the artwork and the each story articulated body horror, monstrosity and the fear of being human was excellent.
ula_j's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful and creepy stories that will stick with you. Each story managed to create a wide variety of emotional resonance through the art.
ecallahan's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
goinghost's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.25
Each creator in this anthology is a master of creating visual horror and tension. The composition of every comic combined with the impeccable uses of color swept me away. Beautiful art and a perfect use of comics as a storytelling medium
jbeoin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
CONTENT NOTE: Blood, body horror, abuse, vomit, gore, graphic violence, murder, child abuse, invasive thought reading, violent institutional ableism, murder of disabled youth, clergy, Catholicism, death, guns
Full review, including excerpts, artist links, and more, at Issue #8 of More Comics Please!
Shades of Fear Horror Anthology started life as a Kickstarter project and blossomed into a gorgeous 179 page compilation of perfectly creepy, beautifully illustrated comics from ten different artists.
What Worked for Me:
✦ The artwork in this is just stunning! The comics in here truly felt luxurious-- the artists reveled in color and textures, brush strokes and line work throughout the pages, and it feels like a feast for the eyes every time I read this beautiful collection.
✦ I loved seeing multiple kinds of disabled people in here! I think disabled horror isn't something explored enough in mainstream media (I'm not referring to when disability is used AS the horror but instead when disabled people are the storytellers and main characters), and I don't think it's any coincidence that Ashanti Fortson's story was one of the ones in particular that sent chills up my spine with its ableism-centric horror. Drawing upon real life is such a strong way to tell the story, and Fortson's inclusion of racial dynamics and Catholicism make it all the more of a gut punch.
✦ That's something I noticed with a lot of these stories-- a grounding in the horrors of real life that seep into the pages and bring all the discomfort that the real life inspiration does. I enjoyed the ways these creators explored these ideas in their work and really sat with the discomfort of each.
✦ I've noticed that with short comics-- and other short stories in general-- there's more of a tendency to leave an open ending than a firm conclusion to the story, and I think that was very effective in most of these stories. They invite your mind to the realms of "what if" and bring the imagination closer to home than is quite comfortable.
✦ While there were ten different artists-- and their own styles-- who contributed comics to the book, all ten had great lettering and legibility, which was very much appreciated.
✦ Several of the artists played around with the panel layouts, which I always enjoy, and it was so fun to see the different ways each artist approached their piece. Some went with a lineless panel style while others used more traditional layouts, and interestingly, all but one used line art in their comics.
✦ The types of stories were also an interesting mix; they ranged from exploring the cycle of abuse, isolation, the alarm that can come from how intensely you love someone and what you're willing to sacrifice for them, ableism, ritual cult sacrifice, the horror of having your innermost thoughts exposed, and more!
✦ As the title alludes to, there is such a rich color array in this book. Even the ones that chose a more muted color palette are still full of depth and flavor, making the artwork pop off of the page and burrow into your mind.
✦ I love the diversity of the characters in this book, too. It's always refreshing to get comics that aren't all about white, thin, non-disabled, and cishet characters, and this wider array of people and experiences make the book all the more interesting to read. This is also enhanced by the styles of art each creator used for their story, giving each story its own characteristics and feel, and I just love that!
✦ I also want to make sure to mention here, too, the gorgeous illustrations by Amber Huff and Maya McKibbin who illustrated the interior standalone illustrations and the cover illustration respectively. Simply divine! I love all the details in both, especially the colors and composition in Huff's three illustrations and the textures and design in McKibbin's cover art. So exquisite!
What Didn't Work for Me:
✦ While I found a few of the stories truly spine-chilling, a few of them didn't necessarily feel like horror to me. They were a bit odd or gross (in an intended and satisfying way), but they didn't frighten me. They were still good stories, to be clear! I also have begun to suspect that comics don't tend to scare me in the same way as other storytelling forms do, such as oral storytelling or movies, so it could just be me lol
✦ A couple of the comics didn't really clarify for me what was going on in the story. Most of them, I understand clearly, but I wish a couple of the others had been able to provide more context as to what was going on so I could understand it a little better.
Overall
I give Shades of Fear Horror Anthology 4.5 out of 5 speech bubbles: This gorgeous collection of short horror comics is a wonderful read, filled with a wide range of comic styles and fears explored.
How to Read It
Interested in checking it out for yourself? Here are a few ways you can get your hands on a copy!
Radiator Comics
Rat Incantati
Balustrade Press
Read This Next
If you liked this, check out Artie and the Wolf Moon, Power & Magic: The Queer Witch Comics Anthology, or Young Men in Love: A Queer Romance Anthology!
If you enjoyed this review, I have a monthly comic review series called More Comics Please! on my website with interior page excerpts and additional information not shared here on Storygraph. You can sign up to receive them in your inbox by subscribing to my newsletter Into the Bramble.
Full review, including excerpts, artist links, and more, at Issue #8 of More Comics Please!
Shades of Fear Horror Anthology started life as a Kickstarter project and blossomed into a gorgeous 179 page compilation of perfectly creepy, beautifully illustrated comics from ten different artists.
What Worked for Me:
✦ The artwork in this is just stunning! The comics in here truly felt luxurious-- the artists reveled in color and textures, brush strokes and line work throughout the pages, and it feels like a feast for the eyes every time I read this beautiful collection.
✦ I loved seeing multiple kinds of disabled people in here! I think disabled horror isn't something explored enough in mainstream media (I'm not referring to when disability is used AS the horror but instead when disabled people are the storytellers and main characters), and I don't think it's any coincidence that Ashanti Fortson's story was one of the ones in particular that sent chills up my spine with its ableism-centric horror. Drawing upon real life is such a strong way to tell the story, and Fortson's inclusion of racial dynamics and Catholicism make it all the more of a gut punch.
✦ That's something I noticed with a lot of these stories-- a grounding in the horrors of real life that seep into the pages and bring all the discomfort that the real life inspiration does. I enjoyed the ways these creators explored these ideas in their work and really sat with the discomfort of each.
✦ I've noticed that with short comics-- and other short stories in general-- there's more of a tendency to leave an open ending than a firm conclusion to the story, and I think that was very effective in most of these stories. They invite your mind to the realms of "what if" and bring the imagination closer to home than is quite comfortable.
✦ While there were ten different artists-- and their own styles-- who contributed comics to the book, all ten had great lettering and legibility, which was very much appreciated.
✦ Several of the artists played around with the panel layouts, which I always enjoy, and it was so fun to see the different ways each artist approached their piece. Some went with a lineless panel style while others used more traditional layouts, and interestingly, all but one used line art in their comics.
✦ The types of stories were also an interesting mix; they ranged from exploring the cycle of abuse, isolation, the alarm that can come from how intensely you love someone and what you're willing to sacrifice for them, ableism, ritual cult sacrifice, the horror of having your innermost thoughts exposed, and more!
✦ As the title alludes to, there is such a rich color array in this book. Even the ones that chose a more muted color palette are still full of depth and flavor, making the artwork pop off of the page and burrow into your mind.
✦ I love the diversity of the characters in this book, too. It's always refreshing to get comics that aren't all about white, thin, non-disabled, and cishet characters, and this wider array of people and experiences make the book all the more interesting to read. This is also enhanced by the styles of art each creator used for their story, giving each story its own characteristics and feel, and I just love that!
✦ I also want to make sure to mention here, too, the gorgeous illustrations by Amber Huff and Maya McKibbin who illustrated the interior standalone illustrations and the cover illustration respectively. Simply divine! I love all the details in both, especially the colors and composition in Huff's three illustrations and the textures and design in McKibbin's cover art. So exquisite!
What Didn't Work for Me:
✦ While I found a few of the stories truly spine-chilling, a few of them didn't necessarily feel like horror to me. They were a bit odd or gross (in an intended and satisfying way), but they didn't frighten me. They were still good stories, to be clear! I also have begun to suspect that comics don't tend to scare me in the same way as other storytelling forms do, such as oral storytelling or movies, so it could just be me lol
✦ A couple of the comics didn't really clarify for me what was going on in the story. Most of them, I understand clearly, but I wish a couple of the others had been able to provide more context as to what was going on so I could understand it a little better.
Overall
I give Shades of Fear Horror Anthology 4.5 out of 5 speech bubbles: This gorgeous collection of short horror comics is a wonderful read, filled with a wide range of comic styles and fears explored.
How to Read It
Interested in checking it out for yourself? Here are a few ways you can get your hands on a copy!
Radiator Comics
Rat Incantati
Balustrade Press
Read This Next
If you liked this, check out Artie and the Wolf Moon, Power & Magic: The Queer Witch Comics Anthology, or Young Men in Love: A Queer Romance Anthology!
If you enjoyed this review, I have a monthly comic review series called More Comics Please! on my website with interior page excerpts and additional information not shared here on Storygraph. You can sign up to receive them in your inbox by subscribing to my newsletter Into the Bramble.
orphiq's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
fletchergross's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
sockfood1's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
julieuh's review
5.0
this was a perfect final read of the year - while not all of the comics were hits, this anthology is a knock-out overall, filled to the brim with gorgeous art, vibrant colors, and really effective horror. my favorites, in order of appearance, were the comics by Jade Zhang, Molly Mendoza, Mar Julia, Olivia Stephens, Ashanti Fortson, and Shannon Wright with color flats by Kyree Saintilus.