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A review by daviddavidkatzman
Only Skin by Sean Ford
4.0
An odd, creepy graphic novel. I read several individual issues of this series before the collected edition came out but because it is an indie book, the issues came out irregularly making it easy to miss one. And when books come from a small press or self-published author, sometimes the author/publisher misses a store or only distributes a handful that sell-out quickly. I’m glad I picked up the full collection because I had missed a few issues, and the story made much more sense with all the pieces together.
The story itself has a Hitchcock vibe. Suspenseful horror-lite. Odd relationships, with decidedly adult complexity, are interwoven with a story about people disappearing mysteriously from a small town. Fingers are found chopped off. Puddles of blood. A forest that you definitely shouldn’t enter plays a key role. And some banal ghosts--looking like Casper, which actually makes them a bit creepier.
The illustrations are black and white and more raw than refined. But they suit the story well.
I enjoyed the dialogue, the relationships, and the political and philosophical issues touched upon. Unfortunately the mystery plot itself had numerous holes and was farfetched. Even so, I enjoyed the atmosphere of the book more than the plot. It comes recommended with reservations. Call it 3.5 stars.
Oh, and I really have no idea what the title “Only Skin” or the subtitle “New Tales of the Slow Apocalypse” have to do with the story. But they are peculiar, which at least suits it.
The story itself has a Hitchcock vibe. Suspenseful horror-lite. Odd relationships, with decidedly adult complexity, are interwoven with a story about people disappearing mysteriously from a small town. Fingers are found chopped off. Puddles of blood. A forest that you definitely shouldn’t enter plays a key role. And some banal ghosts--looking like Casper, which actually makes them a bit creepier.
The illustrations are black and white and more raw than refined. But they suit the story well.
I enjoyed the dialogue, the relationships, and the political and philosophical issues touched upon. Unfortunately the mystery plot itself had numerous holes and was farfetched. Even so, I enjoyed the atmosphere of the book more than the plot. It comes recommended with reservations. Call it 3.5 stars.
Oh, and I really have no idea what the title “Only Skin” or the subtitle “New Tales of the Slow Apocalypse” have to do with the story. But they are peculiar, which at least suits it.
