Bone Parish, Vol. 1

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for my open and honest review.

I loved this story. Mafia meets magic. The story begins with a man in the street under the influence of a necromantic drug that allows you to see or live the life of the dead body the drug is made out of. The drugs are created with different purposes, so the family needs different bodies with a different background to make them. The story is dark and gloomy, albeit a typical story arc. Family with a heart of gold has a tragedy, strikes revenge, sniffs the charred remains of their enemies as they are driven before them, and tacos. Just kidding, no tacos.

This is a winner of a book, good story, great art, interesting and inventive take on mafia families. Check it out.

I'm not going to lie, I picked this up because there was a lot of contention about this graphic novel going around Twitter. Any time that a story has such a polarizing effect on its readers, I need to read it. Plus, I can't deny that the premise of this dark little story intrigued me. It's hard not to be taken in by the idea of a highly potent drug made from the remains of the dead, especially if that designer drug starts to become a currency on its own. I just knew this was going to be a graphic novel I would enjoy, and I was right.

First off, kudos where kudos are due, the artwork in this is absolutely stunning. Dark, gritty, and full of atmosphere, it perfectly matches with the story that unfolds on these pages. As the Winter family fell deeper into the pit that this drug trade was digging for them, I felt like the art kept pace perfectly. Fair warning friends, there are some fairly graphic panels in this book. If you're not a fan of death and dismemberment, you might want to take a pass.

In terms of story, I thought Cullen Bunn did an admirable job of introducing us to this new designer drug and its creators. The storyline was a little jumbled at points, but I still felt like I had a pretty firm hold on the picture at large. I'm kind of an addict for stories like these, where the best laid plans go awry and unforseen consequences abound. Seeing what people do when they're down on the mat is fascinating, and Cullen Bunn definitely doesn't skimp in that department. People are hurt in this book, and some of them even deserve it.

Long story short, I liked this! I'm ready for more.