It’s a common enough joke that we’ve heard it in a bunch of movies and series (television or streaming), but this was a new way for me to get hooked. Apparently, an FBI agent is barred from resignation or retirement if there is a threat to national security.
So begins the mystery of No Man’s Land.
Set in 1963, FBI Agent Collins – on the day he decided to deliver his resignation letter – is called by the director to assist in solving a strange case. The body of a woman is found in the middle of an ice bridge that connects the USA and Russia (the Diomede Islands); no clear jurisdiction has been established. The bridge lasts for about three months of the year, and Agent Collins is suddenly forced to solve a murder mystery. Can he and KGB agent Fiodrow work together to tie up loose ends? The clock is ticking. Not just because the ice bridge will soon melt, but also from the tense and fragile relationship between two nuclear superpowers.
This is an excellent, almost noir-y kind of book and it’s just the first one! The illustrations are lifelike and gritty with minimal color and a smart use of inkblots, perhaps to evoke bureaucratic paperwork or blood stains (or both). The writing lives in the dramatic close ups of the eyes and faces of the characters, evocative and emotional. The images as a whole are very painterly with many opportunities for dramatic lighting and sunbursts. The author/illustrator even put in some cover variations that pay homage to many famous movie posters, so that was a fun bonus at the end of the read.
Like a lot of thrillers, the story is dense, but I feel that’s warranted by the narrative. The reader can do their best to follow along and sort out the facts in a way that makes sense, or just keep reading forward with anticipation to see what comes next.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and I hear there’s a movie deal in the works. This is not a book for young children, certainly. Though there is nothing particularly graphic depicted in this installment of the series, there are a few corpses and war and violence continue in the background.
Folks who enjoy True Detective, the Fargo series, and The Terror will likely enjoy this as well.
No Man’s Land By Szymon Kudranski Image, 2025 ISBN: 9781534333604
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Polish, Character Representation: Russian,
A murderous cowboy, monstrous bugs, characters and places that may or may not exist—all this and more waits within the pages of this strange and unsettling anthology collection.
Created by Dustin Weaver and with the additional talents of Jeremy Barlow and D.J. Bryant, The Juniper Lodge collects 5 stories from Weaver’s anthology series PAKLIS, also released by Image Comics. Though tonally similar, each episode stands entirely on its own, making this a perfectly viable entry point for any reader not familiar with Weaver’s work.
Though “the Juniper Lodge” story sits at the heart of the collection, the first entry brings readers back to the wild west, where a gun demands sacrifice and a man facing execution finds that his hopes of salvation may come drenched in blood. Each new narrative delivers a surreal mix of body horror and monsters alongside mystery, fractured realities, and unraveling psychological uncertainty among characters struggling to separate the real from the fantastic. The stories embrace their own ambiguity, leaving a great deal unresolved by each finale and stranding the reader amidst the grotesqueries of each new world. With all three writers taking the lead at various points, some stories offer shades of Kafka while others play out with more noir tones. There are flashes of superhero lore, and visual elements of scifi and cyberpunk woven throughout. But even with all the strangeness unfolding across each page, the core themes remain close to characters in crisis, each reckoning with a world that is not what they once believed it to be.
While the writing rotates hands, Weaver creates the visuals across each new chapter. The realism of the art shifts between stories, with some more polished and others feeling more textured on the page. Further capturing the tone of the volume, Weaver plays with color palates and perspectives to sometimes change and sometimes distort the reader’s experience. One scene may appear normal; a few panels later, we’re confronted with bulging eyes, twisting hallways, a floating grin that lingers where a stranger once crouched. Weaver’s art establishes the familiar and then breaks it, luring the reader into the horrors. The volume also ends with some bonus content, exploring the comics industry and what it takes to make the leap from big superhero titles to a book like this, providing insights into Weaver’s artistic journey.
Image gives The Juniper Lodge a Mature rating. There’s violence and death, graphic nudity, sexual content, and horror imagery aplenty over the course of the five stories, so this one is more suited for adults. This collection offers a fascinating trip through a series of vivid worlds and distinct characters. As is sometimes the case with anthology comics, the pieces of Juniper Lodge may feel undeveloped, leaving readers searching for a coherent whole. The stories do not resolve neatly, and some feel cluttered with too many moving pieces and big ideas to follow as effectively as I would have liked for myself. But for any reader who wants the blend of science fiction, mystery, and horror wrapped up in nightmare landscapes where nothing is certain, The Juniper Lodge will provide a memorable ride. It will likely have the most appeal to readers who have enjoyed Prince’s Ice Cream Man or Walsh’s The Silver Coin—and possibly some of Junji Ito’s shorter works alongside.
In the end, The Juniper Lodge was a bit too abstract for my tastes, but no one can accuse the volume of being boring. For the right reader, I expect these five stories could be exactly the sort of portal they’re looking for.
The Juniper Lodge By Dustin Weaver, Jeremy Barlow, and D.J. Bryant Art by Dustin Weaver Image, 2026 ISBN: 9781534331020
Note: This is a review of the ARC, which is 200 pages long and not the complete manuscript.
What should have been a normal trip to the local flea market for Tâm and her older brother Dennis becomes the start of a deadly mystery when Tâm helps a desperate girl, Hoa Bin, in a car. That chance encounter embroils Tâm and Dennis in a matter of life or death – as if navigating life as teenagers wasn’t difficult enough…
Nirvana is Here, drawn by Mikael Ross and translated from German by Nika Beauchamp,is a modern take on the classic thriller offset by a coming-of-age story. In a scene that echoes Stand by Me, Tâm and her schoolmate Alex follow clues that lead to the discovery of a severed finger and, ultimately, self-discovery. Though intriguing, the mystery and danger are the framework in which the character-driven story is realized. Nirvana is Here touches on universal themes such as family, young love, and growing up as well as immigration and LGTBQ issues, which not everyone experiences personally but can become more familiar through the nuance of stories like this.
Despite the social issues it addresses, Nirvana is Here is never preachy. The characters are the core of the story, and Ross never loses sight of that. If there is a critique of Nirvana is Here, it is that the reader may wish for some of the side characters to be more developed: some are shown to be more than the tropes they embody and are interesting enough that readers may want to learn more, while others are one-dimensional. In particular, there is a subplot between Alex and an old woman named Jutta that will hopefully be reconciled in the final edition.
Ross’ art is perfect for the tone of his story. Rendered in black and white, Ross uses loose, almost-cartoony lines and features for the characters, a style that can convey humor in one panel and then urgency and seriousness in the next. The fluid style of the characters is offset by the detailed and sometimes gritty backdrop of urban Berlin. Nirvana is Here is the ideal graphic novel in which the contrasting art techniques between characters and environments successfully works with the various themes of the narrative. Everything works.
The publisher’s age rating for Nirvana is Here is adult, but the story will resonate with older teens as well. There is violence, and the stakes are high for the siblings and Hoa Bin, and, due to the ARC only a portion of the story, how our characters ultimately fare is still up in the air. However, the story in the ARC rings of hope and a celebration of self and the people around you. Ultimately, it’s worth it for librarians and parents to check out Nirvana is Here to see if and how it will fit into their collections.
Charlotte Bissett seems to be a pretty average middle school girl in the quaint town of Devilfish Bay. She lives with her internet chef father, Raymond, and her loyal canine companion, Vincent. She is a bookworm and devours any book put in front of her.
However, the cracks in her personal life slowly make themselves clear. Charlotte’s mother had gone missing in the recent past on a boating trip and her father is attempting to move on and begin to date again. On top of this, Charlotte doesn’t appear to have any friends, yet when two kids from her past, Molly and Griffin, move back to town it soon becomes clear why Charlotte is so guarded in her social life. Molly used to be Charlotte’s ride-or-die bestfriend, and yet after Molly moved away the girls had a falling out. Molly wants nothing more than to have a fresh start, but Charlotte is resistant and does her best to avoid Molly. Eventually, Charlotte reveals that the reason she is upset with Molly is because when Charlotte told Molly that a sea creature was responsible for her mother’s disappearance, Charlotte didn’t believe her. It is in that atmosphere of uncertainty and pre-teen angst that Charlotte, taking refuge in her safe place, the school library, is combing the shelves when a book falls off the shelf next to her. The book appears to be bound in green, improperly prepared leather of some kind, the pieces of rotted looking material stitched together in phantasmagoric fashion reminiscent of the Necronomicon from the Evil Dead franchise. The title of the book is “Liber de Monstrum” and true to that name appears to be a grimoire of supernatural information. Taking it home, Charlotte reads from the book, very carefully sounding out the words in an unknown language and upon uttering the last word the windows of her room blow open, the electricity goes out in the area around her house and in the morning Devilfish Bay experiences the first snowfall in fifty years.
On top of these strange occurrences, that day it’s announced that one of Charlotte’s favorite teachers, Mr Cooper, has gone missing and an enigmatic woman with platinum blond hair, who doesn’t appear to be who or what she seems, takes over the class in the interim. Clearly, Charlotte has awoken something or some things from their slumber, and it’s up to her to try and fight these unknown forces. The question is whether her recently returned friends will believe her this time and offer her their help, because it is clear Charlotte cannot fight these monsters alone.
The Girl Who Loves Monsters follows spectacularly in the “kids on bikes” tradition, creating a very real and present danger in a small community and presenting the kids willing to stand up to that danger when the rest of the community can’t see it or believe in it. Charlotte, Molly, and Griffin make a compelling trio bound by their history, common interests, friendships, and burgeoning teenage emotions. In this first volume in the Devilfish Bay series, writer Insha Fitzpatrick sets the scene brilliantly for future adventures and the various mundane trials and tribulations that will also stand in the main characters’ way as they attempt to combat the enigmatic evil that has come forth from the Liber de Monstrum.
The art by Ashley Robin Franklin creates a beautiful balance between the soft, cartoonish style that sets a relaxed tone to the everyday world of the story with the sharp, phantasmagoric elements that truly evoke the horror and supernatural elements. From the first page to the last, The Girl Who Loves Monsters is a compelling read that deals with very relatable parts of adolescence, such as being taken seriously by those around you, mixed with the eerie supernatural elements that could only take place in a small town somewhat set apart from the wider world.
The Girl Who Loved Monsters By Insha Fitzpatrick Art by Ashley Franklin Penguin Random House Viking Books for Young Readers, 2026 ISBN: 9780593690901
Company Age Rating: 8-12
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11) Creator Representation: African-American, Queer, Character Representation: African-American,
There is a city, divided by civil war. The name of the city is unimportant, as is the name of the country. It could be any city or nation, at any time. It may be the past. It may be the future. It could be right now.
Regardless, in this city, there is a quiet drama student named Nadia. Her mother was a great stage actress. Her father was a playwright and director, whose book on how to capture the essence of a character and become someone else is still used by theatre teachers all over the world. They were both active in politics, until an attack by the Opposition killed her father and horribly burned her mother.
Nadia has not thought much about this, beyond navigating the checkpoints and random violence in her hometown. Instead, she has focused on her studies and her crush on a fellow actor. However, after her performance in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, she is approached by man with The Party. A man who knew her father, who has an opportunity for her to serve the cause with her unique talents.
It seems that Nadia looks a lot like a waitress named Miriam, who lives in the part of the city controlled by the Opposition. Miriam is something of a recluse, with no friends or family. She is only of interest to the Party because an Opposition leader named O’Brien spends several hours a day at her café. The Party will take care of making Mariam disappear and, for seven days, Nadia will take her place. She will place a bug that will record O’Brien’s conversations. She will then hide it in a trash can on the way to work the next morning.
Nadia is assured it will be an easy mission. She is assured that there is no real risk to her. She agrees it will be the ultimate test of her talents. However, things suddenly change, requiring an alteration to the plan. And suddenly the only thing Nadia is certain of is that this mission will be far from easy…
The Shadower is unlike any espionage thriller I’ve ever read. Indeed, I’m not sure it can properly be called an espionage thriller, despite that being the main thrust of the story. The actual plot, however, is a Kafkaesque psychodrama built around issues of identity. The ambiguity of the setting reflects this, as it is uncertain precisely when or where the story takes place. It is reminiscent of 1984 in that respect. (Indeed, the villain using the alias O’Brien is an in-universe shout out to the story, as he ironically chose his alias in reference to Orwell.)
The artwork by Marie and Peter Hoey flows along with the script. The overall style reminds me of various Daniel Clowes works. The general vibe is more surreal, with a bit of body horror as Nadia gets more and more in tune with her role. The colors are muted, adding to the dull and drab feeling of the mundane world. Even the moments of excitement are rendered with a certain sense of ennui that suits the story.
Top Shelf Productions voluntarily rated The Shadower as a book for Mature Readers. I think that’s a fair assessment, though there is little in the way of offensive content. There is no sex, as such, and only a brief bit of bared buttock as Nadia gets dressed in the morning. There is a threat of violence, but little of it takes place on the page. The consequences are shown, but the actual scenes of violence are left up to the imagination. However, there is one tense scene involving a traitor who is executed by the Opposition in the street and their body is left to rot on the sidewalk. I think the Mature Readers rating is appropriate, however, given that younger audiences may not be able to appreciate the historical significance of the story or the existential horror that is the core of the book.
The Shadower By Maria Hoey, Peter Hoey Top Shelf, 2026 ISBN: 9781603095853
Amy spends most of her time absorbed in mystery novels. Severe social anxiety makes it hard for her to connect to her middle school classmates. She’s working on it with a therapist, but so far Amy is still too nervous to try talking to her peers or raising her hand in class. And that’s before she freezes up during her science presentation and runs to hide in the bathroom.
The next day, Amy is so embarrassed and nervous, she tries extra hard to avoid talking to anyone. So naturally, she’s flustered when her classmate Reagan unexpectedly hands her a birthday party invitation. Amy doesn’t know Reagan well, and she’s terrified that she could embarrass herself in front of everyone, or even ruin the party. But on the other hand, this could be a chance to actually connect with some classmates. And it’s a murder mystery party! Can mystery lover Amy really pass that up?
At the party, Amy discovers that when she’s caught up in the mystery game—and in playing her in-game character, a scientist named Millie—her social anxiety fades away. After all, Millie wouldn’t be nervous about speaking up and being noticed. As she and the other kids interact both as their characters and as themselves, Amy starts to feel more comfortable. Reagan and her friends seem really nice. But the murder mystery game grows tenser, suspicion begins to fall on Millie, and Amy’s anxiety rises again. Can she solve the mystery? How will her new friends react if she freezes up?
This book uses the fun scenario of a murder mystery game – plus a group of sympathetic peers – to help anxious Amy come out of her shell. We follow Amy closely, seeing her thoughts and fears: the panicky physical sensations that accompany her social anxiety, her worries about being judged by other kids, and the ways she strategizes to avoid stressful situations. We even see some of the techniques her therapist teaches her to help her calm herself. By the time she gets the party invitation, her social anxiety is well-established, as is her love of mystery novels, inviting the reader to root for Amy to let her passion lead her rather than her fear.
The mystery game sees Amy, Reagan, and three other kids playing adults in a Clue-style manor, trying to determine which of them committed a murder. All the kids are enthusiastic and seem goodhearted, and they have some fun silly moments that make them feel like real kids, like when they break from the game for snacks and compete over who can stuff more pizza bites in their mouth. This works especially well when Amy eventually tells the others that she has social anxiety. They are supportive without being unrealistically mature: they offer sympathy and understanding, but then—like real kids—they quickly jump topics, from anxiety to eczema to poison oak, leaving Amy to marvel that her freeze-up didn’t ruin the party at all.
The visuals effectively illustrate Amy’s headspace. When she starts getting anxious, the background and other characters go from full color to grayscale. This keeps the focus on Amy and her thought bubbles, making it clear that she is stuck in her head and feels removed from the world around her. When Amy and the other kids at the party are immersed in the mystery game, they are drawn as their characters, who are adults but look enough like their real selves to be recognizable. Reagan’s house becomes an elaborate manor, with lavish settings like a library and formal dining room. Throughout, the characters are soft and cartoony, the colors rich. The book is divided into ten chapters, with each one marked by a page patterned like fancy wallpaper.
This is a sympathetic and optimistic story of Amy learning that social anxiety doesn’t have to make her miss out on life. Hand it to fans of realistic fiction and gentle mysteries.
Millie of the Manor By Karina Evans Art by Andrea Bell Harper Collins Harper Alley, 2025 ISBN: 9780063282483
Company Age Rating: 8-12
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13)
She can transform into practically any disguise, teleport herself anywhere in an instant, and even turn enemies into swine—all through casting spells by speaking words backwards. In this alternate standalone story of the mystic DC universe superheroine Zatanna, Mariko Tamaki (This One Summer, Skim) and Javier Rodríguez (Batgirl: Year One, Daredevil) bring a new spin on the sorceress supreme in Zatanna: Bring down the House.
This alternate story begins with a spotlight on Zatanna as a young teenager attempting to perform a classic cups and balls trick. Through sleight of hand and manipulation, she manages to make the balls vanish, but fails to bring them back, prompting jeers from a nasty bully who taunts her relentlessly. Fast forward to the present day, and Zatanna appears on stage in Las Vegas conjuring forth a series of illusions. One evening, she spies a mysterious stalker in the audience who has been attending her show consecutively for a week. This stranger identifies herself only as “Stranger.” Meanwhile, back at her apartment, Zatanna runs into another green-haired girl with bunny ears. Who are these characters and why are they appearing at every turn? As the mystery deepens, all roads lead to her late father Zatara.
Reminiscent of scenes spiraling forth from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Tamaki and Rodríguez conjure up a tale of magic and mystery ensconced in a dream-like world. While Zatanna is bereft of all supernatural powers (she continually asserts, “I do tricks, not magic”), fantastical occurrences unfold spontaneously: In the middle of one act, a monstrous demon upends the theater stage; a swarm of rabbits pops up in her apartment; even the cynical wisecracking conjuring magician John Constantine pays her a visit at a diner. Fragmented memories of her domineering father haunt her dreams, which lie at the heart of these deep-rooted mysteries. A noir-like, gothic quality mixed with surrealism and vibrant psychedelics permeate flashback sequences and liminal spaces, strategically rendered through quarter to full-page panels. Rodríguez’s artistic flair blends beautifully into plot, revealing glimpses into Zatanna’s childhood as she wrestles with demons from the past and reactivates her supernatural powers. An added bonus in the back matter features variant cover designs and a handful of character sketches to round things out in this self-contained story.
Quirky characters and a darker version of Zatanna’s father cloaked in mystery and shadows punctuated by flashbacks of Zatanna’s adolescence as a foster child add layers of complexity that expand the mythos of this longstanding mystic of magic, supplementing adult graphic novel collections with a unique foray into the supernatural.
Zatanna Bring down the House By Mariko Tamaki Art by Javier Rodríguez DC Black Label, 2025 ISBN: 9781799500803
Company Age Rating: 17+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Japanese-Canadian,
Gruesome. Dramatic. Utterly wild. And just the beginning. I need more.
James Tynion IV is among the most exciting writers working in comics today. For Exquisite Corpses from Image Comics, he partners with Michael Walsh along with other artists and writers to deliver the first volume in a blood soaked battle royale conducted by the thirteen richest families in America who wield unchecked power from the shadows. To keep the peace between their factions, every five years these families select champions and unleash them within an unsuspecting small town on Halloween night. The last killer standing will claim a reward and another five years of unquestioned power for the family who sponsored them. The other killers will be dead. As for the town—well, it doesn’t look promising. This time, the killers have landed in Oak Valley.
Tynion has already built a reputation for layered, unflinching horror. What helps set his work apart is the thematic depth and character development that emerges amidst the carnage and action and intriguing stories he continues to build. As quickly as the body count starts to rise at the hands of mercenaries and flashy murders alike—we also meet the inhabitants of Oak Valley. A young couple. A young boy and his mother. A gas station attendant. Two EMTs unaware of the horrors that await them in the night. Tynion and the other writers (including Walsh and the acclaimed Pornsak Pichetshote), build a tapestry of character on all sides—townsfolk, ruling families, and the killers themselves. Even among the families and the killers, the story doesn’t shape the characters with only broad strokes. We get glimpses into rivalries, old resentments, and heartfelt loyalty among the shadowy rulers. Among the killers themselves—some are out for blood alone, but others have more complex reasons for stepping onto the killing floor. No side is entirely villainous. No side is only sympathetic. Some of these folks are larger than life while others are just trying to get by. It is these few, the desperate and the hopeful, that take the story beyond an action set-piece and into something that is crafted with flair—but also perhaps more relevant to today than some of us might care to notice.
Walsh’s art also maintains a gritty feel across each issue, blending shadowed realism with flashes of vibrant color. Along with Marianna Ignazzi and Valentine De Landro, the creative team build a small town that feels lived in and real, tucked in some quiet corner of the northeast where—unfortunately for them—help will likely not be arriving in time. This stylized realism balances well with the neons and blood spatter that explode across the page, especially in the presence of the eccentric killers. The visuals create a world of real places and people, telling story through costumes and expressions as much as the written narrative. Visually, the book is a delight—and as the chaos begins to unfurl, this unsuspecting town is only just starting to take notice.
Exquisite Corpses earns a solid mature rating with somewhat graphic violence and some language. It’s a story aimed at adults, though not out of reach of older teens who can handle the content. My only notable complaint about the book is that, at 3 issues, it was over far too quickly. There’s plenty more story to come, and this volume would sit happily in any collection with a focus on horror and crime-thrillers. Fans of titles like The Hunger Games, Battle Royale, and Alice in Borderland as well as Tynion’s other horror titles are sure to find plenty to enjoy within these pages. I highly recommend this one for anyone willing to take a step into the dark, and I look forward to the next installment.
Exquisite Corpses Vol. 01 By James Tynion IV Art by Michael Walsh Image, 2025 ISBN: 9781534331044
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Canadian, Gay, Character Representation: Black, Gay,
Jason Platt is an experienced illustrator who has written previous graphic novels. His humor and light touch show up in this mystery that includes multiple references to the classics of detective history.
Purrlock, a short yellow cat with a white collar and blue tie, is hungry. Marlowe, his partner, is a tall brown dog with a white belly and a calmer foil in Purrlock’s wilder moments – like when he accuses his arch-nemesis, Meowiearty, of stealing all their food! Their argument is postponed when they set off for the grilled cheese festival, but when it turns out all the grilled cheese has been stolen, it’s time to investigate!
Accompanied by Purrlock’s grumbling stomach, they interview suspects including, at Purrlock’s insistence, the rich and snobbish tiger Meowiearty. Finally, they gather all their suspects together for a dramatic confrontation and the true culprit is revealed! Readers who pay close attention to the clues will be able to solve the mystery alongside the two detectives and maybe they’ll even enjoy ending the story with a tasty grilled cheese sandwich – or at least skimming the homage to classic mysteries Platt includes at the end.
Platt’s cartoon style is distinctive, but not so much that he doesn’t adapt it to each new book. He pairs sharp angles with elongated caricatures of faces and lots of fast-moving action. Purrlock and Marlowe are contrasts not only in personality but also in image, with Purrlock drawn as two round balls and Marlowe a rectangular head on a long, oval body. Marlowe is constantly rolling his eyes and looking exasperated at Purrlock’s hunger-fueled obsession with Meowiearty, who is humorously portrayed as tiger in a luxurious purple suit and monocle (a true sign of evil!). His annoyed sniffs at the pair show that he’s not necessarily a nice feline, but also (probably) not truly a villain – and certainly not the sandwich thief. Purrlock’s revelation of his past sporting career marks him as not the brightest sardine in the can, but he’s definitely enthusiastic, bouncing along at Marlowe’s side and always ready with new ideas, whether it’s about suspects or what to have for dinner.
Platt has a knack of creating titles that fit perfectly into the “if you liked that popular series, you’ll like this” mold with his previous series, Middle School Misadventures being a great read-alike for Diary of a Wimpy Kid and this latest series a great choice for Investigators fans. There are, unfortunately, very few characters coded as female, which is disappointing – there are at least a few female sleuths in the classic detective genre. On the positive side, there’s a subtle message about not making assumptions and thinking critically. Overall, this is a light, funny read that elementary age readers will enjoy.
Paw & Order Vol. 1: The Grilled Cheese Caper By Jason Platt NBM Papercutz, 2025 ISBN: 9781545819944
Many young people know what they want to do with their lives from the very beginning. Ema Asano is one such person. Most of her classmates are focused on fashion and dating. But Ema cannot be bothered with such things. She dreams of following in the footsteps of her parents, who were both police officers before their deaths defending their community. Until such time as she can become a real cop, Ema roams the streets of Tokyo as a vigilante.
Ema’s diligence leads her into the bad part of town one night after her older sister, Yuko, goes missing. To her horror, she discovers that Yuko was lured there by one of her co-workers, Tamaki, who is a vampire in need of a meal. Ema is ready to call the authorities, but is stopped by another of Yuko’s co-workers, Taiga, who also a werewolf.
That encounter marks the night when Ema’s vigil becomes something else entirely. For there are monsters in the shadows besides vampires and werewolves. And Tamaki and Taiga, despite nominally being on opposite sides of an eternal war, find they have more in common with each other than their own kind. Thus forms an unusual team, as the trio work to put down those monsters who cannot control their urges to kill.
On the surface, there is little to distinguish Outsiders from other urban fantasy series. Indeed, creator Akira Kanou freely admits to having been inspired by the Twilight Saga. And there certainly are innumerable horror series built around the idea of a rivalry between werewolves and vampires. Despite this, Outsiders puts enough unique spins on its mythology to mark it as unique. It also boasts some twisted artwork with a far lighter and sketchier style than one would associate with a horror shojo.
Outsiders defies expectations in other ways as well. Usually, a novel of this sort would inevitably feature a love triangle between the teen heroine and the two dashing older men who barely look older than her. There is no such romance in Outsiders. While Ema does show some casual interest in wondering what dating a vampire or a werewolf would be like, her feelings are not reciprocated by Tamaki or Taiga. In fact, most of the romance in this first volume involves subtle hints of a growing attraction between the vampire and werewolf. All these twists help to make Outsiders into something unique that may appeal to fans of the genre looking for something different.
Outsiders Vol. 1 is rated 12+ by Titan Manga. I consider that to be a fair grade for the content. There is a fair bit of violence and bloodshed, but nothing inappropriate to a T-rated Manga. As noted, there is no sexual content or nudity. Indeed, there is barely any hit of romance and most of that confined to meaningful glances between the two male leads that the heroine presumes mean something more. The closest any of the characters come to impropriety is Tamaki undressing and dressing an unconscious Ema in clean clothes after her own clothing is torn while trying to save her sister. Even then, he is a perfect gentleman, and explains he only did this because he couldn’t well let Ema (who is immune to his hypnosis powers for some reason) run off into the night in a bedraggled state.
Outsiders Vol. 1 By Akira Kanou Titan, 2025 ISBN: 9781787745711
Company Age Rating: 12+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Japanese, Character Representation: Japanese,
A murderous cowboy, monstrous bugs, characters and places that may or may not exist—all this and more waits within the pages of this strange and unsettling anthology collection.
Note: This is a review of the ARC, which is 200 pages long and not the complete manuscript.
Devilfish Bay. She lives with her internet chef father, Raymond, and her loyal canine companion, Vincent. She is a bookworm and devours any book put in front of her. 
any time. It may be the past. It may be the future. It could be right now.
classmates. She’s working on it with a therapist, but so far Amy is still too nervous to try talking to her peers or raising her hand in class. And that’s before she freezes up during her science presentation and runs to hide in the bathroom.
Jason Platt is an experienced illustrator who has written previous graphic novels. His humor and light touch show up in this mystery that includes multiple references to the classics of detective history.
classmates are focused on fashion and dating. But Ema cannot be bothered with such things. She dreams of following in the footsteps of her parents, who were both police officers before their deaths defending their community. Until such time as she can become a real cop, Ema roams the streets of Tokyo as a vigilante.
