Graphic Novel Review – Bites of Terror by Jimmy Reed, Liz Reed (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Middle Grade and Older
Genre: Horror/Humor/Graphic Novel
Length: 144 pages
Publisher: Quirk Books
Release Date: March 24, 2020
ISBN-13: 978-1683691648
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Copy from Publisher fro Review
Rating: 4/5 stars
“The Cake Creeper cordially invites you to a delicious and diabolical feast . . . where he’ll serve you a slice of tasty terror. Enter the world of Bites of Terror, a gleefully macabre anthology of cautionary tales. Meet an ice-cream cone who regrets a wish granted by a sinister salesman, a quarantined strawberry trying to escape a deathly mold outbreak, and a widowed watermelon dying to regrow her husband from a seed. In the tradition of Tales from the Crypt and other classic horror comics, Bites of Terror presents a tasty combination of horror and humor that reflects the human condition.”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book that I got from Quirk Books to review.
Story (4/5): This is a series of short stories done in graphic novel format. The stories are loosely connected, with intermissions between them to further tie everything together. This is done in a very “Taled of the Crypt” style but with baked goods and food as the focus. The whole thing is more campy and puny than creepy and had me laughing out loud a number of times. Both me and my 13 year old son enjoyed the complete silliness of the torment these baked goods go through!
Characters (4/5): I wouldn’t say that deep characterization is a strength of this book. However, I enjoyed the Cake Creeper and the birthday cupcake that he tells his creepy stories to. All the characters are fun and well done.
Setting (4/5): Each story is in a new setting. Most of the stories are set in a contemporary setting where food and baked goods are amphomorphic. The stories are told from a creepy old mansion. The settings were generally enjoyable but not the focus.
Writing/Drawing Style (5/5): I enjoyed the campy writing style and all the groan-worthy food puns throughout. The art style throughout it fantastic; all the sets were built and photographed…so this isn’t so much drawn as collaged. The whole thing is incredibly well put together though and really well done.
Summary (4/5): Overall me and my family really enjoyed this. It’s incredibly weird but also very darkly humorous. The book is put together beautifully and I loved the art in the panels. I would recommend it if you enjoy campy horror involving food…or if you just want something a bit weird and funny to sink your teeth into. I would recommend to kids pre-teen or older, younger kids who are more sensitive might find some of this creepy.
