As a big fan of graphic novels, I’m always telling myself I need to read more outside the Marvel universe. There’s so much weird and wonderful stuff out there, and Lenore: The Time War is the perfect reminder of that. When I got the chance to dive into Roman Dirge’s undead world, I thought why not?

This was my first Lenore adventure, and I was hooked right away. The humour is exactly my style: a mix of dark comedy and completely bonkers silliness. You’ve got killer pickle hats, time-travelling goats, and even an immortal bug god thrown into the chaos. It’s outrageous, it’s bizarre, and it had me laughing throughout.

For anyone new to the series, Lenore is an undead Victorian girl with a love for cats, a wicked wit, and a cast of equally strange companions: Ragamuffin (a vampire soul trapped in a doll), Pooty (a bucket-headed demon), and Taxidermy (an immortal beetle-headed protector of children). Together, they’re caught up in a madcap journey through history after accidentally eating three Time Goats, which ,of course, results in a future goat army coming back for revenge.

Roman Dirge’s imagination is flying off the page. The story jumps from dinosaurs to Ancient Egypt to the far-flung future, with a gag rate that never lets up. The artwork matches the humour perfectly, it is sharp, twisted, and endlessly playful, something that matches me to a tee.

What I loved most, though, was how easy it was to jump in as a new reader. Even without knowing Lenore’s past misadventures, I felt right at home with her morbid charm and the sheer ridiculousness of the story.

If you’re looking for something different and something that blends gothic weirdness with anarchic comedy then Lenore: The Time War is a must-read. It’s a gleefully unhinged ride that proves why Roman Dirge is still one of the most unique voices in comics.

​This was so disgusting but in the best way. It takes a lot to creep me out and really disgust me but Towse really nailed it here. There’s something about really old people in a horror setting that really disturbs me and this book certainly didn’t help with that haha. 

The descriptions in here will get under your skin and make you audibly gag. The story within gave me major ‘The Vessel’ vibes when I finished it too which I appreciated. A retirement home with a sinister secret and a young boy thrown into the mix. I didn’t know if I was going to enjoy this when I started as I did DNF his collection of short stories but this is why I always give authors 2nd & 3rd chances.

Listen to the Bloody Good Reads interview with Mark Towse below:
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https://www.buzzsprout.com/1154732/10555488-bloody-good-reads-chapter-47-mark-towse

A man picks up an old TV and becomes plagued with the sound of static. Hawke does an incredible job of opening a window for the reader into the mind of someone losing it, being brought closer and closer to homicidal madness. 

This is a quick read, with pages of really neat art interwoven. I think this really hit for me because I’m particularly fascinated and terrified at how the human mind can crack under pressure. Somehow, in only 100 pages, Hawke manages to fit and impressive amount of character development. I found myself hating the MC and then rooting for him at the end. Definitely has peaked my interest in this author.

I worked at a summer sleepover camp for a couple years as a teen and the vibes of FIVE brought me right back to those years only with creepier vibes! Overall I enjoyed this read though personally I found it to be long and wordy.

If you’re looking for a scary ghost story with an emotional back story then FIVE definitely fits the bill. I appreciated the depth in the characters Sullivan wrote and how character was loveable in their own way. I think just for me personally, it was missing something to keep me fully engaged in the story.

Steve’s mind is really such a treasure. The more I read by him the more impressed I am. I’m a big fan of his novellas in general and this is no exception. I love that he keeps you guessing, even when you get to the end. Absolutely fascinated by this idea of a ‘Window in the Ground’ that separates one realm from another.

For some reason this vaguely reminded me of ‘Mister B Gone’ by Barker but in the other direction. A human soul, sprung into the underworld to serve an unclear purpose. The whole time you’re begging the young boy to leave well enough alone while simultaneously sitting on the edge of your seat to know what the fuck is going on with this Window. My 5th read for Canadian Indie Horror Month and what a home run!

​My 4th read for Canadian Indie Horror Month and another great book. I technically started with the last book as I wasn’t 100% sure where to start and Steve Stred told me they aren’t written in succession anyways. I was concerned I might of made a mistake starting with this book but I still enjoyed it very much. I think once I read the other books I’ll likely have more context but it didn’t feel like I was missing anything as I read OLD MAN RIDER.

First of all, a vengeful vigilante hunting down and torturing and killing pedophiles might be my favourite ever horror theme. Secondly, I’m so into Beau’s writing style. This was a lot of fun and I cannot wait to go back and read the previous books. A perfect amount of plot and extreme moments, fast paced and thrilling. My first read by Beau and certainly not my last, shocked it’s taken me this long to pick him up. 

My 3rd read for Canadian Indie Horror Month and it was definitely a fun ride. In all honesty, I expected more gore/Splatterpunk elements and for that reason lost a couple stars for me personally. HOWEVER, the story telling here was really great. I found myself quite invested in some of the main characters and their unique stories. 

Also, as a Woomie, the return of Angel and Shyla was fantastic. I love the way Ralston gave us a little more of their story and how it was interwoven into the general Gross Out story. Overall, a fun and enjoyable read! You really can’t go wrong with Ralston.

Generally the “coming of age” trope in horror isn’t my favourite but this was definitely an exception to that rule. The 80’s teen summer theme was giving major ‘Derry’ vibes but make it a small Ontario town. 

This was my first read for Canadian Indie Horror Month and what a way to start the month. McGregor’s prose is really unmatched. There’s something so comforting about it maybe because I exist in a general state of melancholy, similarly to the overall tone of both Wasps & Lure. This was really such a beautiful read. I found the writing to be captivating and honestly felt like I was in a movie watching it all transpire. If you haven’t checked out McGregor yet, I’m not quite sure what you’re waiting for. 

​First of all… I need this to be made into a movie IMMEDIATELY. This was probably the most unnerving thing I’ve read all year. The atmosphere in this was top notch. From the old creepy woman, to the setting, the creature, the real life villains, it checked every box.

As a mother this book took me for a rollercoaster of emotions and kept my anxiety on 100 for the entirety of it. The ending was show-stopping honestly. I thought I knew where Kurtz was going with this and was SHOCKED when I got hit with the twist at the end. It was everything I wanted without even knowing it. 

If you’re thinking of reading this book just do it. You will not regret it. It gave me The Shining, Burnt Offering Vibes but with a modern twist. Cannot say enough good things. READ. THIS. BOOK.

​This started off really strong for me, the first 5 short stories really floored me. Particularly DON’T PLAY IN THE CLOSET by David Worn, SON OF YOKOZURO by Caleb Stephens and CRICKETS by Solomon Forse stood out to me the most. Each of these short stories were incredibly unique with themes I’ve not read before. I was completely engrossed in each story and the emotion within each was compelling in such short story telling. 

Mid way through, some of the short stories didn’t really capture me and unfortunately did not find some very memorable. However near the end again, this picked up steam once more. FLESHIES by Thea Maeve, AGAINST THE FLATS by Jennifer L Collins, and SYSTEMIC INFECTION by Michelle Tang were the other stand outs for me. Overall, I think there’s something in this collection for everyone and definitely worth checking out. A wide variety of themes with quite the range of story telling!