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cyrenasea's review against another edition
5.0
This was a creepy read that took unexpected turns. Loved it!
djali84's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
sisteray's review against another edition
4.0
This is a great supernatural mystery. It is such a refreshing change for an indie comic to have a great story, miraculously avoiding a personal confessional the likes of a Regretsy labia pendant. It has a cooling disconnected voyeuristic quality to it, where the reader feels like you are watching it all unfold looking through a keyhole. Everything is nicely character driven and even in its extreme violence nothing about it feels gratuitous, rather everything is for the sake of the story around the characters and is used to build solid suspense. Best of all, the characters are allowed to just exist without having to be beat up constantly in order to demonstrate their personalities.
cemeterygates's review against another edition
1.0
Wanted to love this, but the exposition heavy dialogue coupled with weak characterization made for an almost unreadable book. No matter how adorable the central ghost is.
daviddavidkatzman's review against another edition
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.
otterno11's review
2.0
Well, Only Skin definitely wasn’t what I expected. Of course, I didn’t really have any expectations to begin with as I started this atmospheric graphic novel, but if I did, I don’t think this would be it. I’d initially grabbed this one from the library on the basis of its subtitle, intrigued by the idea of a “slow apocalypse.” The quietly building sense of menace, of some looming and inexplicable threat hanging just over the horizon, evoked this well, but in the end I was left unsure how the theme actually played into the story. Despite the intriguing premise, it didn’t quite deliver and felt a little disjointed throughout.
Only Skin follows Cassie and her little brother Clay as they return to their rural hometown after her estranged father’s mysterious disappearance (along with many other townspeople). With the help of Paul, a local with problems of his own, they reluctantly confront the hidden violence of the town, along with a mysterious cartoon ghost that has been appearing to Clay.
I enjoyed the art, simplistic but expressive, suiting the oppressive, creepy atmosphere, but the characters’ feelings seemed too often to be kept at arm's length. The ending comes out of nowhere (aside from a few hints) and seems a little at odds with the more slow paced mystery that most of the novel consists of. In fact, it seems a little anticlimactic and everything just kind of peters out in the conclusion. I’d be interested in seeing any further exploration of this world.
Only Skin follows Cassie and her little brother Clay as they return to their rural hometown after her estranged father’s mysterious disappearance (along with many other townspeople). With the help of Paul, a local with problems of his own, they reluctantly confront the hidden violence of the town, along with a mysterious cartoon ghost that has been appearing to Clay.
I enjoyed the art, simplistic but expressive, suiting the oppressive, creepy atmosphere, but the characters’ feelings seemed too often to be kept at arm's length. The ending comes out of nowhere (aside from a few hints) and seems a little at odds with the more slow paced mystery that most of the novel consists of. In fact, it seems a little anticlimactic and everything just kind of peters out in the conclusion. I’d be interested in seeing any further exploration of this world.
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