[10/4/19 just read this again while listening to NIN's The Downward Spiral and actually accidentally timed it out PERFECTLY to finish both at the same time. 11/10 would recommend new level of edgy depressed 90s bullshit lol]

Every year around Halloween I reread this comic [and rewatch the movie] and every year I just sit around for weeks afterward trying to write a review that will actually do it justice but alas I am just not that great with words. It is just one of the most haunting, heart-breaking, and atmospheric graphic novels I've read and I definitely recommend it.

By all rights it should read as slightly ridiculous. I mean on the surface it's about a guy in goth makeup on a revenge murder spree interspersed with random poetry, lyrics from The Smiths, and quotes like There is a man, playing a violin, and the strings are the nerves in his own arm. But it all comes together so beautifully that it just works.

And if you're like me and automatically give most things a hard pass if they feature 'dead wife as plot device', maybe give this one a try because it's really not like all the other ones. You can tell that O'Barr's writing comes from a place of genuine pain and not just 'well i don't know what else to do with women in stories so might as well rape and kill them' like you see from a lot of authors who use this premise.

“We do not recognize our souls until they are in pain.”

Right now I really don't know how to explain. This book is violent, it's not a soft graphic novel. This story is action packed, story all on revenge and a love story that will break your heart. You want all of the characters to have a happy life yet it just all comes down. I want more....

A raw look at someone's rage and pain splayed out on paper. Art can be very 80s at times, but then again, the pain is real, so the time was the time. "Ou sont les neiges d'anton?" Villon

The art is the driving point of admiration in this novel, and it carries a compelling narrative… but it’s definitely a story of its time. The “bad guys” are all stereotyped POCs, and the lost fiancé is objectified constantly. The main character is edgy to the point of comedy at some points. However, it was an extremely enjoyable read, and conveys a complex message about grief. And again, the art, which was all hand-drawn (even the words, which gives an even more intimate experience) was gorgeous. It’s an influential novel and is worth the read; it’s just important to keep the era in mind.