Amigo Comics 2017
Written by El Torres
Illustrated by Fran Galan
Lettered by Monkey Typers
There are many, many tales about the Aokigahara forest. Some say that the souls of the people who commit suicide wander forever forever in this place, trapped in the eternal gloom of these ancient forests... Condemned to be ghosts.
If you’ve been reading my reviews you know i’m a fan of El Torres and the work he does. This one shot is no exception as he brings us two tales of the Suicide Forest. For those that don’t know what it is the Aokigahara is a forest in Japan at the base of Mount Fuji where it’s reported the ghosts of those who killed themselves still haunt. They’ve been popularised in movies and tall tales and this time around El brings his unique touch to the place.
The first story is reminiscent to many Japanese horror movies where a young man in school sees his dead classmate. It’s scary, frightening and completely compelling. Why is she there and why can only he see her? As the story unfolds and the young man, Kazuhiko, confides in his friend and the things begin to spiral.
The characterisation is incredible and honestly this is the type of story that would make a great transition to the big screen. The whole structure of this is excellent. El draws us into this beautifully making us wonder how and why these things are happening to the boy. How it’s told through it’s ending keeps us in suspense throughout until the very end is why we love horror stories and those with the talent and skill to tell them like this.
The second story is more of a sad one to me. While no less thrilling it has that element to it that it feels like he’s a victim of his own devices and deserves exactly what he gets here. Though I do like that it centers around the mythology of the forest and gives readers a chance to learn something about it that they might not have known. Personally I don’t know the full story behind the forest and it’s legends so this was a great look at someone using it for one purpose only to have it thrown back at him in a different way.
The interiors here are stunning! The black and white artwork really lends itself to the whole creepy side of what’s going on here. The washing out some aspects while keeping others in focus is done to perfection. The attention to detail is amazing to see and Fran really does this superb job in bringing the horror to life in ways that can give you goosebumps. The use of page layouts through angles, perspective and the all important backgrounds make this book flow.
These are the kinds of stories American audiences need to read more. It exposes you to the idea of horror from other countries and takes you on this journey where you just want to go. There’s a reason this forest is on my bucket list of places to visit and it’s stories like these that will make you want to see and know more.