A spooky graphic novel with minimalist illustrations that are symbolic of depression.
READ IF YOU…
- Want a quick, easy horror graphic novel
- Want simpler, minimalistic illustrations
- Are fine with topics like suicide
Title: ANOtHER – Graphic Novel | Author: Zea Hudgins, Leeron Morraes Rating: 3/5
Initially, I didn’t think much of this graphic novel because, as a story, it’s not that unique. However, I read that the storyline and illustrations represent depression, and so that made me appreciate the book far more from a human perspective in understanding what it is like to live with depression.
ANOtHER graphic novel is a manga/horror novel written by Elizabeth “Zea” Hudgins and illustrated by Leeron Morraes. In this 152-page psychological thriller, a group of girls plunge into a world where nothing is what it seems.
The story follows Claire, who wakes up one morning to find her mother has been murdered and replaced by a creature who then tries to kill Claire. Claire escapes, but she is blamed for murdering her mother and placed in an asylum for troubled girls. There, she meets others who have experienced similar trauma as she has, and thus ensues the bulk of the storyline.
The illustrations provide a creepy, black and white view into this world and another world where beings take over bodies and bastardize them for their own demented purposes. From a storyline perspective, the plot is not that unique, and neither are the illustrations. But I read, though have not verified, that the story is an allegory of depression, and from that perspective, I can appreciate it that much more.
It’s a quick read, with clean, minimalistic illustrations that are as crisp as they are creepy. I loved them. The text is also concise, but has an edgier feel to them.
The story covers suicide, murder, and living in an insane asylum. The only thing I did not like were the cliches and stereotypes, e.g. strait jackets, taking pills, being locked in a padded room, etc. I do not think these represent the reality of a psychiatric patient, and feed more into stereotypes of how patients are treated in facilities, rather than doing proper research into how the system currently works, at least in the United States.
If the author had done the research and provided a more modern perspective of a psychiatric patient’s experiences, then I would have appreciated and respected the storyline more.
Reading Between the Dunes 
Book doesn’t really give a specific date and time for it to be modernized, more open for interpretation. Also, I didn’t think it wasn’t unique, especially the illustrations. I can’t really think of multiple books/movies with the same storyline or structure or art style for the illustrations made.
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In terms of modernizing, it seemed clear to me it was in our time period, and not early enough for the cliches to be in use.
I’ve seen others that are similar-ish, but are much better, such as Emily Carroll’s work. Here’s a review on one of her works, which you may like:
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It was not clarified therefore you just assumed. Cliches are cliches for a reason, ita not in place for you to assume a time period it’s in place for the reader to establish the setting that they are within.
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As a reader, I established that setting for myself, so I’d agree with that. I present my critiques on my blog as a reader.
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