Scary Book Volume 1: Reflections

The spine-chilling influence of Japanese horror films has taken hold in Western audiences with hit films like The Ring and based on Japanese films themselves based on classic manga stories. And the master of horror manga is Umezu Kazuo - known as the "Stephen King of Japan," with several of his stories being adapted to film - and Dark Horse Manga is proud to bring his Scary Book horror anthology to Western readers for the first time. This first volume, Shadows, features two feature-length tales, "The Mirror" and "Vengeance Demon." Find out what Japanese readers have known for many years: you haven't been scared until you've been scared my Umezu Kazuo!

From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up–Known as the Stephen King of Japan, Umezu is the master of horror manga. Several of his stories have already been adapted to film, and fans of Japanese horror movies like The Ring and The Grudge will recognize his style. This volume contains two novellas. The author doesnt rely on violence or gore to scare his readers; the horror is more primal, more psychological. In Mirror, a pretty girl who has spent too much time in front of her mirror learns just how tenuous a power beauty is when her reflection escapes and takes over her life. In Vengeance Demon, a warlord seeking revenge for his sons injuries finds himself the object of revenge. The black-and-white illustrations are simple yet powerful. What sets this manga apart from others is the starkness of the drawings and the simplicity of the dialogue. Readers who seek to understand the influence of Japanese horror will enjoy this volume.–Erin Dennington, Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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