Booknote: Monsters! and Other Stories

Gustavo Duarte, Monster! & Other Stories. Milwaukie, OR: Dark Horse, 2014. ISBN: 978-1-61655-309-8.

Genre: graphic novels and comics
Subgenre: horror, humor
Format; Trade paperback
Source: Berea branch of the Madison County Public Library  

This book collects the title story and two other stories. In "Monsters!", giant monsters invade a city and begin to cause mayhem. It seems to be your typical giant monster story until you get to the twist. In "Có!", a farmer experiences a UFO abduction. In "Birds", two business partners find colleagues in the office dying and the Grim Reaper at their window. Will they be able to stay alive?

The great thing about these stories is the combination of horror and humor. These stories are well within anthology traditions like The Twilight Zone, plus charms and twists that will stay with you well after you are done reading the book. Perhaps I should say looking through the book given the stories are wordless. However, his evocative and charming art tell you all you need. The art is rich and detailed, filled with humor, making this book a pleasure to read. And then you get the story twists that leave you pondering well after the stories are done. Duarte does a great job with story twists. 

Though wordless, this is not a book for children; it does have horror elements. Adults who enjoy some horror blended with humor will definitely enjoy this. I enjoyed  it very much, and I highly recommend it. It is one I would add to my personal collection. 

5 out of 5 stars. 

This book qualifies for the following 2016 Reading Challenges: