Junji Ito, a Japanese horror manga creator, was recently inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Awards Hall of Fame. This is a great honor, and it not only speaks volumes about the quality of his work but also about his importance to the horror genre in general. The writer and artist has also already won four Eisner awards for his incredible and disturbing comics. But where should you start reading with this Stephen King of manga?
His stories range in various themes and styles, but they are usually slow-burns with the most gorgeous art you’ll see in your life. He’s a “page turn” master, perfectly emulating satisfying jumpscares. He’s also great at creating mystery, playing with readers’ expectations, and exploring bizarre ideas. Here are some of the best books and collections to know more about the manga’s horror master.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you decide to make a purchase through these links, we will earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
1. Uzumaki
Uzumaki is Junji Ito’s most famous work, and there are many reasons for that. Firstly, there’s Ito’s incredible art, which is even more beautiful and detailed than usual. But it’s also how it takes a simple theme, such as spirals, and turns it into a long-running, creepy, and surreal story with well-rounded characters.
2. Lovesickness
Junji Ito is also known for his collections of short stories, many of which are even better than his longer works. Lovesickness collects gory and disturbing stories, such as Rib Woman and The Strange Hirizuki Siblings. But the highlight is the moody and mysterious Beautiful Boy. Expect to finish it with more questions than answers.
3. Frankenstein
The master of horror also dips his toes into adapting classic books, and this might be one of the greatest retellings of Mary Shelley’s masterpiece. The visuals fit Frankenstein‘s story perfectly, making the tale even more distressing and impactful. The collection features some incredible body horror stories by Ito, as well.
4. Shiver
When talking about Shiver, it’s hard to know what to highlight. The stacked collection captures many essences of Junji Ito: his love for disturbing imagery, family horror, and the wildest ideas you can imagine. It’s probably his best collection available in English.
5. Tomie
Another one of Ito’s greatest works, Tomie is a longer series with loosely connected chapters featuring the titular character. She has many faces: a gorgeous young lady, a kid, a supernatural horror, a victim, and also the perpetrator. Still, Tomie’s always a femme fatale, forcing men to fall in love and obey her every command.
6. Fragments of Horror
The first collection of his short stories published in English, Fragments of Horror, brings a good mix of popular and less-known works. It also has his best body horror comic, Dissection Girl, which features one of his strangest characters to date.
Get Fragments of Horror on Bookshop
7. Venus in the Blind Spot
Having The Enigma of the Amigara Fault alone already would suffice to make it a great book, as the short is one of Ito’s best. It’s an intense and inexplicable work that’ll get stuck in your mind. However, the collection gives us even more interesting stories, including Billions Alone and The Human Chair.
Get Venus in the Blind Spot on Bookshop
Comic Book Club Live Info:
Discover more from Comic Book Club
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.