f18's review
dark
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
3.3 ⭐ average
4- The Child Eater by Meg Gandy
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language, body horror, child abuse, domestic abuse, physical abuse, verbal abuse, minor religious bigotry, blood3- The Waiting Game by Carla Speed McNeil
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body horror, minor nudity, minor sexual content, suicidal thoughts, nudity3.5- Found Object by britt c. h.
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death, gore, minor blood0.5- The Grackle Bride by Randal Milholland
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minor gore, sexism, classism, minor colonialism4- Proliferation by Lin Visel and J. R. Cullen
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death, animal death2- I Want to Wake Up by Greg Stolze and Langdon Foss
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forced hospitalization, nonconsensual meds/treatment, police violence, suicidal thoughts, minor guns, violence, minor blood, not explicit nudity but some of the imagery is nudity adjacent4- The Untimely Death of Smokey II by Der-shing Helmer
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animal death, death2.5- Temple by Hillary Blair
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eating disorder, self harm, minor language, minor blood, nudity3- Artifacts by Evan Dahm
3.5- Do Better by Kristin Cheny
4.5- Old Echoes by Lety R-Z and Stevan Zivadinovic
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minor language4- Weft by Kit Goode and Liz Edwards
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body horror, mental illness3.5- Four PM is Tea Time by Ty and Lee Blauersouth
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body horror, minor blood3- Alone by Blue Delliquanti
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body horror4- Growth by Melanie Gillman
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vomiting, medical3.5- Fungus City by Gerald Swanson
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body horror2.5- Sunken Ship by Isaiah Smalley and Kev Anderson
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animal death, blood, vomit2.5- Out of Chaos by Rachel Edidin and Kel McDonald
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blood, pregnancy/birth, fire4- I AM SICK by KC Green
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body horror, blood, gun violence, medical4- Miracle by C. Spike Trotman
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body horror, medical, very minor nudity4- Fairy Ring by Savannah Horrocks
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body horror, vomit4- The Collection by Ainsley Seago and Tristan Harrington
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body horror5- Hostess by Gabby Schulz
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body horror, rape, gore, blood, vomit, minor nudity (anatomy diagram)3- The Emperor Awakes by Jason Bradley Thompson
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medical, violence, vomit gore, minor nudity2.5- Anniversary by Sophie Goldstein
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murder, blood, nudity, trapped, nudity3- It Comes Back by Brittney Sabo
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deathmmparker's review against another edition
3.0
Mixed bag, as any anthology will be. Some just needed a few more pages, some would have been better off with fewer, most just weren't scary. Lots of really good art, though.
I particularly liked: The Child Eater, I Want To Wake Up, The Untimely Death of Smokey ll, Temple, Miracle, and It Comes Back.
I particularly liked: The Child Eater, I Want To Wake Up, The Untimely Death of Smokey ll, Temple, Miracle, and It Comes Back.
effingunicorns's review against another edition
3.0
A few misfires, as with most anthologies, and I'm not really a fan of the more realistic horror--the stuff that probably wouldn't happen in the real world but might--but overall I'm left feeling creeped out and uncomfortable, so mission accomplished.
philipf's review against another edition
4.0
As with any anthology, some of the stories are better than others. But overall, a nicely creepy assortment of horror tales. I do appreciate that when Spike was assembling the stories, she established some ground rules: No familiar monsters, no safe havens. It helps keep the stories fresh.
zapp's review against another edition
3.0
Trigger warning for all the things. It's creepy and a lot of the art was amazing.
codalion's review against another edition
3.0
A few items in this anthology were kind of spooky, but altogether they kind of highlighted how repetitive body horror is as a shock twist--and how repetitive short-form horror is in general. Ah, well, not everybody can be Junji Ito.
peyjturner's review against another edition
3.0
As with almost any anthology, it is a mixed bag. However, as with almost anything successfully kickstarted by Iron Circus Comics, said bag tends to be of superior quality than any other, and 'The Sleep of Reason' is no different. Created as a way to break out of the standard cliches and tropes of horror, this anthology promised "No zombies. No vampires. No werewolves. No familiar solutions. No safe havens." and it more or less delivered on that promise. Contained within this comic anthology are twenty-six very different, and very scary, stories that can only be put under the category of horror. The art varies wildly, and your mileage may vary on how much you like them, but each story delivers a unique scare that, more often than not, relies on the horror trope of the 'bad ending.' Not that that's a bad thing and not that each story does it in the same way, but after reading halfway through, I saw the ending coming from the beginning of the story.
Oh, and also, these stories are short, almost vignettes, but they do make use of every page and panel that they have, so there's that. Overall, I highly recommend grabbing a copy, so long as there are some left, and to enjoy the anthology like one would a sampler platter: individually and voraciously.
Oh, and also, these stories are short, almost vignettes, but they do make use of every page and panel that they have, so there's that. Overall, I highly recommend grabbing a copy, so long as there are some left, and to enjoy the anthology like one would a sampler platter: individually and voraciously.
hylian_narwhal's review
3.0
True rating; 2.5 stars
I only read this during the day, in case all the horror gave me nightmares, but I didn't find any of the stories actually scary.
Some of the stories had good twists, but overall they were just okay.
I only read this during the day, in case all the horror gave me nightmares, but I didn't find any of the stories actually scary.
Some of the stories had good twists, but overall they were just okay.
lambchop12's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Death
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Cannibalism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Torture
Minor: Violence, Sexual assault, and Physical abuse
otterno11's review
4.0
An absolutely delicious and spine-chilling read perfect for Halloween reading, The Sleep of Reason is not for the faint of heart. The twenty-six short comics collected here from dozens of budding new cartoonists and writers take the varied tropes of supernatural horror in many different, unpredictable directions. You never know what to expect as people's mundane lives are interrupted by horrors unspeakable, each drawing from some of humanity's deepest fears. Taking us from suburban everytown USA to Australia to deep space, the stories included here highlight many different styles and artistic forms, and, even better, showcase much diversity, in every sense of the word. The only complaint (if one can call it that) is that some of the stories end a bit abruptly, with little resolution, which may be a consequence of the short form as well as the inexplicable, futile nature of cosmic horror. A few also attempt a message of some sort, some more effective than others.
It is also worth mentioning that many of the tales included in the The Sleep of Reason head into some pretty dark territory. While not always horribly gruesome (though some gross stuff is included, of course!) a lot of mature themes are explored which may be a little much even for a teen audience. This adds to a feeling that no holds were barred in the creative process of the included artists, increasing the chill factor even more. My favorites were Do Better, by Kristin Cheney, Out of Chaos by Rachel Edidin and Kel McDonald, The Collection by A. Seago and T. Harrington, and It Comes Back by Brittney Sabo.
It is also worth mentioning that many of the tales included in the The Sleep of Reason head into some pretty dark territory. While not always horribly gruesome (though some gross stuff is included, of course!) a lot of mature themes are explored which may be a little much even for a teen audience. This adds to a feeling that no holds were barred in the creative process of the included artists, increasing the chill factor even more. My favorites were Do Better, by Kristin Cheney, Out of Chaos by Rachel Edidin and Kel McDonald, The Collection by A. Seago and T. Harrington, and It Comes Back by Brittney Sabo.
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