Bone Parish Volume 1 by Cullen Bunn, art by Jonas Scharf

BOOM! Studios, 2018

ISBN: 9781684153541

Available: Paperback

Bone Parish is, frankly, one of the better Stoker-nominated books I read for Monster Librarian. As a new fan of the Harrow County series, I like Bunn’s writing style. While this is a departure from the backwoods of that Southern Gothic dark fairy tale, it is a welcome change.

The Winters family, a New Orleans crime family, has concocted and is trafficking a new designer hallucinogenic drug made from the ashes of the dead, simply called “ash”, and it is becoming extremely popular. Those who ingest the ashes experiece memories from the life of the individual who previously inhabited the physical body. Other crime families are noticing the success of the Winters and want to buy them out (or take them out), to obtain control over the creation and flow of the lucrative drug trade. Grace Winters (with deceased husband Andre at her side, thanks to his ashes), is not willing to give up the family business, and this means war. Son Brae is vying to take over, while daughter Brigitte, the only family member living who knows how to make the drug, secludes herself in her morgue workshop, working constantly to keep up with demand. The two younger brothers, Wade and Leon, act as the enforcers of the family, ensuring money and distribution go smoothly, but they begin to question the family business. A confrontation eventually leaves the brothers in a deadly situation. Luckily for one of them, Mother Winters made sure to provide them with the ashes of a former soldier to help them just in case, but is it enough?

Between Bunn’s compelling story and Scharf’s artwork, it’s no wonder that Bone Parish Volume 1 has been nominated for a 2018 Stoker Award. I’m going to be adding this to my personal collection as well as recommending it for my library to purchase. I definitely recommend Bone Parish to anyone who likes a good crime story merged into their horror. Highly recommended.

Contains: blood, gore

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Editor’s note: Bone Parish Volume 1 is a nominee on the final ballot for the 2018 Stoker Awards in the category of Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel.