I Luv Halloween

    (Tokyopop, 2005)
™ and © 2005 Keith Giffen and Benhamin Roman

When Finch, Pig Pig, Devil Lady, and Mr. Kitty receive apples on their first stop trick or treating, they fear it’ll jinx the rest of Beggars’ Night, leading them to enact a particularly bloody form of revenge against the fruit-givers. And that’s just the start of an evening which is alternatively hilarious and repulsive.

So far, most American creators who’ve done manga-sized originals have either painstakingly tried to craft stories that are a fusion of both American and Japanese culture (MBQ) or “what were they thinking?” train wrecks (War on Flesh). Leave it to Keith Giffen to produce something truly original—but those with delicate sensibilities should avoid this one.

Likewise, anyone expecting the broad-vaudeville humor of his Justice League will be sorely disappointed, because the laugh supply here is bone dry, the dialogue minimalist, and the setting dark enough to appeal to the Johnny the Homicidal Maniac crowd. Moreover, there’s a sketchbook section in the back followed by creator bios and a sneak preview of another original manga called A Midnight Opera.

— S. A. Bennett

From the Publisher: Halloween has always been and always will be about one thing… getting the best CANDY. And, some fiendish friends excel at tricks if they don't get the right treats. When these gremlins receive a boring apple at their first house of the night, they plan deadly revenge on the offending fruit-favoring old-timer. Join the misadventures of a group of particularly disturbing trick-or-treaters as they go about their macabre business on Halloween night.
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