Love all Junji books! Always a 5 star! I love his story collections. Little snippets into his mind. Artwork, while often disturbing, is spectacular.

Junji Ito truly is a master of his craft. Some of these short stories kept me thinking about them weeks later. I always find with his short stories that I desperately want more, and these were no different. My only grief about this book is that it isn't longer.

Junji Ito knows just how to get under your skin. The paranoia and fear that I feel parsing through Junji Ito stories has become its own vivid and flavored emotion. I always recommend Junji Ito to anyone looking into the horror genre.

Another great collection from the Japanese master of horror. Junji Ito knows how the throughly unnerve the reader to the point where I, a seasoned horror fan, was struggling to continue but loved every second of it.

Junji Ito is an odd duck. If you're familiar with his work, you already know this - he writes some weird stuff, doesn't he? If you're new to his work, this is as good a place to start as any. Ito's writing, while filled with some crazy, horrific things, can be a little stilted, and his endings can be dissatisfying, so do know that going in. This still gets 5 stars, because his stories are good enough to cover for any deficiencies in his writing and/or translations, and his art is fabulous! He knows how to bring the creepy!
The title story, Tombs, is deliciously creepy, in fact - a brother and sister go to visit a friend in another town, a town they've been warned is very strange. On the way there, they hit a young woman on the road into town, and stop to put her in the backseat so they can take her to a hospital. The woman dies, however, and they move the body to the trunk, thinking to dispose of it later. Upon reaching town, they find tombs everywhere, blocking the streets, inside buildings and homes, all over the place. Turns out here, when people die, their body it left where it died and turns into a tomb. And their friend's sister has gone missing...
The rest of the stories are good in various degrees; as I mentioned, Ito doesn't always provide a satisfying ending, it's as though he sometimes stops just before he should. This could be a "me" thing, and I'm not taking any stars away for it. I just can't. Ito's too good, he's got something that really hooks me, y'know? I'd recommend this collection to anyone who likes a bit of oddity in their horror.

This was my first manga by Junji Ito and I’m sad I waited this long! As someone who doesn’t read manga, but loves horror, I highly suggest this author to anyone wanting to try something different. I can’t get Slug Girl out of my head.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fantastic volume to start a journey with Junji Ito!

Whoever put this collection together did a really bang-up job. "Tombs" was the perfect way to kick it off. The weakest story, I think, was "Bronze Statue," as it felt very B-movie-ish and the dialogue was...not great. That said, the art is still the main draw in this particular story. Horrifying. But the writing for "Bronze Statue"...

That's just the way it is with writing sometimes, though. Some stories hit, some miss. Most of these ones hit, so it's not a big loss or letdown in any case. Especially because we got weird and skin-crawling tales like "The Story of the Mysterious Tunnel" and the ever-so-nasty actually-made-me-cringe-in-disgust "The Window Next Door."

After finishing this volume, I immediately went onto the state-wide catalogue and requested three more. Bravo!

I adore the cover for this one. “Tombs” is another breathtaking collection of stories by Junji Ito. I’m convinced this man cannot write a bad story, and the illustrations, as always, are unparalleled. The stories are both original and somehow nostalgic-feeling.

Another collection of Ito's short stories, it contains what you'd expect: body horror, ghosts, and the unexplained. If you are a fan of Ito, you will definitely enjoy this collection of stories. <i>Bronze Statue</i> was my personal favorite in this one, combining urban legend, madness, and vanity into a deeply satisfying story.

Another positively gruesome collection from master of horror Junji Ito translated for English-speaking audiences. Although, admittedly, most of this collection just made me sad instead of horrified by the ends of the stories--as in genuinely sad for the characters and their situations. Junji Ito excels in graphic body horror, so that is where most of the terrifying moments lie (which is to say, the majority of each story). That said, there is some humor in this one--it caught me off guard when the character narrating the "Slug Girl" story says, "Apologies to anyone in the middle of a snack."

A couple of the stories take inspiration from the unknown and common phobias--"Washed Ashore" is about a deep sea creature and the aforementioned "Slug Girl" story features the phobia of slugs. "Washed Ashore" gave me a chill with its closing remark about what was at the bottom of the ocean. Some stories take inspiration from science, like "The Strange Tale of the Tunnel" about radiation (this story genuinely freaked me out, honestly) and "The Bloody Story of Shirosuna" about health (also I'd like to add that this particular story has a passing comment about people marrying their relatives in the village, so.... there's that horrific aside).

Unfortunately, not all of these stories were hits in my opinion. "The Window Next Door" and "Bronze Statue" both had "horror" based on beauty standards and there's a comment in "The Bloody Story of Shirosuna" about thinking the character's pale skin better suited her because it made her prettier. Body horror can be done without racism, colorism, and fat-shaming. "Bronze Statue" was my least favorite story because the bad person is fat with a big nose and lips; it can be argued that this story is a warning against being vain but given the society we live in I doubt readers will get that. They'd just laugh and say she deserved what she got because she'll never be "beautiful" like the statues. As for "The Window Next Door" I actually found the face of the woman fascinating, not horrific--her actions were the creepy part, though I doubt if she was "conventionally beautiful" her actions wouldn't be considered creepy. This collection was originally published in 2013, so things have indeed changed in the past 10 years as attitudes have turned around and movements have rippled throughout the world. It's still worth noting these triggering things, however.

Overall, I'm happy to see the collection translated into English and if you're a fan of Ito, you won't be disappointed by the quality of the translation.

This is another great story collection from Junji Ito. The illustrations are amazing as always. The stories are so unusual and unpredictable. I love the twists in each one.

As always with a collection from Junji Ito, the stories here are grotesque and horrific and often quite poignant. The artwork is glorious as ever (the artwork from the latter portion of the titular story, 'Tombs' is particularly impressive) and the plots of the stories are varied and weird. My favourites of the collection were 'The Strange Tale of the Tunnel', 'Floaters' and 'The Bloody Story of Shirosuna', but I genuinely enjoyed all of the stories here and I think that Ito works best in short form, as it allows him to pack a powerful punch.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

As a fan of Ito's work, I'd have to say this is a must-read for fans of spooky/horror manga readers. I loved the setting and overall mood of the book. I love the horror aspects that Junji Ito explored in this and without giving anything away, I'd definitely say this will be on my list of recommendations for our library's
buy-list."

ARC From Netgalley.
Another fantastic release by Junji Ito, master of horror manga!
Summary:
Tombs - A brother and sister go to visit a friend in a town that has a weird tradition: a person becomes their headstone as the die, and it grows where they die, as they aren't moved. When they hit a young girl on the way into town....

Clubhouse - 3 girls investigate a haunted house and suddenly their friendship is shaken. One claims to be meeting with people on the ground floor, and another with a group upstairs. This strange old clubhouse has a wall built on the stairs to prevent the groups from interacting.

Slug Girl - A girl stops coming to school due to illness. Maybe it has to do with the slugs in her back yard. But why has she begun to talk as if her mouth is full? YUCK

The Window Next Door - A family moves in next to a seemingly abandoned house. They are told by the neighbors that the resident who lives there never comes out. So when a voice calls to the teenage son in the night.... Who is it?

Washed Ashore - A strange creature washes ashore from a deep ocean. As people flock and observe it, they begin to see shapes moving inside it.

The Strange Tale of the Tunnel - There is a tunnel near a town that everyone claims is haunted, as it used to be a train tunnel where some would enter and never come out again. When a young man enters the tunnel on a dare with his friends, despite it being the tunnel where his mom committed suicide, he sees a shadow in the distance. Who or what is in this tunnel???

Bronze Statue - The mayor disappears suddenly and everyone blames his wife. When she commissions a bronze statue of her and her late husband to be born, everyone says the beautiful statue looks nothing like her. So why do the kids claim the statue talks to them?

Floaters - When friends of a recluse go to check on their friend they let loose a pandemic of small floating hairballs that speak only your inner most thoughts...

The Bloody Story of Shirosuna - A doctor goes to a remote village. While serving patients, a young girl comes in covered in blood. The villagers explain that this is just normal here. WHY? What is really going on in the town?


Ito's words, story and illustrations just flow seamlessly together. You really should be reading this author, especially if you like horror.
Strong recommend.

I must have been living under a rock, because all these years of reading Japanese literature had failed to unearth the work of Junji Ito. Ito is well reknowned for his horror stories, and the fact he illustrates his own work too. I wonder if part of the success of his writing is having the ability to articulate his imagination with ink, allowing him to execute his stories exactly as they were conjured in his mind.

Drawn in by the intriguing title, I had no idea just how much nightmare fuel I was about to digest in Ito's latest manga. Tombs is a collection of short stories, celebrating horror at its most macabre and disturbing. In the title story we see a terrible accident take place in a strange mountain town, where tombstones grow from the bodies of the dead. This is a truly chilling reading experience, and just as melancholy as it was horrifying - guilt twisted with grief.

In another story, a grotesque creature tries to seduce her young neighbour through his window at night. More than any of the other stories for me, this especially showed how Ito is an expert at tapping into raw human fear. Who isn't chilled to the bone at the thought of their home not being safe anymore? Or their loved ones acting strangely unlike themselves? Or of people just unhinged enough to cause them the very worse harm?

This incredible collection lets you experience horror in so many of its guises. Some stories are gory and grotesque, whereas others more nuanced, the creepiness digging quietly under your skin and lingering there long after you've read the last page. For me, that kind of kick is the joy of the horror genre, and I can't wait to read more of what Ito has to offer.

*I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

★★★★★

4.5 stars
WEEEE, NEW JUNJI ITO
I think my favorite in this collection would have to be Tombs, Washed Ashore, and The Bloody Story of Shirosuna.
Creepy, gross, scary, and a hint of disturbing like all his other works is what you can expect in this collection as well. As always, I enjoyed the artwork and the pacing of all the stories too.
★Thank you NetGalley, the opportunity to read an Advanced Copy.★

Perfectly creepy and haunting while also trying to convince you that everything is alright in their world. The concept of the Tombs is so cool!

Tombs: A super creepy, body horror story that puts a grim twist to a familiar sort of tale. The final panel of this one is gross and great and very typical of Junji Ito.

Clubhouse: A haunted house story. All I've gotta say is, Heave Ho!

Slug Girl: I want the final panel of this gross slug story as a t shirt. Iconic imagery in this one that really is viscerally upsetting.

The Window Next Door: okay this ending was truly out of left field, what a weird story. In a good way.

Washed Ashore: Truly the sea monster of your dreams. Gross, horrifying, love it.

The Strange Tale of the Tunnel: Ito is obsessed with holes being the right place for you. We don't understand the call of the void, but call it does.

Bronze Statue: A weird one. Feels like if you have ever been inebriated around statues or mannequins and you keep thinking they are people.

Floaters: Yikes, a real nightmare. What if all your worst thoughts became hairballs that repeated over and over all though town?

The Bloody Story of Shirosuna: Sometimes you just, you know, have a soul sucking job.

Fun compilation, lots of good creepiness and Ito continues to be a King of Body Horror.

In spite of the flood of story collections being rapidly translated into English from the horror mangaka Junji Ito, I find myself unable to ignore them as they come out. And this one is much like the others. If you have never read Ito and you pick this up you will be impressed--he's a master, and his mind is endlessly pouring out these creep stories, and his artwork is often phenomenal, but after my reading several collections I would say it is both a) an often very good collection and b) just average for Ito. Body horror is his jam, stories that sort of erupt into over-the-top, fever dreams, with sometimes dark humor.

“Washed Ashore” is about a sea monster washed ashore. Creepy, with awesome cool images, but it feels incomplete.

“The Strange Tale of the Tunnel” features a tunnel, which is a place that is always ripe for scary action, so of course that happens, with missing persons, suicides. It's ok.

“Floaters” is a kind of cool idea: What if everything we thought was made public? Chaos! But beyond that statement, those images, it doesn’t really go anywhere.

“The Bloody Story of Shirosuna” is bloody, but not complicated.

“Tombs” is really good, a story where tombs pop up when people die. Crazy, cool idea, good ending. One of my faves because of ending images.

“Slug Girl “ is about, you know, slugs, ick. But there are good images here, mainly to support the “what if slugs took over the world” (or, primarily, a girl) premise. Body horror, slugs inside her, Ick!

“The Window Next Door” is a stalker story, where a woman obsesses over her teenage neighbor. Yes, creepy.

So maybe I'm not being completely fair, because the total effect of 344 pages is that a master has created yet another explosion of horror manga, just an endless flow of ideas, some more developed than others. But if you don't know Ito, check it out! He's kind of amazing! Over all the stories move from okay to good, for Ito, but Ito collectors will have to have it.

I'm not sure what possessed to request this graphic novel - I haven't been reading a lot of graphic novels lately, and I'm not a fan of the manga style of art, but there was something in the description that caught my attention, and I'm so glad it did!
Tombs: Junji Ito Story Collection is a graphic 'novel' collection of short stories by Junji Ito. The author/artist's name means nothing to me but might to dedicated graphic novel or manga readers. What I found, though, were nine wonderfully dark, often creepy, always twisted, stories.

We start with the titular story, "Tombs," which really sets the tone for the book, letting the reader know that things are going to be a bit weird as we enter a town where tombstone markers are everywhere - even in the middle of the streets. The tombs grow where people died.

The stories all have this dark, Twilight Zone vibe. Some are incredibly dark, bloody, and creepy, like "The Strange Tale of the Tunnel" and "The Bloody Story of Shirosuna". Some gave me the shivers, like "Slug Girl" and "Washed Ashore". But at least a couple of them ("The Window Next Door" and "Bronze Statue") were a little too obvious for me.

In general, as I was reading through this, I felt that 15 year old me would have been absolutely crazy for something this 'creative' and unusual. I loved reading (and seeing) 'the impossible' and if it was dark and creepy I liked it even more. This harkens back to the old Eerie and Creepy magazines but the art style appeals more to Gen Zers and Millennials.

I'm still not a fan of this style of art (I love B&W art, but I'd rather see Gene Colan, Gray Morrow, or Neal Adams than Junji Ito, Osamu Tezuka, or Eichiro Oda), but in general I wasn't put off by this (there were times that it bothered me more than others).

I should also note, as I have before, that as someone who does not read typically read manga, reading from right to left does not come naturally and I was a few pages in, wondering why this wasn't making sense, before I remembered how I needed to read this. And every subsequent page I needed to consciously make the effort to remind myself how to read the page.

This collection includes:

"Tombs"
"Clubhouse"
"Slug Girl"
"The Window Next Door"
"Washed Ashore"
"The Strange Tale of the Tunnel"
"Bronze Statue"
"Floaters"
"The Bloody Story of Shirosuna"

Looking for a good book? Fans of dark, weird stories (think Creepy Magazine for those of you over 5), the graphic novel Tombs, by Junji Ito, is a delightfully macabre collection of tales.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.