Bone Parish Vol. 1 by Cullen Bunn was a really cool start to a series about a new designer drug made from the ashes of the dead and I will definitely be reading more in the future.

The artwork isn't my favorite, but it's got a nice, grungy feel to it that fits the mood well. My only issue with the graphic novel is that I found the story line and pacing to be very jumpy and hard to follow at points. That said, I'd still definitely recommend checking the story out if you're intrigued by the synopsis and don't mind a bit of gore and murder.

Imagine if someone could extracts "salts" from a human corpse, and those salts if consumed (likely sniffed) can induce hallucinations based on the experience, life, character and memory of that "refined" human. And even more, you can get even the truthful answers or skills from that human. And one mobster family control the process. And of course, many others would love to control this magnificent drug. And that's Bone Parish. The premise is great, and so far it works nicely for the story. Cullen Bunn fears not and presents a very ruthless and unforgiving world of "drug families/cartels/companies". And it's cool. I'm not exactly pumped up, but the first volume (4 issues) is just the beginning and I hope the "bland aftertaste" will eventually go away. Jonas Scharf is an unknown artist for me (but I have his Warlords of Appalachia on the to-read list). I must say I like his art, even if it looks like the good generic art from Image and Boom (and the newer Marvel miniseries). I do not despise "generic", it just means that I would have a hard time to guess the artist because it's too close to other groups of the artist. In conclusion - the art is OK, the story - the idea is cool but the star is a bit tepid and I'm not sure where it will go. And it can go both directions - the good and the bad.

Bone Parish (Vol. 1) by Cullen Bunn is everything that makes independent comics so entertaining and worth by passing the two big publishers for. This horror crime noir tale of death and violence and family will have readers loving comics and new readers amazed at what comic books can really be.

There is a new designing drug on the streets of New Orleans called the Ash that will give user's a high they will never forget. It creates hallucinations that are so real that they can manifest themselves into reality. It is also the hottest kick on the market and the Winters crime family is the sole distributor. Ash is making the Winters very powerful and even more powerful enemies.

But Ash has another side effect, the users are beginning to see their departed and the drug seems to be bringing the dead back. For some it is a dream, but for others, the nightmare is only beginning.

Now the Winters are under attack, the Italian Mob and the Mexican Cartel want to get their hands on the Ash and while one is negotiating, the other is coming in force. Can one lone family stand up to the crime syndicates looking to take them out?

Cullen Bunn (Eisner Award Winner!) has another great tale to be told and Bone Parish will have comic book fans raving.

A really good read!

'Bone Parish Vol. 1' by Cullen Bunn with art by Jonas Scharf is a horror graphic novel about a new street drug that is, frankly, pretty gross.

New Orleans is known for a lot of things, but now there is a new street drug called Ash. It's made from a combination of bones depending on the particular high you want. One family knows how to make it. Now a bigger crime syndicate from New York wants to buy them out, but it isn't that simple because a dangerous gang from Mexico wants in on the deal.

Sniffing the ashes of the dead doesn't appeal to me, but much of drug use leaves me that way. Still I liked this story of a supernatural drug war and a family caught in the past and fighting to keep what they have. The art is good too. The story is pretty creepy at times.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from BOOM! Studios and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

I enjoyed reading this original graphic novel. A New Orleans Crime family is making and selling a new designer drug. Others of course want in on the action but it will not be easy. Along with the crime story there is also a hint of the paranormal. The story and artwork are very dark, gory and graphic. This is not suitable for younger or sensitive readers. The mystery was interesting and I am looking for word to reading the next one.

I’m definitely going to be continuing with this series. It’s dark and disturbing and I’m really looking forward to the continued violence of this crazy drug that allows its user to experience drug-induced hallucinations. Where the hallucinations actually come from is crazy, and entirely fantastical, but definitely allows for some serious psychopathy as the story continues. I don’t want to go into the story too much because I think part of what made this so good was just getting right into it without a lot of information.

Recommended to fantasy-horror graphic novel fans.

Received via Netgalley. All reviews and opinions are expressly my own

I love this book. See my review for Monster Librarian : https://www.monsterlibrarian.com/TheCirculationDesk/graphic-novel-review-bone-parish-volume-1-by-cullen-bunn-art-by-jonas-scharf/

This is one intense and gory graphic novel. And yet it's also brilliant at the same time. The concept is that a family has created a new drug, one made from the ashes of the dead. Snorting it allows you to see the dead the ash is made from. So you could talk to, play with, party with, have sex with a dead person. Maybe it's a stranger, your friend or even a lover. Think of the possibilities! But of course with any drug there are extreme adverse reactions that can happen. And once it's successful everyone wants a slice of this new drug.

I really enjoyed the story here. There are a lot of things happening all at once; but as they are all related to the drug and mostly happening to the family members of the makers/creators of said Ash. This first volume gives just enough to get to know some of the characters, set-up the plot, and add some real moments of intrigue. Each of our people uses the drug in a slightly different way and each comes with it's own interesting side effects.

I would definitely keep reading this one if I saw it for cheap or at my library. It's not really to my personal style for graphic novels; but the art is decent, the gore isn't too much and the story is brilliant. I could see teenagers really loving this story; and it has the side effect of showing how dangerous drugs are in general.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Thanks to BOOM! and Netgalley for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Bone Parish follows a crime family in New Orleans, that’s begun to push a new drug onto the streets simply referred to as “ash.”
This drug is promised to give the most potent and life-altering experience to the user, due to the fact, they are actual life-experiences/memories that are taken out of the bodies of the dead.

Cullen Bunn really fell on my radar after I read Harrow County, and much of what I really appreciated from that, is present here. Bunn really is able to contextualize specific snapshots of Americana in each panel.

My only criticism, was that the characters, in my opinion, really started to become too much like one another, in such a way, it was hard to follow with motivations and what each member of this family was ultimately trying to achieve. I know this is the first collected volume in an ongoing series, but I am interested to see where this story will ultimately go, especially with a concept as fascinating as this.

So I really liked this! The story here is interesting -- we follow a family who are producing and selling a hot new drug that is made from the remains of the dead.

The art throughout was clean and easy to follow, and the story left me wanting more. I'll definitely be looking for the next volume of this one!

4 stars for Bone Parish Vol. 1

Thank you to NetGalley and BOOM! Studios for providing me with a DRC of this book.

A blend of crime and horror, Bone Parish follows a Louisiana crime family who sell a drug called Ash, which is made from corpses. The drug allows its user, among other things, to experience the memories of the dead. Struggling to keep up with demand, the family find themselves under the attention of other drug gangs who want their operation for themselves.

As engaging as the central and subplots are throughout Bone Parish, the real crowning jewel of the piece is the stunning artwork. It is simply beautiful to look at and both compliments as well as underlines the macabre mood of the story.

Recommended.

With thanks to Boom and Netgalley for the ARC.

Well I had started reading it but the file expired and I no longer have access to the book anymore. The art that I was able to see was cool looking but didnt get to far into it to judge the story to well.
Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for the chance to read and review.

There is a new drug in town in the horror/crime graphic novel, Bone Parish Vol 1. Just don’t ask what they make it out of…

Ash is a new hallucinogen that allows user to experience someone else’s life. It is incredibly popular but also so strong it kills some inexperienced users. The creator and her family can’t keep up with demand—no matter how many gravediggers they hire. Ash is composed of the burned remnants of dead bodies. The more interesting the life story, the better the high. When the family’s profit becomes the talk of the drug underworld, other gangs try to take over the family’s business.

The mixing of necromancy, New Orleans’ gothic atmosphere, and a noir crime family is almost as intoxicating as the drug, Ash. Bone Parish Vol 1 is concerned more with introducing the character’s stories and is rather short on plot in the middle section. However, the beautiful and atmospheric artwork makes the trip stimulating. The conclusion also promises more excitement in the next volume. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars!

Thanks to BOOM! Studios and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Excellent modern horror novel that pulls at ancient myths and gothic horror while also incorporating today's events. The characters are really well laid out and their struggles are complex. I'm glad to see the emergence of more and more black horror books, movies and tv, this is a great addition to that wave. Readers of Walking Dead should be glad to jump on this one too.

If I had to make one complaint about “Bone Parish Volume 1” it would be that it ends at a point that just makes you want to read more. And I suppose that’s more of a compliment than a complaint, when you think about it. Because what better way to tell a story about a new and rather macabre drug, than to have it end on a cliffhanger, leaving readers craving more? The story really pulled me in, and the art is quite good. I received an advanced reading copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. However, had I instead come across “Bone Parish” in a shop, I could easily see myself buying it after a quick glance. I look forward to Volume 2.

A family strives in the underground business with the sales of a new drug that allows a person to live the memories of the dead.

Cullen Bunn delivers an atmospheric story that introduces the key actors interested in this drug and the underlying effects of its consumption through a rough and dark artwork. It still, however, struggles to make its characters relevant and relatable as it focuses on setting up the world.

By blending supernatural elements with horror, Bone Parish (Vol. 1) promises a hauntingly immersive story that explores the afterlife, necromancy and noir crime in a terrifyingly addictive fashion.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for my open and honest review.

I loved this story. Mafia meets magic. The story begins with a man in the street under the influence of a necromantic drug that allows you to see or live the life of the dead body the drug is made out of. The drugs are created with different purposes, so the family needs different bodies with a different background to make them. The story is dark and gloomy, albeit a typical story arc. Family with a heart of gold has a tragedy, strikes revenge, sniffs the charred remains of their enemies as they are driven before them, and tacos. Just kidding, no tacos.

This is a winner of a book, good story, great art, interesting and inventive take on mafia families. Check it out.

The artwork in Bone Parish Vol. 1 is marvelous. The dark and gloomy artwork goes well with the contents of this graphic novel. This is a story of drugs and family drama. I truly enjoyed getting to know these characters, about the drug (Ash), and their family story. This was beautifully entwined for the dark story that it is, and it certainly one to write home about.

"The living...they lie and cheat and double-cross. But not the dead. The Ash always reveals the truth."

This grisly graphic novel had me hooked from the very beginning and did not disappoint. Bone Parish by Cullen Bunn is the horrifying tale of humanity and the lengths it will go to feel alive, to experience adventure, to love, to feel complete, or feel nothing at all.

CONTENT WARNING for drugs, loss of a loved one, graphic content, violence, suicide, and war themes. If any of these are triggers for you, please proceed with caution. ♡

I normally don't have any interest in stories focused on mobsters and drug cartels, however the premise is unique and sparks interest. This story follows the POC crime family Winters, an upstart drug cartel pushing a new product into the New Orleans market called Ash, a cocaine-esque powder like hallucinogenic cooked via the remains of the dead. Ash allows the user to experience flickers of memories from the dead they have consumed, or temporarily gain skills they otherwise wouldn't have. I couldn't put my finger on why this seemed so eerily familiar for the longest time, until I realized that this shares very similar aspects to the storyline of television show iZombie (which I love).

AESTHETICS: This is the type of book cover I would face outwards on my bookshelf, it's dark and oh so visually pleasing. The illustrations are gorgeous as well, in a gritty neon noir sort of way. I have to give mad props to the colorist Alex Guimaraes here because the use of color is just brilliant; half is moody and muted while the other half has this vibrant ethereal quality to it, which varies from panel to panel to convey either reality vs fantasy or the present vs the past, and the atmospheric juxtaposition is utterly delicious. The horror was grotesque and graphic, however I didn't personally find this to be overly graphic and would have liked to see more of that content. Specifically, pages 93 and 94 were just wow.

"Here, have a crawdaddy. It'll take the edge off."
"Watching you suck the heads off those mudbugs is enough to put me off them forever."

A few other things I thoroughly enjoyed:
♥ Scene transitions were smooth, bonus points for being able to "hear" that dramatic noir film effect every time a speaker fades out/in.
♥ Background ambience in general touches on the sensories. If you are familiar with New Orleans in the slightest, you're sure to be swept into the night life.
♥ The eyes! They are so intense and easily draw the focal.
♥ The best, unapologetically fierce mother's revenge.
♥ I personally loved all the crustacean foodie stuff and the alligators, they really helped make the cajun vibes that much more authentic.

There were a few things I didn't particularly care for, mostly having to do with how I never really connected with any of the characters or what they were doing (other than Brigitte, her lab is my main source of fascination). From the get-go everyone is scattered about doing their own thing which seems like poor business management. Any shady business owner worth their salt never ever samples their product or engages in personal relationships with competitors, it's the surest recipe for unsustainability and disaster. It's called organized crime for a reason, Winters, get your shit together!

TO CONCLUDE, this graphic novel is unique to the mobster genre and the intertwining supernatural forces are sure to delight. The visuals are stunning and the premise is promising, however the characters don't make the best choices and may be a source of irritation. Overall, this is a pretty great read!