Fashion design is cut-throat, and sometimes the best way to beat your peers is to get rid of them, permanently. I very much enjoyed this collection and I hope to see more!

This was great. A fun, quick horror read with great illustrations (though I thought the style was going to be different after seeing the cover). I will say I was a little confused by the ending and what was maybe happening with her necklace throughout but I may have missed something. Still great and would recommend.

Horror/comedy graphic novel
Dark comedy , quirky, gory

The plot was balanced, a bit Dexterish, and very quick and easy to get through. Not really for squeamish, "needs trigger warning" types. Loved the artwork!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was such a fun little gory horror read. I mean with a title like that it’s expected. I loved the art style. It’s a story you need to just read for fun not for the plot line, though that wasn’t bad, just a little rushed at the end.

Truly the power of a good friendship lmao

Thank you to NetGalley & Image Comics for an eARC! Review & opinions are honest and my own!

It’s such an intriguing premise: a serial killer who also happens to be a fashion designer, creating garments out of very fresh materials. Honestly, this concept feels like it deserves a Hannibal episode. I really enjoyed the art and the stylish twist on horror, but the story lost some momentum for me in the last two chapters. Rennie's bestie's situation felt both rushed and a little unbelievable. Is she supposed to be Liam Neeson in Taken? And how did none of this trigger a police investigation? Despite the leaps in logic, it was still a fun read, just one that I wish had been a little more grounded.

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley

~

I Was A Fashion School Serial Killer
by Doug Wagner


I was immediately drawn to this one by the cover, the concept and the title. I'm so glad I chose it, because this was a really fun read.

There are definite hints of Elizabeth Bathory in the storyline, as well as some satisfying revenge on people who really deserve it. I actually liked all of the characters, who had very clear characterization, right down to their looks. There was a lot of diversity in the characters as well as their crimes – some were well-meaning but selfish, others were downright criminals.

The artwork was really gorgeous. It was very evocative and really laid the groundwork for a lot of unspoken moments, such as when we got a close-up of a piece of jewellery or clothing that proved to be important later.

I would definitely read more of this, if Wagner was ever to make a sequel or spin-off.

Thank you to NetGalley and Image Comics for a complimentary early release copy of I Was a Fashion School Serial Killer by Doug Wagner.

This was a quick but enjoyable horror graphic novel read! I liked the art style of the novel and the storyline was interesting. I wasn’t too invested in the characters, you don’t really get much background regarding any of them but I didn’t mind them. I wish some more context was given to certain plot points or characters but otherwise this book just really focuses on the deaths. They feel a bit cartoony but I liked them, the gore was graphic but it didn’t feel over done. I would have liked to see more been done with the kills, I like Rennie’s style/what she does after kills but I would have liked to have seen more outfits (if you know what I mean). Overall, This is definitely a book where you would have to suspend your disbelief/not take it too seriously. It was still a fun time though and I enjoyed the gore and horror elements!

A aspiring fashion designer learns to juggle going to a prestigious fashion school with her own blood lust while learning to make friends, deal with college drama... and the bodies she's hiding in her house. This is part thriller part female rage story, and it was completely AMAZING!! I absolutely adored reading this and the story sucked me in immediately. The art is fantastic and the overall story arch just has you so invested!! This was such a fun read and one i'd absolutely recommend!

Release Date: December 16, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Image Comics for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

** spoiler alert ** Rennie Bethary is a brilliant but deeply disturbed fashion designer, newly accepted into the prestigious New York Fashion and Design Institute. Talented, neurotic, and intensely reclusive, Rennie harbors a monstrous secret: she’s a serial killer with a rare skin condition that can only be soothed by blood—specifically, blood baths.

Her victims? Stalkers, predators, and anyone who pushes her too far. Their flesh becomes fabric, their bones—accessories. Each piece she creates is a haunting work of art, stitched together from violence, vengeance, and compulsion.

A loner by nature, Rennie unexpectedly finds herself drawn into a friend group when Sofie—a warm, curious classmate—welcomes her in. For the first time, Rennie begins to feel something close to belonging. But as she juggles the pressures of fashion school, fragile new friendships, and her dark urges, a deeper horror begins to surface.

Beneath the Institute’s glittering reputation lies a far more sinister truth. Rennie uncovers that the Dean is exploiting financially vulnerable students, coercing them into silence, then selling them into international trafficking rings. And now, Sofie—her only real connection to the world—is the next target.

This time, Rennie isn't killing for her art. She’s killing to save someone she cares about.


The comic stands out with a compelling concept, strong panel composition, and striking artwork that elevates the story’s dark, stylish tone. However, the pacing feels rushed at key moments, making certain story beats feel underdeveloped or abrupt. A deeper exploration of Rennie’s backstory and internal conflict would have added emotional weight and made her arc even more impactful.

Good for her! I Was a Fashion School Serial Killer is about a fashion student, Rennie Bethary, who is also a serial killer. She meets Sofie, who is persistent in being friends with her. After warming up to Sofie, they become best friends. When Sofie unexpectantly drops out of school due to not paying her tuition, Rennie goes on the hunt to find out what happened to her new best friend.

I loved the story and graphics! I did think the illustrations were going to look different based on the cover, but I still liked the style. I did not like the typical meal girl trope, it seemed very high school when they're supposed to be in college. I always love a good revenge/vengeance story. The gore was great. Quick and fun read!

Thank you, NetGalley and Image Comics, for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of I Was a Fashion School Serial Killer.

I had to request this because of the title.

Rennie Bethary is a talented, budding fashion designer who has just been accepted into NYC's most lauded fashion school.

Her education and interactions with classmates will test her boundaries like never before...before she's no ordinary student.

She's also a serial killer and woe to anyone who crosses her path and hurts the people she cares about.

First, I love the illustrations; sharp, edgy, not unlike Rennie.

Second, you need to suspend disbelief for Rennie's serial killing ways. She's like Dexter except with talent and keen fashion sense.

She can pop in and out of her victim's apartments and she moves like a ninja, or a ghost.

Third, you have the standard cliches of a poor student, Sofie, who accepts Rennie for who she is and the blonde mean girl who takes jabs at Sofie's working class background.

I would have liked exposition on Rennie, her origins, where she's from, how she can afford her own apartment, stuff like that.

Like Dexter, Rennie is not your typical serial killer since she cares about Sofie and has ambitions to become a fashion designer.

I like the themes of evolving into someone better, loyalty, and friendship.

I actually really enjoyed this! It was a wild, unhinged ride. The story follows Rennie, who is a fashion designer in school, who may do some murder on the side. At least her kills don’t go to waste! She makes everything she wears!
This is dark but has lighthearted and tender moments too. The friendships Rennie makes through school are heartwarming.
I definitely could have read something longer and more fleshed out. But this was still a great, short, impactful read.

Veronica Mars with a KILLER twist. I'll admit the cover had me hesitant, but this was a fun ride. I definitely plan on continuing with the series!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This was fun, a quick read. I wish it had gone a little bit more in depth into the characters, their backgrounds and such, but all in all it was well done.