Thank you NetGalley and Image Comics for this arc!

5/5 stars

This was a really interesting take on the killer imaginary friend idea, and I was riveted from start to finish. Melba and Agent Crockett's partnership growing from start to finish was nice to see, and their character growth both individually and together was well thought out and cohesive. The artwork was very well done, the imps were quite creepy!!! I hope this will be a series, as I'd love to see Agents Li and Crockett investigate more of these creatures. Also, I love the X-Files reference with the poster in her office! 👽

Holy sh*t. Loved this graphic novel. The concept of imaginary friends being not only real but potentially real dangerous was insane. Seriously loved every second of it. The dynamic between Melba and Polly was one of my faves. I really hope we get to see more. Very well written and the illustrations were phenomenal.

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Do you love creepy as hell best friends? You will love Polly and Melba. I was drawn in by the gorgeous, detailed art, and stayed for the plot and ass-kicking. I loved everything about this and would recommend it to anyone who is into the macabre. This story will stay with me for a while and I'm excited to reread it in the future.

Slight spoilers ahead ‼️

Melba was accused of murdering her best friend when she was 10 years old. But she insists that it she was forced by her imaginary friend, Polly Peachpit, a giant invisible spider demon. 8 years later, Melba is given the chance to work with the FBI to help with crimes related to IMPs (Interdimensional Mental Parasites), but she has to bring Polly with her...

Thank you to Netgalley and Image comics for this title!

I loved this book. The art was great, the story was great, it was creepy and gruesome and uncomfy in the best ways. Definitely recommend!!

Imaginary Friends Are TERRIFYING!

Imaginary Fiends by Tim Seeley is such a chaotic, twisted blast that takes the idea of imaginary friends and turns it into something monstrous. Following Melba Li, who’s fresh out of a mental institution and trying to rebuild her life as a faux FBI agent. The story wastes no time throwing her right back into the orbit of Polly Peachpit, her imaginary friend from childhood. However, in this universe, imaginary friends are wholly dangerous. Like a terrifying combination of the monsters from Something Is Killing The Children and supernatural creatures from our worst nightmares. Polly is violent, manipulative, and weirdly charismatic, and watching her clash with Melba as she attempts to save a missing child, makes such a deliciosu tension. These fiends are around every corner and things get BLOODY! It’s bloody, darkly funny, and a little feral in the best way, blending over‑the‑top horror with something sharper underneath about trauma and control. Honestly, it’s the kind of graphic novel that just grabs you and doesn't let you go until the very end! I hope we get more stories in this universe, because you count me in to be the first to read them!

Perfect for Fans of I Will Kill Your Imaginary Friend for $200!

First off, the art is incredible. Stephen Molnar absolutely killed it. Everything is dark, moody and vibrant, with a style that perfectly suits the story. The IMPs (Interdimensional Mental Parasites) look fantastic, and the whole world feels carefully designed rather than just being weird for the sake of it.

This edition collects all six issues into one 144-page graphic novel, and it reads really smoothly that way. There's always enough happening that it never feels rushed, but it also doesn't overstay its welcome.

The story itself is creepy, fun and surprisingly clever. It slowly unravels as it goes, peeling back layers and revealing that there is far more going on beneath the surface than first appears. It has a nice balance between horror, mystery and humour, and there are definite shades of The X-Files and late 80s and 90s monster stories throughout.

What I really appreciated was that, despite dealing with some dark themes, it never loses its sense of fun. The weirdness is embraced rather than explained away, which made me want to keep turning the pages just to see where things were going next.

And a special mention has to go to the "I Want to Believe" poster in the FBI office near the end. That got a big grin out of me. Not exactly subtle, but when you're already getting strong X-Files vibes it felt like a little wink to the audience rather than fan service.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable read. Great art, memorable monsters, and a story that manages to be creepy without losing its sense of adventure. I'd happily spend more time in this world.

This was truly a wild ride. This reminds me of Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV, which I read before this but was actually published after Imaginary Fiends was first published. This one was definitely a much trippier story, though, which is apt given what happens in this graphic novel LOL. This is probably the first comic book I’ve ever read where I was genuinely unsettled by one of the illustrations; Fraidy is SO creepy looking. I also found Polly to be equal parts terrifying and hilarious. Anyway, this is the kind of story where you have to have faith and trust that everything will make sense in the end because, at times, it almost felt like pages were missing in that the story didn’t always feel coherent or as if maybe it wasn’t being told in a straightforward manor. Having said that, though, once I finished and had the complete picture, I understood that this comic was actually telling a pretty impressive story about humanity’s capacity for evil and ignorance as well as the lengths some will go to to protect the status quo. Truly appreciate the opportunity to read this ahead of the publishing of the new edition on October 27th.

Tim Seeley writes horror well and knows how to shape the comics world. Stephen Molnar’s artistic approach to this book was also amazing to see. I highly recommend this book (and anything else by Seeley).

I LOVED this graphic novel. The art style is unreal and the story itself was fun. A lover of all things dark, and this was truly a whirlwind of an experience. After finding more books on Goodreads following Polly Peachpit, I would love to see more.
Thank you for sending this to review!

This is such a cool, well executed horror graphic novel!

The artwork is insane and the story is so clever.

At some point I suddenly realized Polly Peachpit was my favourite character. I absolutely loved her dialogue.

Thank you to NetGalley, Image Comics and Tim Seeley, Stephen Molnar, Quinton Winter for this eARC.

*for anyone having issues accessing this title, I was able to read it via Thorium Reader on my PC. After downloading the file to my computer, I followed the steps from NetGalley’s “help” section with the links found under “Computer”.

A horror graphic novel with some great illustrations! Kinda reminded me of the style of SIKTC. Which I’m a huge fan of!

Amazing artwork, and Amazing story telling skills!!
I really enjoyed this graphic novel!
Melba Li grew up in an mental institution for something her imaginary fiend made her do.
She can see imaginary fiends and she has been asked by the FBI to help fight an invisible battle with the help of her fiend Polly Peachpit.
I definitely want more!

Oh, this is so good! I really loved the artwork and the idea behind this graphic novel is so imaginative (see what I did there) I was pulled in immediately. Loved this, can't wait for more!