A beautifully rendered gothic comic. I love the way the horror is blended with humor, and it is nice to see the works compiled together. The story is entertaining and full of drama.

I remember seeing this manga years ago, and I was pleasantly surprised when it popped up again as a collection. This bizarre story is interesting for all individuals.

The art is great, it's unique and detailed in a special way.

The story's interesting and one of my favourite aspects of this book is that the reader is exposed to some of the characters' backstory via old newspapers. It feels creepy at first, however, it looses its touch soon.

Over time, the story feels repetitive and the characters become blander.

Unfortunately, I DNFed this book in the first 15%. It just didn't grab my attention.

I was first drawn to this graphic novel because of the synopsis. A girl and a forgotten town with lost souls and a Gothic setting? Count me in. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations but it was still a decent read.

The art was quite interesting. There were a lot of shadows and the characters could be drawn quite blurry at times. I think this was due to the art style, so that aspect was more of a it's me, not you kind of situation.

In regards to the story line and characters, it was a bit of a let down. I couldn't always understand what was happening or certain actions of the characters. I don't think the character development was very strong or clear, but this may be due to the fact that this is only the first volume in the series. As well, I couldn't connect with the characters and felt that they needed to show a bit more emotion or defining characteristics. I didn't find myself particularly engaged throughout, even with such a promising premise.

I did still find Bizenghast a relatively interesting read, but due to the disconnect with the characters and plot line, I don't think this is something I would recommend.

I’ve had this comic book on my shelf to read and review for quite some time, I just didn’t get to it until now. (I’ve known about it for quite, quite some time, back when the author posted on deviantART, and when I saw it on NetGalley, well, it reminded me that at some point, many years ago, I used to check on the related art from time to time.) It gathers the first chapters of the Bizenghast series, and I’d say it’s more an introduction for now, but still giving the reader to see enough.

A strange girl who isn’t getting over her parents’ death and whose health seems to suffer in consequence; a boy who seems to be her only friend, in the small remote town where she lives with her aunt who doesn’t know what to do with her; and a contract signed in a mysterious castle with a strange arachnoid-slash-humanoid being, with the goal of freeing spirits who couldn’t find solace in death, following a trail of riddles. I am not sure yet where this is leading, but in themselves, the first ‘tasks’ involved sufficiently creepy elements to keep me hooked.

The art is sometimes confusing and inconsistent, though, potentially because it’s a work that started years ago, and one can see the author’s style changed over the years. Still, it’s worth a read.

I couldn't read the book, so I can't give a honest review.

Pubblicato per la prima volta nel 2005, Bizenghast è un fumetto gotico in otto parti, di cui le prime tre sono state riproposte quest'anno nel primo volume dell'edizione da collezione.

Protagonista è una ragazzina rimasta orfana a causa di un incidente stradale, Dinah, che va a vivere con la zia in una casa dell'immaginaria cittadina di Bizenghast, nel New England. L'edificio ha in passato ospitato una sorta di collegio, in cui probabilmente i ragazzi non venivano trattati nel migliore dei modi.
Ciò che ben presto la quindicenne scopre, è che la dimora sorge su un mausoleo, e che lei stessa ha la missione di liberare ogni notte un fantasma; nel caso dovesse fallire, la sua punizione sarà rimanere in quel luogo per sempre.
La sua vita viene così a complicarsi di molto: tra il terrore delle avventure notturne, la perdita dei giorni di scuola, l'altalenante rapporto con la zia che la crede schizofrenica e medita di rinchiuderla in un istituto, l'unica persona che Dinah si ritroverà accanto sarà l'amico Vincent, fido compagno e aiutante nella sua lotta contro gli spiriti...

Il tratto utilizzato dall'autrice per la gran parte della storia purtroppo non mi è piaciuto, anzi, mi spiace dire di averlo trovato proprio brutto, mentre alcune tavole, e in particolare quelle recanti il titolo di ogni avventura, sono davvero bellissime.
Ho notato, però, che per parte di esse il richiamo alle illustrazioni di Alice in Wonderland di John Tenniel è davvero evidente (e immagino voluta), così come, riguardo questa volta la trama, la somiglianza tra l'episodio della mela e la storia biblica.

Le premesse della storia mi avevano incuriosito, ma la realizzazione è veramente confusa e disorganica.
Le avventure si concludono troppo velocemente; alcuni dei fantasmi avrebbero potuto essere dei personaggi molto interessanti, se solo fossero stati indagati più a fondo e le loro vicende avessero occupato più spazio.
Purtroppo, proprio quando mi sembrava che le cose si facessero finalmente coinvolgenti, il volume è terminato con un cliffhanger.

Dinah, orphaned in a car accident as a child, lives with her aunt in a large, Gothic styled home. She is tormented by "fits" and sees ghosts. While wandering with her friend Vincent, they stumble across the forgotten graveyard that no one could prove ever existed. While there, they discover that the restless souls of Bizenghast want to come home, and need Dinah to help them. If she can't solve the riddles to free the souls, her life is forfeit.

The art is gorgeous in this manga series, inspired by the Gothic Lolita look. This volume is remastered and edited from the original publication date. It's a fairly straightforward story, and Dinah starts off as a very fragile girl, prone to crying and hiding behind Vincent to do the tasks for her. But she admits herself that she's tired of being scared all the time, and facing the horrors of the souls' riddles to free them also helps her grow. She is less frightened and less reliant on Vincent; he has to learn that some shortcuts can't be taken, and the important things in life aren't actually things.

The story is interesting and different. The art is beautiful. It's a manga. What's not to like?!

Bizenghast Volume 1 by M. Alice LeGrow

2 stars

I remember seeing this manga series on TokyoPop’s page years ago, when I was obsessed with manga and looking for new ones to read. If I had read this when I first came across this years ago, this would have been a favorite. It’s weird enough that I would’ve lapped it up even if it made absolutely zero sense to me. This manga make zero sense to me now and I just don’t get it.


First, the art isn’t my style. The covers are so beautiful and gothic, but the actual art in context with the story is bland and I just didn’t find myself captivated are drawn to any images. The story itself is… whimsical? It reminds me of an Alice in Wonderland level of weird and that’s all fine and dandy if we are talking about the original animated classic, but the novel itself doesn’t gel with me. I wish I could say I love whimsical things, but I don’t think I do when it comes to hit and misses, I’m missing constantly with finding whimsical stories I love. I have an understanding of the story, that’s not the problem, the problem is that it makes no sense to me as to why this is important or being told. I know it’s the first volume of a fantasy manga and this is bound to happen, but I don’t want that to happen. I want to be hooked. I want to be entranced. I want to be ensnared in the roots of Bizenghast and binge read the whole manga series, but that didn’t happen.


Art Scale: 2.25

Whimsical Writing Scale: 2

Character Scale: 2

I’ve read spoilers for the series on Wikipedia and while this series is incredibly dark and gruesome, I personally don’t feel a strong attachment to continuing. Also, my edition was cut off or it just ended abruptly. Not sure. Either way I know what happens in the series so I don’t feel cheated. I recommend this manga to people who like paranormal, gothic settings, weird storylines, and death.


Plotastic Scale: 2.5

Cover Thoughts: I LOVE the covers for this series. So morbid and weird.

Thank you, Netgalley and TokyoPop for providing me with a copy of this manga in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved two things about this graphic novel, and absolutely hated one thing.
Loved: 1. The artwork is stunning. The whole story could be told through visuals alone. No words necessary. 2. The riddles the characters have to solve are brilliantly constructed.
Hated: The boy does all of the real work while the girl sits around and freaks out.
Other than the girl being incapable of functioning without the boy, the story is fantastic. I highly recommend it.

I can not believe I left this manga on my TBR list for so long!!! Why? I was luckly enough to get a galley of the collectors edition which is good considering my library has been missing volumes one and three for a while.

Dinah has a contract and must help the Mausoleum send spirits forward. She has some help from her friend Brian. She is a little crazy to start off with, but mellows out as she continues her assignments for the Mausoleum. It makes me think that if the movies Pan’s Labyrinth and Crimson Peak had a love child, it would be this book. And I now totally want Del Toro to make it a dream come true. The art is amazing, and I would love to also see a full color version. I am glad this series is being reissued. Now to go find books 3-8.

Added Goodreads
Added Litsy

Very unique story and at the same time strange. The artwork is raw and have the potential to be captivating. Although I'm not sure if I'll read another one, but I gave it 3 stars overall.

This was an interesting look at what I'm sure is quite a satisfying collection, but not one I'll be on board for throughout the whole thing. It's a strange mix – the readability and quick page turns of manga, but it's more of a teen goth adventure series, where a whole host of weird puzzles and dangers have to be bypassed by a girl-who-can-see-ghosts and her ill-defined 'boyfriend' in order to free the town's lost spirits. I guess it's all the better for not coming out with nearly all the answers (especially regarding the town's past and the boy), but at times the plotting can jump so many beats ("I don't know how we're supposed to do that" – "we just did it") and shift around quite needlessly that you beg for more clarity. The artwork too can go from just perfect to just confusing. The other dichotomy is the split between the wonderful scope and potential of it all, and the routine pattern of task after task after task. Add in a seeming lack of threat (the heroes just get teleported out of the way of danger, it seems) and annoying side characters, and you have a book that may well satisfy many a young reader and may have opened out into something wondrous, but on the evidence of the original Book One was not for me.

I found this graphic novel difficult to read. I didn't understand the storyline. I know it's about a girl who see ghosts with a friend named Vincent. I can't recommend reading or not reading this story. I think I may be missing something.

Somehow I expected much more from this book, however this does not mean that I didn't enjoy it. It was a nice window to the Islamic life, but it seemed a bit rushed and the end was... well, a bit "strange".

I love the art style for the book although it's not always consistent. It's very detailed and has a gothic feel, although on some of the wider shots with the human characters the bodies are out of proportion. However, I really love looking at the nature and architecture scenes because of how incredibly detailed and beautiful they are. The story itself is interesting and strange (and a bit creepy). Dinah and Vincent stumble upon an old graveyard in which the spirits of the dead are trapped and need to be free. By opening the door, Dinah enters into a contract where she must free a soul every night until all are free, or until she dies. The story also has newspaper clippings tossed in here and there to provide background on the town of Bizenghast. Dinah's parents passed away in a car crash and she is under constant watch by her relatives that take her in because she swears she sees spirits/visions. This was part 1 of 5, so I can't speak to whether or not the whole story flows well, but it is a very good start.

Bizenghast is a weird book, about as weird as it's name (which is the name of the town in Massachusetts that it takes place in). This collector's edition is a compilation of novels 1-3 and features a short author's note in the back and her reflections of the series 10 years after it has been originally published. There, I think the author sums up beautifully of why people like this book. Weird people like this book and they like it because it is weird. They find a little bit of themselves in the plot or the characters. The main character is seen as an outcast due to her fits caused by seeing ghosts. The gothic art style helps as well and really fits the story.

Speaking of the art, it is slightly inconsistent throughout the novel. It is really pretty at times and others it seems hastily drawn. The author mentions in her note she went back through and touched up a few things (though keeping most of it intact with the original). It was her first published series and her art has grown since then, but it is still very nice and fitting for her first work.

As for the characters, I really love Vincent. I haven't read the rest of the series yet, but I love the whole troupe of the boy best friend being a love interest, so I hope that gets explored more. I am not a huge fan of Dinah, however. She is selfish and whiny at times. She is also vain but that is appropriate given the art style and fashion style. The supporting cast is all right. I feel like they would perhaps grow more on me in later books.

The plot is a typical manga/anime style plot where a girl is thrown into a magical/paranormal world and must solve related problems. It's an okay plot but this is were it gets weird of course, and because of that I found it confusing at times. Overall I rate this book 3 out of 5 as in "I liked it". I would like to continue on with the series at a later time.

I received a free eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

'Bizenghast Collectors Edition V. 1' by M. Alice LeGrow collects over 500 pages of a Gothic story. It has its creepy elements, but sometimes it's confusing.

Dinah is orphaned when her parents die in a fatal car crash. She goes to live with her aunt in Bizenghast, MA in a former school called St. Lyman's School for Boys. She has a hard time accepting the death of her parents and when we meet her she is having fits and her aunt doesn't know what to do with her. A boy who lives nearby becomes her friend and they go exploring.

They find an old crumbling church nearby and a large graveyard. They end up getting tasked with entering each grave and freeing the spirits that live there. It's not an easy task. There are puzzles to solve just to get things to open up, and sometimes the ghosts don't want to exactly cooperate. They find unusual help along the way.

There are three volumes here and it's an ongoing story. There is an afterword from the author and illustrator on the evolution of the series to this point. And it does evolve in art and story quality as it goes along. There were times that it felt like the story veered off into weird areas, and it kind of lost me, but the stuff with freeing the ghosts was all good.

I received a review copy of this manga from Tokyopop, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this manga.