Always enjoy me some Junji Ito! This ARC was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I've really started to become more of a fan of horror manga in the past few years and Junji Ito immediately flew to the top of my list of favorites. It's not that they are overly scary, but that they are just creepy and interesting enough to keep going. Not every story is going to hit the mark for everyone, but you are sure to find at least a few that will keep you coming back.

This happens to be a collection of Ito's earlier work, and while it feels somewhat lacking, I still enjoyed it. I think part of why I like his work so much is how creative it is, how sometimes it is entirely graphic and gruesome and just so unbelievable and yet captivating. I guess that's why it's considered bizarro horror, I genre I recently learned about.

I received an eARC of this title through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Junji Ito does it again. The artwork is horrifying and the stories are equally so. I honestly am not sure what else to say other than if you are into horror both supernatural and human, Junji Ito is someone you should read.

These are early works and it shows in that things are a little rough. The genius still shines through though, especially in the creepy twins story.

Great horror manga! Definitely creepy and I think that fans of the genre will love this title. Would recommend.

Junji Ito's horror stories are usually a pretty fun and wild ride and this collection was no exception. There were a few tales that were slight duds, but even those still had the amazing artwork to help carry them along. It would probably not be a great first work of his to dive into, but I'd recommend this for existing fans who already know what they're getting into.

Junji Ito continues to show why he is the master of manga horror. This collection features stories from early in his career (1987-1990) and was original published by Dark House in the mid 2000s. This collection when read together with his other collections really show his growth as a writer and illustrator. While not nearly as creepy as his other later stories, I found this collection wonderful.

Another wonderful and sinister collection from Junji Ito! It’s great to see some of Ito’s earlier work, and this is another volume of grotesque and fantastic stories to enthrall his fans.

Junji Ito is a master, and this story collection is no different.

His artwork is as masterful as his storytelling. While not all of these stories are for me (some of it is just too disturbing for my tastes), I cannot deny his brilliance.

I would highly recommend to anyone who as read his work in the past, as well as anyone who can appreciate art and horror at the same time.

4 stars

Another womnderful Junji Ito entry; our horror and manga fans love it and we will be purchasing copies.

I do love me some Junji Ito. Deserter is a collection of some of his earliest works, and it's fascinating to see the differences in style and technique compared to his newer publications. While his stories can sometimes be hit-or-miss, this collection had plenty to enjoy.

This is another fantastic short story collection from one of the master's of horror Junji Ito. With Ito's work being so vast, it's difficult to know where to start if you're new. This collection is a great starting point.. As always, it's filled with eerie, disgusting, and intricate art that's so grotesque you want to stop looking at, but find you can't because it's so captivating. Id' recommend this for both new and longstanding Ito fans. Not as strong as other collections, like Shiver, but still really solid.

I absolutely love Junji Ito's work. Seeing some of his earlier works in Deserter was great. Where the Sandman Lives has some great body horror for readers who are fans of that particular subgenre of horror. Review for Monser Librarian forthcoming.

ARC from Netgalley.
Another wonderful short story collection from Junji Ito, master of horror manga. Some of these are very early in his career, and you can tell from the art, but still fantastic.
Highlights (with as few spoilers as possible):
Bio House - A woman goes to her boss' house for dinner, due to their shared affection for weird and gross food. But what happens when he tries to get her to drink his blood?

Face Thief - A young girl is able to copy other's faces just from hanging out around them a lot.

Where the Sandman Lives- A young author with extreme insomnia gets the help of a young girl to watch him sleep. (Ever want to see someone get turned inside out?)

The Devil's Logic- Can you persuade someone to kill themselves?

The Long Hair in the Attic - After a breakup, Chiemi decides its time for a haircut, since her boyfriend was the one that asked her to grow it long. But what if the hair isn't ready to end the relationship?

Scripted Love - Can you be more in love with a video version of your significant other then the person themselves?

The Reanimator's Sword- Keiji's grandfather just died. So, in response to a story he heard, he goes out that night to "catch the soul". Grabbed up by a 'reanimator', the grandfather is resurrected, but what happens when Keiji gets greedy for the powers of the 'reanimator'?

A Father's Love - (The longest story in the collection) Mr Todoh has three children. Over the years, his first two children have committed suicide, and he can't understand why. When his youngest daughter Miho starts becoming involved with a boy, she begins to experience headaches, and for a short time afterwards, seems like a completely different person. What is going on with this family?

Unendurable Labyrinth - Sayako and Noriko get lost while on a hike and come across a secret and hidden temple. They claim their meditation techniques will give 'peace for the rest of your life'. (If you can't kind of guess where that's going....)

Village of the Siren - A small town gets taken over when a magician becomes mayor and summons a demon to help control the people.

Bullied - Kuriko tells her fiance of a time when she bullied a young kid, Nao, relentlessly. It has haunted her for years. Will getting the story off her conscience help ease her into marriage? Or what will change when a now grown up Nao comes back into her life. (I was surprised by the way this ended...)

Deserter - An army deserter lives in the barn loft of a family out in the wilderness. He only shows up once a day to eat with them. How long has he been there? Have the military ever come looking for him?

I don't think I will ever get tired of Ito's short stories. Obviously not for those who can't handle extreme gore and horror.... but otherwise, strong recommend.

What an interesting read! This is the first book like this that I have read and I am glad this was the first. Beautiful artwork that worked really well with the short stories told here.

Loved this one and can't wait to hear more from the author.

Another fantastic collection of Junji Ito short stories. These stories focus more on supernatural and magical stories than some of his other collections, which have a lot of body horror. Just like his other stories, though, the big reveal often comes on the last page of the story, so don't go into these expecting a lot of conclusion for any of these stories. Ito loves to leave readers right on the cliffhanger and doesn't go back to them.

Review - Deserter

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this graphic novel.

I have once again come away in absolute awe of Junji Ito’s work, this collection of his earliest works were as impressive as his later work.

I actually thought the story “Deserter” was the weakest of the collection, but it’s also the final one in the book, as always Junji Ito’s bizarre imagination mixed with the art style is gripping, creepy and downright weird.

This is definitely the least scary of all the works, so a good starting place for someone not quite ready to dip into some of the other works.

This is a great collection of Junji Ito's early work. The stories and illustrations are haunting and creepy. There are plot twists that come out of nowhere.

What can I say it's Junji Ito masterful storytelling, wonderful artwork but it did not feel as terrifying as his other works. It felt like it was missing something.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

4 out of 5 stars

Twelve manga stories that are disturbing, creepy, gory and violent. Truly wonderful for readers of horror fiction with the bonus of illustrations!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is classic Junji Ito! Equal parts fascinating and terrifying, this collection of short stories was hard to put down. Just as with Juni Ito’s other books, this one is perfectly depicted in the illustrations, which are terrifying pieces of art! If you are a horror fan, a manga fan, give this one a try!