It certainly did take Luke, which isn't nice.

This is a competently told, if not exactly mind-blowing horror tale, with well sketched characters (impressively so, seeing the amount of pages), that is really elevated by the kinetic art.

Expect lots of gore, a huge sword, a constantly babbling cosmic horror, and a heartfelt layer underneath all of that stuff.

What an interesting read! I hadn't read a graphic novel in a very long time, and I'm glad this was the one that got me interested in this genre again. First of all, the artwork is beautifully done and I really like the use of only red (everything else is black and white) as it really fits the story. The plot kept me engaged until the end and I'm sure that a lot of people will find many parts of it relatable (except for the monsters of course!). I loved the dark vibes, and my only critiques are that I wish it was a bit longer and that the ending wasn't so abrupt. All in all it was a very enjoyable read and I would definitely recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

It Took Luke follows Sal Hernandez, an exterminator that's tired and just cannot catch a break. Sal is working long hours, living out of their van, and just wants to get things straightened out with their partner. After a mass of flesh abducts their coworker, Sal - freshly concussed - starts to lose touch with what's reality and what's hallucination.

This graphic novel is absolutely stunning in terms of artwork alone. I love the use of color and the character designs, they fit very well for this genre. Artwork aside, this story hits a little close to home for me right now. I'm feeling the overworked and underpaid energy that Sal is living through. Bouchard does a fantastic job of portraying how hustle culture... it just not the move, We really need to take care of ourselves or reality will start to blur a little too much. Sal talks about how hard it really is to quit any job you've invested a lot of time into. Writing countless resignation letters on the daily, hoping one day you'll actually hit send.

Fantastic! Hope to see more from this graphic novel team!

Really interesting story, a quick and exciting read, the art style was very cool and the story enthralling, I very much enjoyed it !!!

Not exactly sure what that ending was, but the author and illustrators made some interesting choices. I enjoyed that they only used the color red and everything else was black and white, and I liked the character design as well as the fact that this is basically just a story about a person whose work and relationship suck, but also... monsters.
Still, the ending really didn't make any sense at all unless this is going to be the beginning of a series? Not sure it is though.

A graphic novel with graphic violence called It Took Luke is set in a very near yet intriguing future. It looks as though the world has changed, with monsters lurking in plain sight and exterminators pursuing them. Our primary character Sal is one such exterminator. They generally find themselves in a difficult situation since their partner is moving away, they are living in the work van, and the work is quite demanding. They are the best at what they do, but to get the position, they gave up everything else. They are finally prepared to finish the task and mend everything, but one shift is still left to work. The distinction between reality and fiction gets dangerously hazy when someone has a concussion from a previous work and enters this situation.

Okay, I must admit that I adored this graphic novel and thought it was incredible. Everything was up my alley: the plot, the unreliable narrator, the visual style, and the use of colour. Keep in mind that there is quite a deal of blood, gore, and bodily horror if you decide to read this!

Due to its brief length, the plot is not very difficult to follow. You are kind of put into the centre of everything happening with not much world-building, but I didn't find it confusing. It, in my opinion, perfectly complements the novel's plot and prevailing tone. Sal is followed as they work their way through the day from one job to the next. They get a concussion on the first task, which renders them a somewhat unreliable narrator because Sal hears and sees things that nobody else does. That ups the intrigue and uncertainty to a whole new level.

Along with Sal, his coworkers Molly and Hussam can be seen. Considering the brief story, I felt they were all well done. I frequently think graphic novels should be lengthier so that I can fully understand the characters, but that wasn't the case in this instance. Although I would certainly like to see more of them and the narrative, I didn't think the duration detracted from it in any way. The characters didn't lack anything because they were likeable and familiar. Feeling a connection to them was pretty simple. Mainly Sal, since we view everything through them. They are struggling and feel stuck in a situation they put a lot of effort into. It is always such a struggle to leave and rebuild your life, especially knowing how much time and effort you put into something that's no longer serving you. Molly and Hussam are less present, but they feel very distinct; their personalities are clear from their actions, and I enjoyed them a lot.

And now, the visual language. I felt the illustrations of the people were well done, and the depictions of the creatures had just the appropriate amount of gore. They were incredibly realistic and downright grotesque in an alien-creature way. The only colour used in this entirely black-and-white book is red (pun intended). As I just said, there is a lot of blood and red in this. As the amount of red progressively increases until there is a lot by the end of the tale, I particularly liked this use of colour. I believe it conveys a lot about how the main character (and the others) feel, as well as how the scenario gradually becomes more hopeless and tragic.

Overall, I adored this scary book in all of its aspects and would eagerly await more! The world was terrible and fascinating, and I yearned to learn more about it. I'd also like to learn more about what transpired after this book was finished. If you like bloody hack-and-slash horror, I recommend this!

This was a decent read. Story wise it has potential, but I am not the audience demographic that parts of the story touches on, is catered too. Thank you for the opportunity to read this beforehand.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely stunning graphic novel that's full of action, commentary, and beautiful imagery. This was a joy to read and experience. Plus, it was spooky and just in time for October.

[Thank you NETGALLEY and the publisher for a proof copy in exchange for an honest review]

This graphic novel is like an existential crisis in a comic, but with some monsters added. Sal, has been doing the same job for years, exterminating monsters. They want to get out, but don't want to start their life over again in their early 30s. However this comes at the price of relationships, health, friends and a stable home.

I loved the graphics in this, the style was super unique and I loved the idea of using burnout as the main concept. What I didn't like was the ending. If this is planned to be #1 of many, I take it back, but if this is meant as a standalone, then I don't get the ending. It felt rushed as though the plot got lost somewhere or too long and the end was just stuck there for lack of anything else to do. Also Luke, the title character, had pretty much nothing to do with the plot at all, which confused me. But the art was beautiful and I would definitely continue to story. It was a fun read, if I would have liked more plot development!

A graphic novella! This was, not nice per se since it’s a horror comic, but a great quick read perfect for the upcoming spooky season.

This was wonderfully gory and I really liked Sal, our nonbinary MC who is tired, and, as the subtitle says, overworked and underpaid. Tired disaster queer is a big mood. We’re dropped right into the world—somewhat post-apocalyptic but people just keep working and going on about their days trying to make ends meet, and occasionally have to call exterminators like Sal to take care of some monsters.

Underwood’s artwork is phenomenal and I loved the dialogue and characters. One plot element was really predictable but I still enjoyed following Sal and their coworkers as they tackle this last shift and try and rescue the newbie, I just wish this was longer. I wanted a bit more from it all. I really wanted to see more of the characters, more interactions between Sal and Molly and Hussam. I wanted more space to really bring in the theme of the novella of the exploitation of workers to be a bit more textual rather really leaning on that being given via the title and blurb. I also really wish there was more to the world. I don’t need an explanation for the monsters that Sal exterminates, but the world is interesting and we get some information in passing dialogue about the state of things here and there but the story and world felt a little bare-boned.

The pacing was great though, and the paneling. Some scenes were given a bigger hit with way they were done. There are two panels/scenes in particular that really felt like a punch in the gut for me. Hope to see more stories from Bouchard, and art from Underwood.

I really enjoyed It took Like by Mark Bouchard. The characters are intriguing, with queer rep throughout but without it being anything related to the story -- the characters are just queer. That's it. The artwork is gorgeous, with some truly disgusting gore and creep-tastic monster design. High-octane action sequences and relatable protagonist challenges make this a truly worthwhile read.

A grotesque-beautiful graphic novel that, despite its gritty and horror-laden perspective on literally working yourself to death, still manages to have a dark sense of humor about the whole thing, because ain’t that just how we cope with crunch culture?

It Took Luke is a story about a team of exterminator of monsters just doing their jobs. The characters are fun to read and with a MC using they/them pronouns. It was amazing. Good story. Lots of gore. And love the drawings. The use of only red for the blood makes it *chef's kiss*. I really want to read the next graphic novel right now. Only downside is that it is kind of short but it is still a 5/5

When I started this I didn't know what to expect, however I was blown away by the story. The art, gore and characters were all great. It was a super entertaining read. Sal, our main character is an interesting perspective and overall I enjoyed this alot. Would recommend!!

This was so good! The fight scenes were great, the artwork was fantastic, and the story was great too. The monsters were so creepy looking, I really loved them.

I really enjoyed “It Took Luke”. This graphic novella examining the consequences of crunch culture was fast-paced and fascinating, with breathtaking art and a great message. I’m not typically a reader of horror but I really, really enjoyed this comic and would certainly recommend it. I liked that it has LGBTQ+ representation in that the main character is nonbinary and presumably queer, but that isn’t all that the story is about. In fact, it isn’t really integral to the story at all and instead is just treated as a fact of life which I really liked to see. I would have liked to see a little bit more worldbuilding and backstory on how the exterminators came to be, but other than that I had no criticisms.

Thank you to NetGalley and OniPress for this ARC!

Before I break down my thoughts on It Took Luke, I just want to say: wow. I went in not knowing what to expect and I was blown away by what I was met with. Honestly, if the summary sounds interesting to you, I would just tell you to go get your hands on a copy right now. (I have links to their websites at the end of the review.) It is one of the best graphic novellas I have ever read.

The art is black, white, and red. This is a color palette I love, especially in horror with a lot of blood and gore. It works really well in It Took Luke; while the art would certainly be good in just black and white, the addition of red goes a long way towards making it pop. It just adds a certain je ne sais quoi.

The character design is excellent. Maybe I’m biased because so many of the designs use elements I love (Molly is a tall, buff lady with a giant hammer. How am I supposed to not love her?) but they are all really well done. I believe part of the character’s charm comes from what an excellent job the artist, Bill Underwood, did with the character’s expressions and mannerisms. They all come across as realistic; the kinds of people whose main worries aren’t about the monster they’re about to face today but about their kids, their insurance, their ex. I fell in love with each and every one of them. Good characters are the most important thing for any story, and even though It Took Luke had only 90 pages, it did an excellent job of developing its characters in that limited space.

I have only one issue with It Took Luke: the use of the trope of the monster disguised as something harmless (a la the husky in The Thing or the puppies in Getter Robo Armageddon) though in this case it is a child, not a dog. This is a bit confusing to me, as this seems to break the rules of The Shopper as portrayed throughout the rest of the story. The Shopper isn’t like the Thing; it doesn’t spread like a virus, it accrues. Even the seemingly singular scientist Sal fights in the garden area is connected to the main body via a tentacle. The dog things the team fights shortly after don’t seem to be connected to or incorporated by the Shopper (probably unrelated test subjects). None of the other people who have been taken by the Shopper stay silent like the child does—they all speak constantly up until they are damaged enough to die. There are so many questions—why is there a child in the facility in the first place? It’s a research facility handling dangerous creatures. Why doesn’t the team question the child’s presence? While they are under a lot of pressure, with two teammates injured, it’s a strange enough thing that I wondered why not even Molly—who is uninjured and experienced—questions why there would be an uninjured child in the middle of a dangerous animal enclosure located in the heart of a research facility.

Thinking on it, there are some theories I have about why the child was there. Perhaps it was placed there by the Shopper—after all, the scientist Sal fights was messing with the keypad to the enclosure before they stumbled across it—and it is the offspring of the Shopper constructed in the shape of a child as another vector of infection. Still, though, the twist that the child was not a child at all was something obvious from the second Molly picked it up. It does work, I think, but it was so obvious coming that the reveal wasn’t surprising at all, lessening the impact.

While It Took Luke is an excellent package in and of itself, it is a special kind of story where the characters, world, and art work so well together that to have it only be a single 90-page graphic novel is a real shame. In the limited space given the world and character building were so expertly done that I do really want to see more of the characters and follow their journey as they struggle with horrors familiar (dead-end jobs, personal relationships, capitalism) and unfamiliar (horrible religious flesh beasts). The ending is very open and can be interpreted multiple ways, however, meaning that there is room for more. In a perfect world, It Took Luke will get the opportunity for a sequel or become a series. Even if it does not, though, this graphic novella does a perfect job of standing by itself. I hope to see more from Bouchard in the future!

I loved this comic. At just shy of 90 pages, it feels a little too short, leaving me wanting more. The story that it does tell is cohesive and complete in its own right, but I would have love to see it expanded in the transition from Kickstarter to traditional publisher.

This is a fun and bloody romp through a horrific reality where exterminators are brought in to kill monsters. The art is incredible and perfectly suited to the story. Horror lovers will devour this and be left waiting for the next volume.

Review to come to blog/goodreads on October 10th.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

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I am sorry, but I just HAD to read this book. I mean that cover? I love the style, love how scary it looks, and it reminded me (the artstyle at least) of Hellsing. I was sold. And I am sold. Because HOT DANG this was so good.

😍 That everything was black white... but if there was blood. Good lord you will see that. Love that.
😍 Love how it started off perfectly. We meet our MC who is clearly done with the shit of his work and life and who is fighting a big big lots of fangs monster. And then we cue to the monster of the book, something that wasn't a bugbear in a laboratory. That part, DANG. I was even more sold.
😍 Love how our MC is clearly all blood-drenched but doesn't give an fuck's ass about it. He just walks around. Eat his lunch. Goes back to his work/team covered in blood. At least at one point he had the decency to wash his face, because dang. I can just imagine the looks of everyone around him.
😍 I love that exterminators don't just carry guns or whatever else is normally hot in graphic novels/comics about this type of job. Oh no. Our MC has a kick-ass sword that reminded me of many RPGs I played. One of them has a big-ass hammer. I just loved seeing what each exterminator had as weapon and see them work that thing.
😍 LOVE LOVE it when the title is mentioned! On page 31 we see one of the extermination team say it to his team members and I was just squeeing. OK, maybe also not squeeing because DANG that poor dude. RIP him. First day and already being stabbed and taken by a monster, that sucks. But I guess our MC was right, this field isn't right for a rookie/newbie. Sounds harsh, but here we have the clear evidence ripping people to shreds.
😍 The action scenes, DA YUM. I love a good action scene and we get plenty of those in here and I was just so into it.
😍 The monster. And what it did. And what it says. OH YES. I am 100% in. That is one vile thing. And perfect. Scary. Horrifying and everything I want in September. Oh, and I loved the name that our MC gave it. That is very fitting. Horrifying but fitting.
😍 What is up with our MC and why he hears barking/clutches his head. Oh no.
😍 Oh yes, finding a kid in a murderous laboratory setting. Seriously? I know it sounds harsh, but I would have dropped that kid like he was a sack of burning coals.
😍 Loved reading about the characters. We get to know the MC the most, about his past, about his ex. I wonder how much of what we see is true and what is all in Sal's mind. I also liked Molly and Hussam. While we don't see a lot of them, they are present and I love that. Sometimes side-characters get forgotten, but not in this book.
😍 The end battle was awesome and epic, yes, it felt a bit short, a bit easy, but I don't mind.
😍 I want more pages and I want more books in this world. Given the ending I would say there could be more? I need to see more exterminations. How they went from friends to just co-workers. Or how they started to become friends. This world is so scary and spooky and holy hell, imagine going to work and then potentially getting murdered by a freaking monster? Not a world I would like to live in, but it is a world I want to read about.
😍 It was very gore and bloody. Normally my body is like FUCK NOPE about that (and that comes from someone who used to watch Elfen Lied and other gore stuff without a hitch) but in this one? Yes, I was at times going EWW, but it seems that maybe I am getting more resistance for it again?
😍 A bit of love and a bit of anger, mostly at the boss. At times I felt for our exterminator team. Their boss is such *insert some angry words*. Geez. I get that you want the job done, but holy crap. Your team is clearly in over their head and instead of saying, OK, come out and get some more peeps. Oh no. If you want your job and your pay you keep going. I can imagine that Sal wanted out.

🤔 WAIT? Wait? That is how it ends? Is there more coming? You cannot just end it like that. I need to know what is going on. Did they all... you know? You can't leave me hanging. Bleh, this was such an epic story.. until the ending. Sorry, but deducing 0.5 stars.

But all in all, despite that ending and still having maybe a few questions, I did love this book. It is full of gore, I love how it is black/white with the blood vividly red, great characters, horrifying monsters. I think this would be a perfect read for Halloween!