Oscar Zahn is an entity, depicted with a floating skull, whose mission is to solve mysteries with a healthy dose of helping lost souls as a by-product of his adventures. He is a self-professed paranormal investigator and professor of cryptozoology. Through a series of otherworldly adventures, we see Oscar help ease tormented beings even at great peril to himself. We also learn that part of his motivation for doing so stems from his own guilt (which is not detailed in this offering). It is apparent that he uses the misery of others to relieve his own guilt because dealing with others’ demons are easier to deal with than his own.

This is a nice compilation that establishes Oscar’s world, the rules of existence, and a cast of recurring characters. Recommended for those interested in Sci-Fi/Paranormal /Spooky graphic tales – I’m looking forward to the next set of Oscar’s tales.

Thanks to the publisher, Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed /Ten Speed Press | Ten Speed Graphic, and NetGallery for the opportunity to review.

Together with Agnes, Oscar Zahn travels across ethereal realms as a paranormal investigator to solves mysteries and guides lost souls to a final resting place.

Oscar's character design drew me to this book. Who wouldn't want to read about a skeleton with a floating head? Oscar is so non-chalant about his supernatural encounters, and he's a lot of fun to follow. I'm interested to learn more about his past. The volume is more of a collection of short stories about his adventures with small glimpses into who Oscar is and the past that looms over him.

I adored the illustrations! Combining Tri Vuong's storytelling, compositions, and grasp on color theory create a beautiful piece of work with enchanting atmospheres.

This was an interesting story about a guy who is possessed by something terrifying and to make up for something that hasn't been revealed yet he goes around helping lost spirits find their way to cross over. This is definitely interesting and I will be reading the next one.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. The details in the imagery were really colorful and beautiful. The paranormal investigator Oscar Zahn and his many adventures were really intriguing and captivating.

THE STRANGE TALES OF OSCAR ZAHN explores the way the living haunt the dead, where a paranormal investigator named Oscar helps others move on even though he himself struggles with the same. In this episodic graphic novel, death is illuminated through the stories of different lives, following tales of war, of fear, of death, of trauma and past hauntings, of gnawing guilt, the way we take pieces of the living with us when we die as well as the journeys we must embark on even after death—but at times, there is unexpected humour in the bleakness, breathing life back into the characters, Vuong beautifully crafts narratives in an art style both warming and eerie, adding to the dark atmosphere of the novel while hinting at hope through the glorious use of diverse palettes.

I will be featuring this review in my forthcoming psychopomp.com column for september/october.

Excellent cartooning, but I didn't care much about what happened. It was a bad choice for me, as I'm not a fan of atmospherically spooky stories. Someone who is might love how evocative the images are.

Get your fill of fantasmagoric ghost tales in this graphic novel.
Blending Chtulu myth with more traditional apparitions and wondering souls, this volumes sets the base of an interesting universe and a main character haunted by his past.
While the first story was probably more conventional, it was also better built in terms of creating tension. The second story, much longer was very meandering, with many new elements thrown in, never used later, and not really adding anything except pages to the story, which is sad because the whole memory element was very interesting.
The illustrations remind me of the recent Canadian cartoons, colourful, very professional and roundish. It was very pleasant to follow.

I honestly really enjoyed this graphic novel!

The art was really nice and the story was interesting!

Can't wait to read the next volume!

I loved the atmosphere of these short stories. They are dark and spooky, but not without people who are good. I always enjoy a dark but not like necessarily harmful world and characters. The author did a great job designing and making characters that weren’t just tropes. The stories were also very well done but a bit too short. I know this is a collection of short stories, but some of the characters introduced for the short story didn’t have a very satisfying ending in my mind. Also, this is a little nitpicky, the text boxes were too small on my phone so I had to do a lot of zooming in. It’s not bad but definitely didn’t make the experience as enjoyable. This is a great dark but not evil book with minor pacing and/or character development issues.

The illustrations were excellent! I enjoyed all of the characters we met along the way, especially Oscar. I was really excited to read this one, especially since was a graphic novel with paranormal themes. I enjoyed the stories, however sometimes I had trouble with the pacing and had to take some breaks. I think readers who enjoy paranormal and a bit of humor here and there will like this book.

This is really interesting with lots of intriguing threads of world building. I’m very curious about Oscar’s story, as well as the ectopus’ story. I loved the way stories of others were told and the magic and fantasy and the ghostly elements. Super fascinating and intriguing.

Absolutely loved this graphic novel by Sri Vuong. The story is interesting and unique which intrigued me. It's not necessarily horrific, more fun horror with humor. The art really sells it for me. I love the color palette and the artist's style. It illustrates the story perfectly, bringing atmosphere and charm. I can't wait of the second volume.

I was immediately struck by the stunning illustrations that graced the pages of "The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn". With each panel meticulously crafted and brimming with detail, the art style proved to be the highlight of this graphic novel.

However, as I delved deeper into the narrative, I found myself grappling with a lack of cohesion between the individual stories contained within the volume. While each tale offered its own intriguing premise and imaginative setting, the absence of a strong connection between them made it difficult to discern a cohesive plot threading them together.

That being said, there were moments of brilliance scattered throughout the volume, where Vuong's storytelling prowess shone through. Certain segments of the stories captured my imagination and left me yearning for more, showcasing the author's talent for crafting compelling narratives.

While the illustrations are undeniably captivating, the disjointed nature of the storytelling may leave some readers longing for a more cohesive plot to tie the tales together. Despite its shortcomings, however, there is still much to appreciate in this volume, making it a worthwhile addition to any graphic novel collection.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

This graphic novel follows Oscar Zahn (who is a floating skull) as he treks across land and sea to bring peace to lost souls. There are several plot lines covered in this volume but all circle back to one central mystery. While I enjoyed the read and the artistry was beautiful, I do wish there was more suspense and action. Some stories/plot points felt too drawn out and slow moving for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel although it ended up being a little different than I expected. It felt more like a collection of short stories and at sometimes it was hard to follow what was happening. It wasn't that the stories were confusing but I kept trying to figure out how they were connected. I think once I treated them each as separate tales I was able to enjoy them more.

The artwork was beautiful and I think the whole premise of this book was really unique. I loved Oscar and Agnes (and the cat) and I look forward to reading more about them in the future.

This review will be cross-posted to my social media accounts closer to the book release date.

I loved the art style and color palette, and the character designs were so effective- you can't miss Oscar in a scene! The story is more teased at than anything in this volume, with hints at Oscar's past and the nature of his 'condition'. I ended up taking it as more of a collection of short stories than a true narrative as a result, because each section felt like it had been pulled somewhat at random from a large catalogue rather than in sequence. I think my favorite storyline was "The Last Solider of the Somme"- it felt the most cohesive and contained, and the relationship between the siblings really hit home. In comparison, "Stardust and Soliloquies" was interesting but ultimately confusing for me- I felt like I needed more to go on. Overall, I sped through this collection and will definitely be looking for the next volume!

What a unique concept, which truly wonderful illustrations! I love how we experience Oscar helping others through their stories but also following him on his own. Having a skeleton paranormal investigator of sorts was so fun and different! I really grew to love this character and all of the characters I met along the way! I look forward to volume two!

2.5 stars, but I round up. I ended up jot posting my review of this book to my social media. I don't think I am the target audience for this book, although I really wanted to be! I really enjoyed the first 2 stories in the anthology. The third one made less sense to me and seemed to trade some of the graphic novel story telling for a more comic-book type feel, with the plot not mattering as much and the story not always being told very clearly.

Commanding and elegant narration that is effective in its nuance. Affable characters that speak with purpose. Ominous yet beautiful illustrations. Witty dialogue that keeps you engaged. Effective storytelling. An interwoven collection of short stories that are continuous with the appearance of Oscar Zahn and his friends. Fantastical and supernatural with a slice of history. Overall, a great read.

Spooky and dark but with lots of heart and humour. The world and the characters were very interesting, and I'm intrigued to find out more, especially about Oscar's backstory. The sections were somewhat disconnected so it felt more like a collection of a couple stories than one longer one.