More like a 3.5 star. I will definitely be interested in Oscar’s story as it continues to be an intriguing premise, and I would like to know more about lady grey and their relationship. I think my biggest hang up with this collection is that it didn’t focus more on Òscar and his story. It would’ve been nice to conclude his story before at popped into the one featured here, which by the way I really enjoyed. Will definitely continue reading in this series. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

I loved this!!! Graphic novels are always so fun because the art styles are always so different but it's rare to find one that feels like such a fresh and new idea. This story was so well done for a first volume!! I really got a sense of who Oscar is as a person? An entity? and I really enjoyed how it was him telling other peoples stories of their lives/afterlives. It was a very cool concept and I can't wait to read more of this story in the future!

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through NetGalley.)

--- 3.5 stars ---

"In this half existence which is now my life, I have witnessed mysteries and miracles, both big and small. Most are beyond my understanding, but this much I know to be true: the dead are just as haunted by the living. And nothing stays lost forever. [...]

"My name is Oscar Zahn, and this was not my tale. But it was a tale for me to tell."

Oscar Zahn might be a floating skull in a trench coat (carrying a chaotic, octopus-like dark passenger, at that), but he's also one heck of a paranormal investigator. With the help of a network of otherworldly friends and allies, he comes to the rescue of the living and dead alike. From the battlefields of Somme, France, circa 1916, to an ethereal, in-between place located in the Arctic Circle, Oscar, Agnes, Mr. Crane, and the cobbled-together crew of the Cassiopeia travel the world(s), solving creepy mysteries, freeing trapped souls and hunting malevolent forces.

THE STRANGE TALES OF OSCAR ZAHN is as touching as it is bizarre. Oscar makes for a compelling (if mysterious) protagonist, and his exploits are literally the stuff of legends. Vương showcases a wild imagination, with ghost stories rooted in both history and science.

I do wish we'd learned more about Oscar's backstory, but that's teased at the end of the volume, presumably because Oscar Zahn's origins are intertwined with the Big Bad that our protagonists are pursuing.

Honestly, all the plots and subplots are so out there that this review proved difficult to write - I just couldn't keep everything straight, or not from memory alone. I think that learning more about Oscar's role in the story will tie things together so that I can see the puzzle from the pieces. THE STRANGE TALES OF OSCAR ZAHN seems like a series I'll devour a second time, from start to finish, once the final panel is released.

**Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really interesting collection of stories.  I liked Oscar as a character, and I liked the super unique world-building.  It really kept me guessing about what would happen next and how the story might all come together.  I would liked to see more of this world.  The art was really great.

Follow Oscar Zahn as he tells the stories of the souls he’s doing his best to help. While avoiding his own demons, this floating skull with a heart of gold does everything within his power to help his friends, ghosts who haven’t realized they’re dead, and even those who have been long forgotten.

I really enjoyed reading this book. In this volume, we get to know Oscar through the stories he shares with us. We start with the story of a young soldier. Long dead, he and his fellow soldiers have been trapped on the battlefield that took their lives for decades. This story was probably the saddest out of the stories we see by the end of this volume. It was easy to almost forget that these characters weren’t ghosts reliving a version of their final days.

The first story really pulled me in, so by the time Oscar moves onto the next soul in need, I was fully sucked into the book. I like that the first story is more about the souls he helps than him, and then we slowly get to know more about Oscar once we already know about how important his work is. It’s surprisingly character driven and manages to have a lot of depth no matter what’s happening. It’s truly an intriguing story full of wonder and mystery. The artwork helps tell the story beautifully, and I’m really looking forward to eventually learning about the memories that Oscar has been running from.

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.