This was weird and not in a good way. I liked the idea of the plot but I don't think the execution was that great. I also don't think the characters acted very believably.

"Cemetery Kids Don't Die" is a recommended read for those interested in horror + mild video game aspects (not the focus at all though) + some dark themes. A dark world with an interesting "twist" to the video game aspects to it (no spoilers).

Admittedly, the cover and designs of the game character models are what initially drew me into this story. Then stayed for the unique twists, character conflicts, and how the video game turns from an escapism for many into a horrifying prison and takes more than it gives.

The grungy art style is faithful to the dark, morbid setting and story. It's not super gory, but still has gruesome scenes that still come across as unsettling in occasional instances. Again, not for the faith of heart and not recommended for those new to the horror/dark manga genre. Not an R-rated as I feel other stories like the Walking Dead graphic novels would be. I apologize though if others may disagree.

The cliffhanger almost tricked me into a bad ending, but thankfully, this is Volume 1 and I hope volume 2 helps save some characters from this mess. Will the game continue to greedily take the freedoms......and more.....of various characters? Could hope arise to reverse the fates of certain doomed characters now (albeit with a probable cost?) Who knows until Vol. 2. I'm definitely intrigued.

Thank you NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the advanced copy to put a new series on my personal watch list.

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

This was a very interesting graphic novel. I enjoyed the art inside of it and the overall plot but it didn't sit right with me that the POC characters (Wilson and then and young asian girl I can't remember her name but she was very minimal to the plot) were the ones who were shown like being killed or viciously changed. It also happened to Eri too but nothing as bad as what happened with Wilson. The ambiguous ending was very chilling though so I enjoyed that part of it. I wonder if there will be more to this story.

I really enjoyed Cemetery Kids. The art style was so vibrant and interesting and the story had me hooked from the get go.

The art could tell the story itself with how detailed it is drawn, it is so terrifying and the body horror is done spectacularly that I thought I might throw up at one point 😂

I really loved how relatable the characters felt and they were compelling to watch as they experience a horrific virtual reality game and its real-life consequences.

Overall, it was grotesque and cool at the same time and I can't wait to see more volumes produced.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for the e-arc in exchange for a free, voluntary review

This was a really interesting graphic novel, I love stories about being trapped within video games.

The beginning was super exciting and I felt really invested however I feel like it got a bit lost towards the end.

I really enjoyed the art style and I'd definitely read more of this series

This was super interesting. It seems very much like a creepier version of Sword Art Online and I'm definitely interested in reading more.

This graphic novel is filled with phenomenal artwork! The coloring is perfect for conveying the storyline of absolute horror through gaming. I know a lot of patrons who will absolutely eat this graphic novel alive. Perfect for fans of gruesome horror. I look forward to seeing where this series goes.

What a fascinating and unique comic series. A virtual reality headset takes players into a gruesome video game world. However, some players are experiencing injuries in the game are affecting them in real life. Even more disturbing, some players go into the game and are never able to leave. Forever online.

I can’t get over the art mixed with the storytelling. The art stands out and is specifically made to portray this weird and monstrous video game world. There is not a single page that isn’t beautifully illustrated and colored. There’s this vintage punk vibes to the drawings that I absolutely adore.

The story itself is well-written and draws you in. As the kids decide to disobey their parents in order to bring back their friend they put themselves in increasing amounts of danger for every level of the game they complete.

The video game is terrifying and you never know what is hiding around the corner. The fights are epic, engaging, and grotesque. The monsters are unique and terrifying. I loved it.

If you love gaming and are curious about a virtual reality going wrong, you will love ‘Cemetery Kids Don’t Die’. It’s a blast!

Cemetery Kids Don't Die is about a video game where people get stuck in the game. This is not a new concept. I have seen it in Are You Afraid of the Dark, Sword Art online, and Dot Hack. The thing that puts people in the game is very weird looking. It has tentacles and looks like a descendant of a face hugger. I found it strange that no one talked about how weird this device was and how creepy it looked.

We follow four teenagers as they lay the game. The dialogue is a bit cringe to me and sometimes it felt like they were younger than teenagers by the way they talked. Their moments where they say mean things to other and are very self-centered which again they are teenagers, but I feel like if they were trying to save a friend, they would try to talk things out. I know how logical of me to think that teens could do something like that. The story starts out after two of the characters have lost their mother and they use the game to get over that trauma. There is a lot of darkness and trauma used for the story. This is not a light hearted read.

Now to the art. Daniel's art is crazy. When in the game the art is gross but beautiful. I was terrified of the puppets and loved that part the comic. I am definitely on the lookout for more of their work.

Thank you to Netgalley and Oni Press for the ARC.

This is not a fun little comic, but a deep dive into a horror video game that you play while you're asleep and seems to exploit your deepest fears. Fun! The story really centers around a brother and sister who have survived the loss of their mother. They use the game to escape the trauma of what happened. I think there could have been more build up to this point. The comic jumps right in with the first issue focusing on the gameplay and relationships between the players. It felt like there should have been just a little more before jumping right in.

The book does a good job of laying out the sinisterness of the game and building up the characters, but it felt like there could have been more. I see how this can easily be turned into a longer run series, either continuing these characters stories or focusing on other players around the world. Even though there are easy storylines to follow, I would have liked this more if there were more concrete conclusions.

If you enjoy lit RPGs or horror video games, I think you'd enjoy this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

This was fucking crazy and twisted and fucked up and awesome and I love it. I can’t wait to read volume 2!

This was a Trippe book. It covers some hard-to-talk-about topics while these kids are playing a game that is causing them real harm in real life. If you have trauma from an accident or the loss of a loved one, this might or might not be a good book for you. That is a large part of this story, and with the images, it can get very gruesome.

This was a wildly imagines graphic novel that will appeal to fans of horror. The story is quite dark and makes quick work of grasping the readers attention through the VR worlds and the terror that follows them back into the real one. A must read for fans of horror and gaming. The story coupled with the illustration style made this a great intro to the series.

Well this was darker than I expected.

It's basically about teenagers going into a VR like MMO world and killing baddies and such. But what happens when something in that world comes back to the real world? This got a lot darker than I expected, which I guess I should except from Thompson as he tends to lean into horror. The ending was shocking, and I'm assuming volume 2 will hopefully be a "Save the children" type book. I did think the pacing was off though and none of the characters truly stuck with me, but the second half way strong and I enjoyed the art, especially the gross body horror. So I'll go with a 3 out of 5.

In the early 2000’s I was obsessed (and I still am) with the .(Dot)Hack franchise. When I read the blurb for this comic, which for some reason I hadn’t heard of, I was excited to learn of a more horror like take on the idea of a game you become immersed in, this time while you sleep. I was not disappointed.

The art work is fantastic and the colour palette is perfect to convey the darker aspects of Dreamwave. The writing also effectively captures the dread the four fell as they try to solve the mystery.

I really enjoyed this comic and I think any horror fans or sci-fi fans will enjoy this one. It has a lot to offer and I cannot wait to see how it goes.

As always thank you to Oni Press for the copy to review. My review is always honest and truthful.

I’m loving the output from Oni Press this year, and this latest keeps that streak going for me.

It’s still a shitty 21st century, and kids are taking on a new gaming craze called The Dreamwave, a system where they play the game ‘Nightmare Cemetery’ in their sleep.

Very Cronenberg and the ‘console’ has a very organic look to it, really reminded me of eXistenZ and the organic nature of the console in that film.

The game people are playing is a rock solid fantasy sci-fi where a group has to delve through various poisonous and horrific levels to beat ‘The King of Sleep’

This would be brutal enough but the game and real life start to blend and eventually the mind of one of the players is trapped in the game.

Follow the group as they delve through personal problems and loss to save their brother/friend.

Loved the art style, very energetic and brought to mind a console game when you were deep into it.

Looking forward to returning to this world, watch out carefully on the last few panels.

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this graphic novel! I really enjoyed the story telling throughout this graphic novel and how it brought to life a new kind of gaming. While the horror aspects would be more terrifying in a real gaming situation, the horror is not as horrifying on the page.
While the main story arc for this edition has ended quite nicely, I’m curious to see what they could do next with this. As it is a volume 1, I assume we’ll see what’s next soon!

Absolutely loved the art style on this one, it really fit with the vibe of the graphic novel by sitting on that border between classic comic book stylings alongside video game graphic art with some light body horror thrown in for good measure.

It did take me a bit of getting into initially as you're introduced to the main characters and their online avatars within quick succession of each other and its not especially clear which one is which from the get go which led to some confusion however this level out as I read further on. That said, once I was in, I was locked in.

I'm intrigued to see where they go with this series as this particular edition did feel quite well rounded/like I could just leave it there without issue so I they could honestly go in any direction from here and I don't think it would feel too jarring.

Overall a good wee read, definitely worth it for the art style if nothing else.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley.

Four teenage friends want to escape the world for a bit: Dreamwave is the latest game console that connects directly to your mind while you sleep. Together they fight monsters in a brutal horror game. It all seems like a fun distraction from the not-so-nice reality until one of them doesn't wake up anymore. His mind appears to be trapped in the horror game. The remaining friends decide to free him from the game and hope that whatever holds their friend captive doesn't escape into reality.

The story was pretty decent, and the idea of fighting your nightmares was very entertaining. I really liked the art style. I Loved the detail, that the human characters had some familiarity with their gameplay counterparts.

Extra Plus: The Main character has a disability that is part of her character, but not there "to overcome".

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this digital arc
The art style was one of the main reasons I wanted to read this, and it didn't disappoint; it was super cool. The premise of the story was also interesting, and the result was fine too. There wasn't much character development, which is something I love to see, and the overall vibe was very dark and depressing, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but I prefer more nuance I guess. Overall it was an interesting read