*When I tried to read the ARC on my laptop (Adobe Digital Edition), the book wasn't displayed in full. However, the file has no problems in the NetGalley app and I was able to finish my reading*


This was such a pleasant surprise!

Honestly, based on the publisher’s description, I was expecting some mindless “torture p*rn” in a school—which sounds fun, ngl —but this book turned out to be something else (I'll try to avoid spolier territory by focusing on the technical side).

The pace and character development gave me major manga feels, but the mood was dreamy and surreal. I really liked how the author mixed these elements together. I also loved how some details are hinted at the beginning and take on unexpected proportions at the end.
The main characters (the power trio) are very likable and I rooted for them, but I did have some issues with the girl in the group.
Her backstory didn’t get as much attention as the guys’, which was a letdown. She clearly has a significant role and some secrets, but her development felt unfinished.

Then, I realized this book is the start of a series—I’d overlooked “book 1” in the title, and that might explain it. I hope the author dives deeper into the girl’s story in the sequel! (okay, maybe I'm a little obsessed with her).

Overall, I’m super impressed, especially since this is a debut. There's a lot to love here, and I wanted to know more about that world after finishing, which is certainly a good sign.

I'll keep an eye on this series.

Thanks to IDW Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC!

Sam Fonseca has been drawing comics since he discovered that the anime he watched on TV as a child came from manga—and that it was possible to create all that stuff by himself using paper and pencil (still his tools of choice). Nowadays, he alternates duties between art direction, storyboard art, script writing for animation and TV projects, and creating comics. His comic project Age of Rust was nominated three times for the HQMix Prize, and his other title, Dynamite & Laser Beam, won in the “best webcomic” category. Sam also has the strange hobby of creating soundtracks for his comics. His newest collection is the dystopian nightmare, Shadowplay.

Shadowplay focuses on three students who are simply trying to survive a brutal school. One could easily describe this world as Kafka-esque, in that students are routinely tortured, insulted, assaulted, and punished, seeming meaninglessly and randomly. There are students in the classrooms that seem to have the system figured out, but our three protagonists struggle and simply want to escape the daily nightmare of the education and classrooms. By night, they are trapped in small prison cells, seemingly at the whim of the school. This graphic novel is a dark nihilistic struggle for freedom.

What makes the book even more spectacular is the artwork. The opening is a near monochrome, and hints and bits of color come sneaking in, slowly and surely, as the tale proceeds. Everything is extremely stylized and distorted, almost tapping into early expressionism and magical realist painting techniques, which further intensifies the extreme plot and surreal narrative.

Samuel Fonseca’s Shadowplay is a really intense read. While not exactly torture porn, the physical and mental abuse the students in this graphic novel face are extreme and violent. This violence only escalated by the contorted and hyperstylized illustrations. As a whole, this book is a dystopian nightmare critiquing both the modern education system as well contemporary power structures, one that any horror reader will want to read immediately.

Just... wow!

I love when a book makes me feel like I'm piecing something together. Often, it's about solving clues to murders or kidnappings, but in this case, I felt like finding clues to the characters' psyches.

This graphic novel tells the story of three students trying to escape from this horrible school where there seems to be a time loop that keeps them trapped inside. There are also weird teachers and instruments of torture that certainly shouldn't be part of a healthy school environment.

But what intrigued me most about this book was Fonseca's subtext and his unorthodox approach to storytelling. The black-and-white horror parts of the school are mixed with colorful sessions full of surrealism and symbolism. These were my favorite parts because they're packed with several elements that delve into the minds and pasts of the characters, and I had a blast unraveling these.

The artwork is also very interesting. It's expressive, but different from what I normally see in this type of book.

I don't want to spoil anything about this graphic novel, but I have to say: the ending left me wondering, “Okay, what happens now?!” 

Shadowplay Midnight School is one of my favorite graphic novels of 2024 so far, and I'm looking forward to the sequel!

I thank IDW publishing and Netgalley for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and IDW publishing for providing an ARC copy for review. All opinions are my own.

I'm not sure I can put into words just how much I loved this graphic novel, but I'll certainly try.

Shadowplay: midnight school follows the story of 3 students seemingly trapped in an endless cycle of school. Our lead, a wannabee composer who loves a children's cartoon, an inspiring author with a secret to hide, and a student striving for a scholarship for the best university. The bell rings to signal the end of the day and the students turn back around and go back to classes never leaving the premises. To make things worse this school has violent teachers, barbed wire fences, torture devices and gruesome suspensions, reminiscent of crucifixions. Can the trio escape?

It is difficult to talk much about the plot without spoiling it too much. The story and the artwork are masterfully blended together to create such an eerie and suspenseful atmosphere. I read this in pitch black darkness and found myself genuinely creeped out and disturbed. Whilst nothing overtly gory is depicted on page the true horror is psychological.

"How can someone be so sure of the 'sunny days that will come again' when shadows endure?"

The main themes of the story are depression, anxiety, oppression, bullying, self doubt and endurance. All three of our main characters as well as a myriad of other faces in this graphic novel face these issues. The lead in particular constantly believing they are not good enough and seemingly having that confirmed by the 'school'.The book challenges the train of thought that academic intelligence and achievements are superior to creative pursuits. Why can't our lead be a good composer just because they're dyslexic?

"If I still believe in love it's 'cause I've got friends that pull me from the dark and together we stand"

Our 3 main characters friendship develops nicely during this book. Including flashbacks with previous interactions that really add to the characters and makes their relationships believable. Life truly is better with friends.

This book starts like a bit a fever dream, it takes a bit to really understand what is going on... But I would highly recommend to any lovers of horror and graphic novels.

"Stop being conducted and become a conductor"