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Demon #1
Demon, Volume 1
Jimmy cannot die.
When his body is killed, Jimmy simply takes over the body of the person in closest proximity to him. Simple, right? Not once Jimmy gets started. His mind is sharp and highly analytical, and he cares about nothing but his own survival and the survival of his adorable daughter. To avoid the shadowy government agency on his tail, Jimmy will do anything, even if it means tearing the world down around him.
From the brilliant and profane mind of Jason Shiga, known for his high-concept comics, comes a magnum opus: a four-volume mystery adventure about the shocking chaos (and astronomical body count) one highly rational and utterly unscrupulous man can create in the world, given a single simple supernatural power.
When his body is killed, Jimmy simply takes over the body of the person in closest proximity to him. Simple, right? Not once Jimmy gets started. His mind is sharp and highly analytical, and he cares about nothing but his own survival and the survival of his adorable daughter. To avoid the shadowy government agency on his tail, Jimmy will do anything, even if it means tearing the world down around him.
From the brilliant and profane mind of Jason Shiga, known for his high-concept comics, comes a magnum opus: a four-volume mystery adventure about the shocking chaos (and astronomical body count) one highly rational and utterly unscrupulous man can create in the world, given a single simple supernatural power.
166 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
About the author
Jason Shiga
20 books148 followersJason Shiga is an award-winning Asian American cartoonist from Oakland, California. Mr. Shiga's comics are known for their intricate, often "interactive" plots and occasionally random, unexpected violence. A mathematics major from the University of California at Berkeley, Mr. Shiga shares his love of logic and problem solving with his readers through puzzles, mysteries and unconventional narrative techniques.
Jason Shiga's life has been shrouded in mystery and speculation. According to his book jacket, he was a reclusive math genius who had died on the verge of his greatest discovery in June 1967. However, upon winning a 2003 Eisner award for talent deserving of wider recognition, a man claiming to be Jason Shiga appeared in front of an audience alive and well only to tell them that he had been living on an island in the South China Seas for the past 40 years. The man who accepted his award was Chris Brandt (also known as F.C. Brandt), who had disguised himself as Jason Shiga, and accepted the award at the behest of Jason's publisher (Dylan Williams of Sparkplug Comic Books) and Jason himself.
At the age of 12, Shiga was the 7th highest ranked child go player in Oakland.[citation needed]
Jason Shiga makes a cameo appearance in the Derek Kirk Kim comic, "Ungrateful Appreciation" as a Rubik's Cube-solving nerd. Shiga is credited as the "Maze Specialist" for Issue 18 (Winter 2005/2006) of the literary journal McSweeney's Quarterly, which features a solved maze on the front cover and a (slightly different) unsolved maze on the back. The title page of each story in the journal is headed by a maze segment labeled with numbers leading to the first pages of other stories.
Jason Shiga's father, Seiji Shiga, was an animator who worked on the 1964 Rankin-Bass production Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Jason Shiga's life has been shrouded in mystery and speculation. According to his book jacket, he was a reclusive math genius who had died on the verge of his greatest discovery in June 1967. However, upon winning a 2003 Eisner award for talent deserving of wider recognition, a man claiming to be Jason Shiga appeared in front of an audience alive and well only to tell them that he had been living on an island in the South China Seas for the past 40 years. The man who accepted his award was Chris Brandt (also known as F.C. Brandt), who had disguised himself as Jason Shiga, and accepted the award at the behest of Jason's publisher (Dylan Williams of Sparkplug Comic Books) and Jason himself.
At the age of 12, Shiga was the 7th highest ranked child go player in Oakland.[citation needed]
Jason Shiga makes a cameo appearance in the Derek Kirk Kim comic, "Ungrateful Appreciation" as a Rubik's Cube-solving nerd. Shiga is credited as the "Maze Specialist" for Issue 18 (Winter 2005/2006) of the literary journal McSweeney's Quarterly, which features a solved maze on the front cover and a (slightly different) unsolved maze on the back. The title page of each story in the journal is headed by a maze segment labeled with numbers leading to the first pages of other stories.
Jason Shiga's father, Seiji Shiga, was an animator who worked on the 1964 Rankin-Bass production Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 246 reviews
January 9, 2017
Jimmy Yee wants to die. He checks into a motel, writes a suicide note and hangs himself. And then wakes up in the motel room still alive! So he decides to slit his wrists with a razor in the bathtub. And then he wakes up in the motel room still alive! The fuck’s going on - is he suddenly immortal?!
In his intro, Jason Shiga talks about how comics in the 21st century have come to be viewed as a serious art form but Demon isn’t that and is more of a call-back to lurid, pulp entertainment. I totally disagree – I mean yes, it’s lurid, pulpy entertainment and I love that it’s that, but it’s absolutely legit, serious art as well. Jason Shiga is being way too modest, he’s a fucking genius and Demon is an amazing comic!
Shiga effortlessly draws you in with his mysterious Twilight Zone-esque opening act before slowly revealing what’s happening which turns the story on its head into an incredibly well-realised high-concept action thriller! The less you know about this book going in, the better, but it’s an utterly ingenious tale that hops across various genres like horror, action, and comedy, and does each one superbly. They don’t sit awkwardly alongside each other but manage to perfectly complement the other. This first volume also has possibly my favourite splash page ever - you’ll know it when you see it ‘cos it’ll be yours too!
There are three more books in this series and, after this outstanding first volume, I’m in for the whole thing. Demon is a brilliant, inspired and original comic mixing intelligent, complex and compelling storytelling with low-brow, genuinely funny scenes for a totally satisfying reading experience. Highly recommended to any adult readers with a dark sense of humour looking for an entertaining read!
In his intro, Jason Shiga talks about how comics in the 21st century have come to be viewed as a serious art form but Demon isn’t that and is more of a call-back to lurid, pulp entertainment. I totally disagree – I mean yes, it’s lurid, pulpy entertainment and I love that it’s that, but it’s absolutely legit, serious art as well. Jason Shiga is being way too modest, he’s a fucking genius and Demon is an amazing comic!
Shiga effortlessly draws you in with his mysterious Twilight Zone-esque opening act before slowly revealing what’s happening which turns the story on its head into an incredibly well-realised high-concept action thriller! The less you know about this book going in, the better, but it’s an utterly ingenious tale that hops across various genres like horror, action, and comedy, and does each one superbly. They don’t sit awkwardly alongside each other but manage to perfectly complement the other. This first volume also has possibly my favourite splash page ever - you’ll know it when you see it ‘cos it’ll be yours too!
There are three more books in this series and, after this outstanding first volume, I’m in for the whole thing. Demon is a brilliant, inspired and original comic mixing intelligent, complex and compelling storytelling with low-brow, genuinely funny scenes for a totally satisfying reading experience. Highly recommended to any adult readers with a dark sense of humour looking for an entertaining read!
October 2, 2017
An edgy, simply-drawn comic about a man who tries to commit suicide, but keeps waking up alive. There's an unexpected twist and lots of blood.
In the author's own words: "From the suicide depicted on the first page of the story to the climactic bloodbath three volumes later, Demon is my gleeful homage to the lurid and pulpy entertainment rags that make up the detritus of our childhoods." From the foreword.
I see what he was trying to do. It just wasn't for me.
For Jason Shiga, this was a very personal work: "Ultimately, Jimmy is me. When he leaps in front of a semi-trailer, it's really me who secretly wants to do that. When he acts in a deliberately amoral and antisocial manner, that's me, too." From the foreword.
Shiga warns readers from the start that Demon is crass and graphically violent. And, it is.
Oh well. Next book!
In the author's own words: "From the suicide depicted on the first page of the story to the climactic bloodbath three volumes later, Demon is my gleeful homage to the lurid and pulpy entertainment rags that make up the detritus of our childhoods." From the foreword.
I see what he was trying to do. It just wasn't for me.
For Jason Shiga, this was a very personal work: "Ultimately, Jimmy is me. When he leaps in front of a semi-trailer, it's really me who secretly wants to do that. When he acts in a deliberately amoral and antisocial manner, that's me, too." From the foreword.
Shiga warns readers from the start that Demon is crass and graphically violent. And, it is.
Oh well. Next book!
December 24, 2016
Can we make a list of funny books and movies about suicide? And why would you do such a thing about one of the most anguishing acts--especially for loved ones left behind--on the planet? I guess because. . . comedy. We seem to need to write/read comedy about everything bleak and bitter, perhaps to make it less so, so that we can go on? Harold and Maude is a classic. But then, we begin to think of that film, opening with Harold hanging by a rope in his family dining room, and we over time meet Maude, and we see this is less a film about suicide than it is about embracing life.
There’s a few books, too, about depression that touch on suicide that have this sort of light touch. But Shiga’s series, his most ambitious yet, focused on an adult audience, is pretty flat-out funny, and inventive. And less about suicide than it is about embracing life, I'm guessing. Because if you really want to commit suicide you don't write a book about it. You just do it. (This is something I learned from my time at The Suicide Hotline. If they call you, they don't want to really do it. They want to have you help them find their reasons to live, and so on.)
Shiga's main character, Jimmy, whom he admits is a stand-in for him, is separated/divorced from his wife and kid and he wants to commit suicide, so he goes to an Oakland (CA) motel and he tries and fails 4 times. Somehow. Then he figures it out: He IS successfully committing suicide, each time, but coming back in the body of a person near him. He’s a demon. Possessing others, right. And so cops and international espionage groups (like the CIA, yeah) are interested in tapping into what this guy has. Suddenly we are go from pathetic sad sack black comedy to a sort of comic thriller.
This is a story with a challenge for Shiga (and us): The main character is unlikeable, a jerk, and the story is both bloody and offensive (south of Beavis and Butthead and South Park-offensive). Can he make us like the guy enough to keep reading? This is the first of four volumes. So I’m in. But watch out, it’s the stuff of alt comix, Shiga’s not trying to write for everyone. The cartoony, sorta manga-ish artwork is okay, specifically NOT meant to impress you as Great Art, that's the point, he's matching the art with the sad sack character to make him more relatable, in the club with the above types of comedy, making the effect of all the potential offensiveness pretty goofy.
Shiga usually does stuff for younger audiences (Meanwhile), or at least that is the stuff I have read. And then this crudely funny thing! It kind of reminds me James Kochalka, who does all these funny kid things (Johnny Boo, The Glorkian Warrior) but then he does this “side” offensive project, SuperF**ckers! Pretty funny and edgy stuff.
There’s a few books, too, about depression that touch on suicide that have this sort of light touch. But Shiga’s series, his most ambitious yet, focused on an adult audience, is pretty flat-out funny, and inventive. And less about suicide than it is about embracing life, I'm guessing. Because if you really want to commit suicide you don't write a book about it. You just do it. (This is something I learned from my time at The Suicide Hotline. If they call you, they don't want to really do it. They want to have you help them find their reasons to live, and so on.)
Shiga's main character, Jimmy, whom he admits is a stand-in for him, is separated/divorced from his wife and kid and he wants to commit suicide, so he goes to an Oakland (CA) motel and he tries and fails 4 times. Somehow. Then he figures it out: He IS successfully committing suicide, each time, but coming back in the body of a person near him. He’s a demon. Possessing others, right. And so cops and international espionage groups (like the CIA, yeah) are interested in tapping into what this guy has. Suddenly we are go from pathetic sad sack black comedy to a sort of comic thriller.
This is a story with a challenge for Shiga (and us): The main character is unlikeable, a jerk, and the story is both bloody and offensive (south of Beavis and Butthead and South Park-offensive). Can he make us like the guy enough to keep reading? This is the first of four volumes. So I’m in. But watch out, it’s the stuff of alt comix, Shiga’s not trying to write for everyone. The cartoony, sorta manga-ish artwork is okay, specifically NOT meant to impress you as Great Art, that's the point, he's matching the art with the sad sack character to make him more relatable, in the club with the above types of comedy, making the effect of all the potential offensiveness pretty goofy.
Shiga usually does stuff for younger audiences (Meanwhile), or at least that is the stuff I have read. And then this crudely funny thing! It kind of reminds me James Kochalka, who does all these funny kid things (Johnny Boo, The Glorkian Warrior) but then he does this “side” offensive project, SuperF**ckers! Pretty funny and edgy stuff.
October 13, 2023
Reminded me of Fallen (Denzel Washington, John Goodman). Also would call this a realistic look at what Deadpool would be going through (if he were just a normal guy). Story is fast paced and exciting. Original and very thought provoking; this is a very unique look at immortality. Looking forward to other books by Jason Shiga!
October 24, 2017
The less you know about this book before reading it the better. Jimmy Yee has checked himself into a hotel to commit suicide. Yet every time he tries he wakes up again in his bed. Things get even more cuckoo bananas from there.
The cartoony art works well with the very dark subject matter. Shiga mixes up horror, comedy, and action to give us a story I can't wait to read more of.
The cartoony art works well with the very dark subject matter. Shiga mixes up horror, comedy, and action to give us a story I can't wait to read more of.
October 6, 2019
“I’ve been given a second chance... Fuck...”
I normally don’t do that begin a review with a quote from the book thing that some reviewers tend to do but seriously, that’s great!
What’s it about?
Jimmy’s wife and daughter were killed in a terrible car crash. Jimmy is considered the “lucky” survivor but he doesn’t see it that way. He hates having to live with the loss of his family so he tries to kill himself... however it seems he may not be able to and for strange reasons.
Why it gets 5 stars:
The story! It is very interesting. At first I thought it was gonna be more along the lines of the Suicidal Tendencies song Suicidal Failure or maybe like Happy Death Day except with suicide, not a slasher however neither one is the case, it’s something I never seen done before or at least not done quite like this!
The art is fantastic! Despite this book’s super fucked up themes and plot, this comic has a fun cartoony look to it. I absolutely love it!
The main character is pretty interesting. Very well written.
This book is fairly intense.
This book’s dark humor is fucking awesome! Not for the easily offended and that’s how my favorite humor tends to be. Very funny!
This book has some batshit crazy twists! Very unpredictable throughout!
The dialogue is very well written.
The storytelling is excellent!
I normally don’t note this but the author's note is pretty great.
Overall:
This comic was just something I picked up one day because I saw it in the local comic shop’s discount bin and a friend recommended it. Now having read it, this is an outstanding first book in what could be a demented yet wonderful series!
This comic’s cartoony art, twisted as fuck humor, unique story, well written main character and great storytelling make this a comic that is 100% worthy of praise!
Highly recommended!
5/5
I normally don’t do that begin a review with a quote from the book thing that some reviewers tend to do but seriously, that’s great!
What’s it about?
Jimmy’s wife and daughter were killed in a terrible car crash. Jimmy is considered the “lucky” survivor but he doesn’t see it that way. He hates having to live with the loss of his family so he tries to kill himself... however it seems he may not be able to and for strange reasons.
Why it gets 5 stars:
The story! It is very interesting. At first I thought it was gonna be more along the lines of the Suicidal Tendencies song Suicidal Failure or maybe like Happy Death Day except with suicide, not a slasher however neither one is the case, it’s something I never seen done before or at least not done quite like this!
The art is fantastic! Despite this book’s super fucked up themes and plot, this comic has a fun cartoony look to it. I absolutely love it!
The main character is pretty interesting. Very well written.
This book is fairly intense.
This book’s dark humor is fucking awesome! Not for the easily offended and that’s how my favorite humor tends to be. Very funny!
This book has some batshit crazy twists! Very unpredictable throughout!
The dialogue is very well written.
The storytelling is excellent!
I normally don’t note this but the author's note is pretty great.
Overall:
This comic was just something I picked up one day because I saw it in the local comic shop’s discount bin and a friend recommended it. Now having read it, this is an outstanding first book in what could be a demented yet wonderful series!
This comic’s cartoony art, twisted as fuck humor, unique story, well written main character and great storytelling make this a comic that is 100% worthy of praise!
Highly recommended!
5/5
October 12, 2016
"Actually, make that a Coke" should not be the funniest line in a book ever, but in this one, it is.
You'll see. Context.
This is a messed-up story, bizarre, dark, funny, and super gross. Those kids of yours who read and loved Meanwhile? Yeah, don't let them even glance through this a little bit. The blocky, cartoonish art and simple layout give the story a lot of...charm? Lightness? Quirkiness? Well, whatever it is, it's an interesting juxtaposition with the absolute moral depravity of the story itself.
Fun! And a good read with Deep Dark Fears.
You'll see. Context.
This is a messed-up story, bizarre, dark, funny, and super gross. Those kids of yours who read and loved Meanwhile? Yeah, don't let them even glance through this a little bit. The blocky, cartoonish art and simple layout give the story a lot of...charm? Lightness? Quirkiness? Well, whatever it is, it's an interesting juxtaposition with the absolute moral depravity of the story itself.
Fun! And a good read with Deep Dark Fears.
April 23, 2018
Remember the section of Groundhog Day where Bill Murray keeps killing himself and waking up alive in the Punxsutawney Hotel? Jimmy Yee does pretty much exactly that.
WEIRD. Dilbert level illustration juxtaposed against remarkably gruesome violence and heavy subject matter. It shouldn't work but it totally does.
The puzzle created by Jimmy's first four or five suicides was really clever. Completely confounded me yet made total sense when finally solved. This was followed by more intriguing narrative puzzles. Such as:
What a fun, bizarre read.
WEIRD. Dilbert level illustration juxtaposed against remarkably gruesome violence and heavy subject matter. It shouldn't work but it totally does.
The puzzle created by Jimmy's first four or five suicides was really clever. Completely confounded me yet made total sense when finally solved. This was followed by more intriguing narrative puzzles. Such as:
What a fun, bizarre read.
March 29, 2017
Wow! What a ride! This is one of the most gleefully over-the-top comics I've read in quite some time.
So Jimmy discovers that he has an unusual ability. When he dies, his consciousness instantly possesses the body of whoever's nearest to him at the moment of death. From this simple premise, Shiga spins an insane yarn that explores the implications and variations of that ability to their uttermost. Jimmy is smart and unscrupulous, and willing to do whatever it takes to avoid being captured by the shadowy government agency that seems to be on his tail. I didn't track the body count, but it's high. Shiga's minimal drawing style helps to mitigate some of the shock of the violence and gore--if this book were drawn by, say, Geoff Darrow, it would be much harder to take. Not sure where this is all going that's going to take three more volumes to cover, but I'm definitely on board. Jason Shiga clearly knows what he's doing, and I can't wait to see what happens next. Recommended!
So Jimmy discovers that he has an unusual ability. When he dies, his consciousness instantly possesses the body of whoever's nearest to him at the moment of death. From this simple premise, Shiga spins an insane yarn that explores the implications and variations of that ability to their uttermost. Jimmy is smart and unscrupulous, and willing to do whatever it takes to avoid being captured by the shadowy government agency that seems to be on his tail. I didn't track the body count, but it's high. Shiga's minimal drawing style helps to mitigate some of the shock of the violence and gore--if this book were drawn by, say, Geoff Darrow, it would be much harder to take. Not sure where this is all going that's going to take three more volumes to cover, but I'm definitely on board. Jason Shiga clearly knows what he's doing, and I can't wait to see what happens next. Recommended!
February 5, 2017
This is a fine book, a sort of slapstick horror romp in a manga-ish tradition. Even still, the violence is a bit much for me. Shiga has a way with bringing together the silly and soulful and I appreciate what he's done here with tone and mood. But I won't likely read the rest of the series. For those who like a weird marriage of existential angst and action-adventure, spareness and simplicity, cuteness and graphic violence, you'll likely enjoy this.
February 23, 2017
Jesus, Jason...
June 7, 2016
**I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Jimmy (our main character) has become a demon and can't die. Every time he tries to commit suicide, the body he's occupies perishes but his little demon soul moves into the next living body closest to him.
Jimmy's main goal is to die, but when a super secret organization is trying to kill him, Jimmy realizes maybe he's not quite ready to die just yet.
I really enjoyed this comic, although I think it appeals to a very distinct reading group.
I would warn readers that if you are not into dark humor, crude sexual jokes, and a WHOLE LOT OF DEATH this book is not for you.
I would give this a solid 4 stars.
It's short; I would have liked it to be a little longer, but it was definitely entertaining and the artwork was really fun! Very fitting to the story line and mood of the comic.
Would highly recommend to people who enjoy this genre of dark humor, but I can see this won't be everyone's cup of tea.
Jimmy (our main character) has become a demon and can't die. Every time he tries to commit suicide, the body he's occupies perishes but his little demon soul moves into the next living body closest to him.
Jimmy's main goal is to die, but when a super secret organization is trying to kill him, Jimmy realizes maybe he's not quite ready to die just yet.
I really enjoyed this comic, although I think it appeals to a very distinct reading group.
I would warn readers that if you are not into dark humor, crude sexual jokes, and a WHOLE LOT OF DEATH this book is not for you.
I would give this a solid 4 stars.
It's short; I would have liked it to be a little longer, but it was definitely entertaining and the artwork was really fun! Very fitting to the story line and mood of the comic.
Would highly recommend to people who enjoy this genre of dark humor, but I can see this won't be everyone's cup of tea.
October 29, 2016
A guy kills himself and keeps waking up, after 4 attempts he realises that every time he dies he possesses the body closest to him. Now the government is after him as they want to use him as an agent. Bloody, violent, irreverent and hilarious!
May 27, 2017
Excellent and unique premise for a story. I'll be interested to read more.
March 7, 2017
This is messed up, but in the best way.
I've never read any of Shiga's stuff, but I have a cursory knowledge of it - mostly that it's usually shelved in the Juvenile (ie. Kids) department in the library. SO, you can imagine my surprise when I opened this up and the first thing I see is a dude killing himself.
The story follows Jimmy, a guy who's decided he's done with life and takes care of business in a cheap motel. Too bad Jimmy keeps coming back to life! Shiga reveals the truth of this Groundhog Day conundrum pretty early on, but it was still really fun reading this with no knowledge of the plot, so I'll leave this summary at that.
For being a comic about a guy trying to kill himself, it's pretty funny. The humour is obviously very dark, so be wary of that, and it occasionally missed the mark for me but alas, humour is relative, so take that with a grain of salt. It's a very quick and action-packed read and I had a ton of fun reading it.
The muted colour palette is in stark contrast with the extravagant and gory premise, and the clean line work and clear visuals also help highlight the absurdity of the story. All in all, it's very well-done.
I'm a bit disappointed that it's been divided into 4 volumes, but only because it means I have to wait several months between installments. I'm looking forward to seeing how this story plays out and what Jimmy's fate will ultimately be. Highly recommended.
I've never read any of Shiga's stuff, but I have a cursory knowledge of it - mostly that it's usually shelved in the Juvenile (ie. Kids) department in the library. SO, you can imagine my surprise when I opened this up and the first thing I see is a dude killing himself.
The story follows Jimmy, a guy who's decided he's done with life and takes care of business in a cheap motel. Too bad Jimmy keeps coming back to life! Shiga reveals the truth of this Groundhog Day conundrum pretty early on, but it was still really fun reading this with no knowledge of the plot, so I'll leave this summary at that.
For being a comic about a guy trying to kill himself, it's pretty funny. The humour is obviously very dark, so be wary of that, and it occasionally missed the mark for me but alas, humour is relative, so take that with a grain of salt. It's a very quick and action-packed read and I had a ton of fun reading it.
The muted colour palette is in stark contrast with the extravagant and gory premise, and the clean line work and clear visuals also help highlight the absurdity of the story. All in all, it's very well-done.
I'm a bit disappointed that it's been divided into 4 volumes, but only because it means I have to wait several months between installments. I'm looking forward to seeing how this story plays out and what Jimmy's fate will ultimately be. Highly recommended.
November 6, 2016
Hahahaha!! What in the actual hell?
If you could all see the look on my face right now. Priceless I tell ya. Priceless!!!
Needed something to lift my spirts after all the crap floating around twitter.
Not even sure how I have heard about it, but now I need it for my own collection. Glad there was a library brazen enough to buy it for their library.
Jimmy is ready to leave this world for the bright white light in the sky. Writes a note, makes a noose and ends it. Wakes up and is in bed sleeping. What the hell? Tries again and wakes up again. Has the entire world lost their marbles?
If you can't handle death and cum knives then you should just go back to watching Barney in your under roos while eating Cookie Crisp. Wait! That sounds like a terrific idea...
Just read this monster bizarro of a fantastic graphic novel, take two pills and wake up refreshed in the morning!
If you could all see the look on my face right now. Priceless I tell ya. Priceless!!!
Needed something to lift my spirts after all the crap floating around twitter.
Not even sure how I have heard about it, but now I need it for my own collection. Glad there was a library brazen enough to buy it for their library.
Jimmy is ready to leave this world for the bright white light in the sky. Writes a note, makes a noose and ends it. Wakes up and is in bed sleeping. What the hell? Tries again and wakes up again. Has the entire world lost their marbles?
If you can't handle death and cum knives then you should just go back to watching Barney in your under roos while eating Cookie Crisp. Wait! That sounds like a terrific idea...
Just read this monster bizarro of a fantastic graphic novel, take two pills and wake up refreshed in the morning!
June 30, 2016
I love Demon - I started reading the webcomic ages ago, so when I saw the first volume on Netgalley I jumped at the chance to keep going.
Great, weird dark comedy comic about a dude who possesses the nearest person whenever he dies - incredibly creatively done. The art is fairly understated, with the exception of the backgrounds, which are fantastic.
Highly recommend this webcomic to anyone who's after something unique and darkly, humourously weird.
Great, weird dark comedy comic about a dude who possesses the nearest person whenever he dies - incredibly creatively done. The art is fairly understated, with the exception of the backgrounds, which are fantastic.
Highly recommend this webcomic to anyone who's after something unique and darkly, humourously weird.
December 22, 2017
Holy crap.
Okay, so. This is really depraved, but it’s also an incredibly strong fair rules science fiction / fantasy story with a vicious sense of timing and surprise. If Claire North’s Touch was utterly amoral and had Spy vs Spy’s knack for finding the visual humor in gruesome violence, you’d have something like this book.
Okay, so. This is really depraved, but it’s also an incredibly strong fair rules science fiction / fantasy story with a vicious sense of timing and surprise. If Claire North’s Touch was utterly amoral and had Spy vs Spy’s knack for finding the visual humor in gruesome violence, you’d have something like this book.
November 26, 2016
I can't say Andy didn't warn me that this was messed up but....WOW! This book is so wrong and so right. I just hope that Shiga has a plan for where this will all end because this is a hell of a start!
January 18, 2017
Dark. And addictive. Darkly addictive? A journey I wasn't expecting! Definitely curious where this will go in the upcoming volumes. Not only will I re-read this, but I'm more-than-gently urging others to read so I can discuss...join me?
December 22, 2020
Don't read summaries of the plot. Don't read its back cover. I think you'll enjoy the first several dozen pages of discovery if you're as unaware as Jimmy Yee is about the freakishness of his situation.
Jimmy has almost zero interests other than his self and, therefore, i would typically dislike spending any time with him. So i credit Jason Shiga's foreword for enabling me to read about the life and death of such an uncaring humanoid.
Jimmy believes life has no worth without his wife and child. He really Really REALLY believes that. And behaves accordingly. Death. Wantonness. Hasty judgment. Certainty. These are Jimmy's fundaments. The last one, in my opinion, being the scariest.
He starts at rock bottom in an Oakland, CA, motel room. Only to drill down thru the bedrock of the criminal justice system and into the molten core of international "intelligence" from there.
I'm not totally on board yet, but Shiga assures readers that he concocted this plot backward from the end to ensure some kinda necessary mathematical precision. (Shiga's a math guy.) He admits that this probably hurts characterization. (Yeah, probably.) But i'm willing to follow an interesting path if it's intellectually stimulating.
And ifmy local lieberries continue to acquire and shelve the volumes continue to interest me as they're released (quarterly thru 2017), i'll definitely continue to buy and read 'em.
An exhausting post scriptum of quibbles (with spoilers) follows. Please correct any errors because i would like to like this series ... but i can't anymore.
Jimmy has almost zero interests other than his self and, therefore, i would typically dislike spending any time with him. So i credit Jason Shiga's foreword for enabling me to read about the life and death of such an uncaring humanoid.
Jimmy believes life has no worth without his wife and child. He really Really REALLY believes that. And behaves accordingly. Death. Wantonness. Hasty judgment. Certainty. These are Jimmy's fundaments. The last one, in my opinion, being the scariest.
He starts at rock bottom in an Oakland, CA, motel room. Only to drill down thru the bedrock of the criminal justice system and into the molten core of international "intelligence" from there.
I'm not totally on board yet, but Shiga assures readers that he concocted this plot backward from the end to ensure some kinda necessary mathematical precision. (Shiga's a math guy.) He admits that this probably hurts characterization. (Yeah, probably.) But i'm willing to follow an interesting path if it's intellectually stimulating.
And if
An exhausting post scriptum of quibbles (with spoilers) follows. Please correct any errors because i would like to like this series ... but i can't anymore.
March 28, 2017
I don't know how Jason Shiga makes this comic sooo good all the way through. Jimmy Yee, our protagonist, has the body-jumping powers of Doro (of Octavia Butler's Seed to Harvest) and the despair of Johnny the Homicidal Maniac: Director's Cut. And from page 1, he is really done being alive, but quickly realizes he's not going to get the death he's aiming for.
The plotting and storytelling with minimal text is fantastic. I read the entire first volume laaaate at night in one shot and was into it the whole time. Eager to get through the remaining 3 volumes!
The plotting and storytelling with minimal text is fantastic. I read the entire first volume laaaate at night in one shot and was into it the whole time. Eager to get through the remaining 3 volumes!
April 19, 2020
I mean, look. There's a very simple test here.
Are you interested in the dark comedy of a guy stabbing himself with a knife made of paper that's been hardened/lacquered with his own semen? If yes, proceed. If no, move onto the next book.
Are you interested in the dark comedy of a guy stabbing himself with a knife made of paper that's been hardened/lacquered with his own semen? If yes, proceed. If no, move onto the next book.
May 18, 2016
I received this ARC via Netgalley.
Jimmy attempts suicide four times in a row before he realizes something is wrong. He can't figure out why he keeps waking up with no injuries, until he runs into traffic and gets himself hit. Suddenly a strange woman is calling himself his daughter and he appears to have a different name. Once Jimmy figures out that he's a demon who possesses the body nearest him each time he dies, he's out on a murder spree.
The juxtaposition of the title and description, which sounded pretty horrific and gory, with the illustrations, which are fairly fun, were what drove me to request this title. I read it in about twenty minutes and highly enjoyed Jimmy's plots to escape. It will be interesting to see what Jimmy decides to do with himself now that suicide is not an option. The introduction/warning make it clear that this is not for children, and I'd say it's firmly an adult graphic novel. While the cartoonish drawings don't show much by way of gore, it's more the idea that is so gross.
Jimmy attempts suicide four times in a row before he realizes something is wrong. He can't figure out why he keeps waking up with no injuries, until he runs into traffic and gets himself hit. Suddenly a strange woman is calling himself his daughter and he appears to have a different name. Once Jimmy figures out that he's a demon who possesses the body nearest him each time he dies, he's out on a murder spree.
The juxtaposition of the title and description, which sounded pretty horrific and gory, with the illustrations, which are fairly fun, were what drove me to request this title. I read it in about twenty minutes and highly enjoyed Jimmy's plots to escape. It will be interesting to see what Jimmy decides to do with himself now that suicide is not an option. The introduction/warning make it clear that this is not for children, and I'd say it's firmly an adult graphic novel. While the cartoonish drawings don't show much by way of gore, it's more the idea that is so gross.
December 12, 2016
Yeah, I needed this. I forget why I put it on hold in the first place, but I'm happy that past-kate was on the ball. This is a hilariously dark book about a guy who learns that when his body dies, his consciousness just moves into the next person over. Jimmy gets pretty adept (and real creative) at killing himself, it's pretty impressive. I'm rooting for him through his blatant disregard for human life.
October 20, 2016
I sped-read this at the shop when it was in my friend's buy pile. It was very dark and compelling, and I couldn't put it down. I didn't intend to read the whole thing in the middle of the store, but I didn't want to wait until later. I now have to look at Shiga's other work.
November 3, 2016
Well that was a wild 15 min ride
January 26, 2017
Really quick and darkly funny read. The character was absolutely deplorable, but I was rooting for him the whole time. Can't wait to read the rest.
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