Afterlife, Volume 1

I can't put this book down! It is so deliciously dark. It's perfect for anyone with a sardonic sense of humor. Really, how many books are there where one of the characters actually carries his own head around with him? I can't wait for Volume 2 - I just hope I don't find myself in it!

Have you seen the Afterlife? I have, and I have to say that it is wonderful... No, not the real thing but Stormcrow Hayes and Rob Steens vision of what it might be. The book is instantly engaging both visually and in its writing. The Afterlife keeps you reading, you want to see where it is going to next. Very well paced and not overly wordy. Hayes and Steen paint a picture of the Afterlife that is quite unique and leaves you wanting more. Don't let the fact that it is published by Tokyo Pop turn you off if you are not a Manga reader. This is not Manga; it is a well thought out journey of the dead that is fresh and entertaining cover to cover. I love Steens artistic style, it's like a mix of Geoff Darrow and Edvard Munch. Thumbs up or five stars to this book. All I can say is bring on the next volume in this fun journey!

What if when you died there was no Heaven, no Hell, only a weigh station on the road to eternity; a place where the righteous and the wicked shared the same space; where creatures existed solely to torment what was left of your existence; what would you do? This is the premise for Stormcrow Hayes' and Rob Steen's book, AFTERLIFE. Hayes, a screenwriter by nature, weaves a compelling tale that takes some unexpected turns and offers some thought provoking concepts along the way. He manages to avoid the trap that ensnares many authors turned comic book writers, the tendency to over-write. Many of these crossover writers forget comics are primarily a visual medium. The art is as important to the storytelling process as the writing. Hayes provides a terse script that succeeds in moving the action along without bogging it down with self-indulgent turns of phrase. In many instances Hayes is content to let the moody art of Rob Steen speak for itself. Rob Steen is known for his work on children's books. Despite this background he is able to populate the world of AFTERLIFE with macabre, sometimes frightening, characters who perfectly fit the mood and tone of Hayes' script. He successfully portrays the overcrowded world of life after death as well as the barren landscape of this bleak existence. His work is reminiscent of the stop motion work seen in "Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Corpse Bride." In fact, this material would lend itself well to that style of animation. I enjoyed this book. I found it an entertaining read offering a fresh perspective on what happens next. If it accomplishes nothing else, AFTERLIFE will make you think. Definitely a journey worth taking. I look forward to the next volume of the series.

Intriguing account of what is purported to be the Afterlife - though I suspect it's a Limbo-style waiting room, based on the existence of the Abyss at the edge. To sum up: the Afterlife is getting too crowded, and the fact that the world is going to seed may be a cause. Demons are sprouting from the flesh of the Afterlife itself (read it, it will make more sense) to torment the dead, who all end up in the same place regardless of how they conducted themselves in life. No sense getting into the plot; if that set-up of a synopsis intrigues you, you will have found your graphic novel for the day. If it tweaks a devout reaction, however, you may want to avoid this book and its iconoclastic theology. Wonder if there will be adherents using this book as a holy text in a thousand years?