Dead High Yearbook

DEAD HIGH YEARBOOK is pretty well disguised. With gold lettering and a faux leather cover, from the outside it looks a lot like any other high school yearbook. Until you notice the bloody fingerprints... And, of course, as soon as you open its pages, you'll realize that DEAD HIGH YEARBOOK is something else entirely. A collaboration of more than a dozen graphic novelists and comic book artists (including ChrisCross, Jennifer Camper, Wilfred Santiago and Nicola Scott), the stories inside introduce readers to a small yearbook staff, putting together photos and stories for the year's graduating class. Instead of cheer squad and debate team, though, these students' stories are not exactly optimistic. You see, to graduate from Dead High, you have to be, well, dead. There's Rowena, the spoiled mean girl whose desire for the perfect designer lapdog leads both her and her boyfriend down the road to demonic possession and a grisly death. There's Miguel and his buddies, who wind up with a nasty surprise after committing a brutal hate crime. Lisa takes a secret herbal supplement to lose weight, Jeff takes one to build muscle, and both of them get much more than they bargained for. A high-achieving student is determined to ace the SATs, no matter what deadly accident befalls her on the way to the exam. These gruesome deaths, depicted in full comic book-style detail, are not for the squeamish. But horror movie fans will not be fazed and will likely relish the imaginative deaths befalling the unlucky kids. Not surprisingly, given the collaborative nature of the publication, the quality of the stories is a bit uneven. Some, like "Fan You So Very Much," have a little heavy-handed moral. "Have a Nicey Icee Last Day," about a particularly nasty love triangle, has a somewhat flimsy plot. Others, like the two-part zombie/vampire tale "What's Got Into Grandma?" / "Who Are You Having for Dinner?" are more ambitious, drawing together several different characters and storylines into a more fully-realized story arc that also manages to be pretty funny. As an introduction to the horror-graphic novel format, or as a compilation for fans, though, DEAD HIGH YEARBOOK is a good choice. It's interesting to compare the different artists' and storytellers' styles, particularly to look at how various artists represent individual recurring characters. The book's sleek design and attention to detail make this one yearbook that graphic novel fans will relish. --- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

It took me a few pages to even figure out what DEAD HIGH YEARBOOK was about, but once I did, I was hooked. Call me sick, call me gruesome, call me whatever you like, but this is Stephen King mixed with Kill Bill with a dash of Twilight Zone thrown in for good luck. It's definitely not intended for anyone under the age of fourteen, but for older teens who enjoy their comics with a dash of gory horror, this book will surely do the trick. DEAD HIGH YEARBOOK is set up like an actual high school yearbook, except for one main difference - the yearbook staff are all dead, and they're the actual subjects of the book. Several authors and illustrators have worked together to create the book, with individual stories that give the background into each staff member's sad demise. GORE-IENTATION: WELCOME TO DEAD HIGH by Ivan Velez, art by Shawn Martinbrough - Learn just what you're in for. FEAR PRESSURE by John Rozum, art by Wilfred Santiago - The bullied skinny geek and the taunted fat girl get some unwelcome help. WHAT'S GOT INTO GRANDMA? by Ho Che Anderson, art by Brian Hurtt - Grandma's not taking death so well. DEVIL DOG OF THE DAMNED by Jennifer Camper, art by ChrisCross - The spoiled princess wanted a dog for her birthday, and got a little more than she bargained for. FANG YOU SO VERY MUCH by Wilfred Santiago, art by Nicola Scott - Petty theft just turned into a very sticky situation. HAVE A NICEY ICEE LAST DAY by Mark McVeigh, art by Pop Mhan - The popular kids get caught up in a nasty love triangle. WHO ARE YOU HAVING FOR DINNER? by Papo Martin, art by Wilfred Santiago - Befriending the new kid just might get you killed. HEAD OF THE CLASS by Jacqueline Ching & Papo Martin, art by Ho Che Anderson - Why let taking the SATs go to your head? GOOD-BYE AND GOOD LUCK by Ivan Velez, art by Shawn Martinbrough - The staff departs in preparation for another year. All in all, I have to say that this was an entertaining (if bloody) way to spend an hour. Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"