The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn - Review

Author: Tri Vuong

Genre: Horror / Paranormal / Graphic Novel

Format: e-Book

Pages: 240

A huge thank you to Net Galley for letting me read this over the summer! The Strange Case of Oscar Zahn hits shelves tomorrow!

This was a great good start a strange little series. What originally drew me to the comic was the kind of Cthulhu-looking creature on the cover, and the idea of this skeleton paranormal investigator. It hit a lot of buttons that I normally enjoy with both comics and books. So I didn't hesitate to hit the request button for this, and was super excited when I saw I was going to get a chance to read this early!

Now that being said, this was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I really liked the worlds that Tri Voung created for this story, and how the two worlds weaved together through the ocean. It was really a cool concept and really well thought out. My favorite story was the one set in the aftermath of World War I. It was both a sad and bittersweet story that just left you really satisfied with the ending.  I also really liked the last story in the book about the little old lady and her cottage. I thought it showed that Oscar has at least one person in his corner.

The artwork is a little in the vein of Mike Mignola, only Tri Voung has a much brighter color pallet in places. Even in the darker moments, there is still a use of bright colors that allow for smaller details to push through. Those smaller details really show off the world that Tri Voung has created. The details on the whale and the little bits and pieces on Cassie and the island were really good. And I really liked the idea of the Hydronauts. They were each their own person and their suits were really cool. Along with their backstory.

My issue was really with an odd little intermission of the Hydronaut story that led to Oscar's sort of backstory. I understand it was set up a bigger picture and I a whole understood where they going with after reading the last chapter. But, personally, it sort of felt out of place with a story that was running parallel to it. I really felt like it could have been a chapter of its own on how Oscar was put on the path to the skeleton he is now. But I guess them being at the lighthouse after everyone sort of set them up a little I just felt like it pulled that story down a little because I sort of put the book aside and had to make myself finish the Hydronaut story.

However, I did like the way that story wrapped up.

As a whole I liked the first volume of this story, it set the world up really well and I like Oscar as a main character. I also feel like there are so many more stories that Oscar could tell, and I'd like to see how he went from man to skeleton. So I'd for sure pick up the second volume of this series.

HAPPY READING!!