{"id":15296,"date":"2022-06-22T07:00:28","date_gmt":"2022-06-22T11:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cemeterydance.com\/extras\/?p=15296"},"modified":"2022-06-20T12:48:51","modified_gmt":"2022-06-20T16:48:51","slug":"review-blood-on-the-tracks-shuzo-oshimi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cemeterydance.com\/extras\/review-blood-on-the-tracks-shuzo-oshimi\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Blood on the Tracks Volumes 1-4 by Shuzo Oshimi"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"banner<\/p>\n

\"coverBlood on the Tracks<\/em> Volumes 1-4 by Shuzo Oshimi<\/strong><\/a>
\nVertical Comics (2020)<\/strong>
\n$12.95 paperback <\/strong>
\nReviewed by\u00a0Danica Davidson<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The covers of Blood on the Tracks<\/em> show a loving mother and son. They don\u2019t look like horror covers. But Blood on the Tracks<\/em> is a truly amazing psychological horror manga series that simmers and unsettles.<\/p>\n

The main character Seiichi is 13-years-old, and he wakes from a nightmare about finding a dead cat that he had been going up to pet, thinking it was alive. When he tells his mother about it, she explains that this was actually a very early memory of his. It\u2019s not clear what happened to the cat, but it sets the stage for things to at first look sweet and cuddly, and then when you come up close, you discover something horrible.<\/p>\n

At first Seiichi\u2019s mother seems very doting and loving, if too overprotective. It\u2019s clear that the two of them have a very close relationship. But then toward the end of the first volume in the series, Seiichi watches his mother do something unspeakable. It\u2019s hard to go into without giving away plot points, but when the police come to ask what happened, the mother lies easily. And Seiichi lies as well, because he doesn\u2019t know what else to do.<\/p>\n

From here he is haunted by the secret of what he witnessed, but he doesn\u2019t want to betray his mother. His mother, though, becomes increasingly unsteady and tries to control his life more and more. When he gets a love letter from a girl, his mother demands to see it. Then she cries over it, makes him rip the letter up with her, and forbids him from dating the girl.<\/p>\n

Blood in the Tracks<\/em> is not over-the-top horror, or something that goes bump in the night. It\u2019s much scarier, because it\u2019s much more realistic. And the artwork is fantastic. Mostly it\u2019s in black and white, albeit there are some color pages. But Oshimi is able to create such moods and atmosphere with the use of black and white, and the way he sets up his paneling. The opening page, for example, first shows the closeup of an adult hand clasping a small child\u2019s hand. In the next panel, you are Seiichiro as a small child, looking up at this tall being who is the mother. It brings back the feelings of being so small and vulnerable as a child, and needing a guardian. Feelings and shadows are beautifully captured, and many panels don\u2019t have words because the art says enough, whether it\u2019s showing a summertime nature scene or a closeup of a face feeling an intense emotion.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s also amazing about Blood on the Tracks<\/em> is how emotionally gripping it is. With a great story, great characterization, great art and unique perspectives, this is a terrific read for horror fans who want something more quietly visceral.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Blood on the Tracks Volumes 1-4 by Shuzo Oshimi Vertical Comics (2020) $12.95 paperback Reviewed by\u00a0Danica Davidson The covers of Blood on the Tracks show a loving mother and son. They don\u2019t look like horror covers. But Blood on the Tracks is a truly amazing psychological horror manga series that simmers and unsettles. The main … Continue Reading! “Review: Blood on the Tracks Volumes 1-4 by Shuzo Oshimi”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[80,444],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews","category-comics"],"yoast_head":"\nReview: Blood on the Tracks Volumes 1-4 by Shuzo Oshimi - 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