Fantasy Book Critic: Book review: Severed by Scott Snyder, Scott Tuft, and Attila Futaki.

Whew. That was grim. Not in a gory or disgusting way (though it does contain violence and gore ), but in all the ways that make a horror story scary.

Severed follows Jack Garron, a 12-year-old who runs away from home to find his biological father. He quickly learns that life on the road is not as exciting as he imagined; it's often harsh and unforgiving. Most people do not care about others, and those who seem to do may have ulterior motives.

Like, say, a hunger only flesh of the children can satiate. The villain, child-eating salesman, and cannibal likes to play with his food, to make it feel loved and safe. It tastes better this way.

The brighter moments of the story see Jack discovering the city with Sam, a girl who saved him (more than once). Their relationship made the story stronger and more impactful when the world came crashing on Jack.

Attila Futaki's drawings perfectly capture the time periods perfectly and is a real feast for the eyes. Combined with Snyder's writing it helps to create a haunting story. The way he draws and the rich color palette make the world picturesque. When bad things happen, they are shocking.

Severes is, for the most part, a slow burn. The scary things hide underneath the surface and happen off-page. No one is safe, a thing I appreciate about creator-owned art. The team knows how to build up the suspense on each page until things get intense in the last two issues.

Severed is a memorable horror graphic novel. It stands out thanks to bold ideas, amazing artwork, and great writing. It provides a disturbing ending and lots of thrills along the way.