Pinpricks: Blue is published by Bughouse Comics. It is written and drawn by creator, Jason Pell.
A continuation of his haunting and funny Pinpricks series (check out my review here), Jason Pell returns with another masterfully done book. As strange as it may be to say, dark humor was something I needed during this bleak time. Being confined due to quarantine, playing endless amount of Animal Crossing, lazing on the couch watching anime or whatever documentary piqued my interest, I really needed something other than a screen to pull me in. So, it was perfect timing that my kickstarted copy showed up on my doorstep on my birthday.
Like the previous book, each story, each page, it completely unique with an illustration to match. Some stories are only a couple sentences while others are a couple paragraphs, but with the picture it doesn’t matter, the entire story is conveyed clearly, even if it’s meant to be a bit ambiguous. Some of these stories are more based in the supernatural or fantastical and clearly fictitious while others feel more real. By that, I mean they come from Pell’s own experiences. There are times when the stories feel more emotional than anything else – a vulnerability is there and it’s moving to see it laid out in these pages.
While they are often bleak, sometimes the story is an inspirational one. It’s such an interesting mix of humor, horror, and poignancy. My favorites this time around are the ones that pay tribute (or poke a little fun at) familiar authors or concepts, such as Edgar Allen Poe and the Bride of Frankenstein. It’s things and people those of us immersed in the strange will know right away My most favorite though is page 41, which you’ll have to read for yourself.
Pinpricks: Blue is a book where I think anyone could find a page that speaks to them but those who love the weird, the whimsical macabre, those are the ones this book really speaks to.
OVERALL SCORE: 9.8 / 10
