The Bone Parish Vol 1. by Cullen Bunn and Jonas Scharf

‘The ash always reveals the truth…’

The Winters family is peddling a new drug on the streets of New Orleans, one made from the bones of the dead. It brings on hallucinations that allows the dead to reenter the living world. A dead relative or celebrity can give advice, or a bad trip can turn that hallucination into a nightmare. It’s so powerful that other gangs want the formula. They are not looking to buy out the family. The Junta Directiva are looking to take it.

Grace Winters uses the drug to conjure her dead husband. She needs his support as she tries to the family business. Her son Brea wants more control over the economics of the trade and is working with police informants to ease their way into the pockets of Burbon Street crowd. And daughter Brigitte is the brains behind the formula. A daily delivery of dead bodies shows up and she goes to work. Yet, her mind is on her ex-boyfriend who helped her create the mind-crushing necromantic drug.

I was blown away with all aspects of this comic. The story, the artwork, and the characters work so well together. I can almost say that without the supernatural elements the story would definitely work, but the gore and the horror propel this one to the next level. It’s a family business that is being bought out, and it’s also an eerie tale of death and grief.

Highly recommended!