Bone Parish: Volume 1
Written by Cullen Bunn
Art by Jonas Scharf
Colors by Alex Guimarães
Letters by Ed Dukeshire
Cover by Lee Garbett
Boom! Studios
Release Date: May 1, 2019
Cover Price: $14.99

We all know that drugs can kill. But what if they were made from the dead? Because that is straight up what Bone Parish: Volume 1 is about from the get go.

Suppose you could live as a celebrity, experiencing the feelings they felt, all for the low, low price of your moral compass. But there are far worse things than simply robbing the dead of their bones to make drugs. In fact, those far worse things have just started to take notice.

A family that has made its money via illegal means is seldom squeamish. However, they also have little interest in losing what they have built through blood, sweat, and tears. When other syndicates decide they want in on it all, what will it take to make them stop? This poses a problem, especially since the patriarch of the family is unavailable for the most part. Things look dark for our grave robbing group but New Orleans is no playground and these folks have always done what they had to do to survive.

At the exact same time, demand for the drug called Ash is only multiplying and it is becoming increasingly difficult to acquire the necessary (and specific) corpses to create this highly sought after hallucinogen. This story is fraught with danger, violence, and revenge. Every person has their own personal story to tell, but this drug allows another to deep dive into another person. It is an exploration into the experiences of the dead. And that last point might just be the undoing of everyone involved.

Cullen Bunn once again delivers a twisted but truly riveting story. The reader is both appalled and fascinated by the tale as it winds its way inside and out, touching the darkest corners of the mind. I missed the monthly issues but this first graphic novel is wicked good, reminding me in some ways of the film Strange Days which happens to be one of my favorite movies of all time.

Enhanced by the pencils of Jonas Scharf and the vivid colors of Alex Guimarães, Bone Parish comes to life and allows the reader to immerse themselves in a story that is almost believable.

Grab a copy before you miss out. It is dark and delectable!

A new drug is sweeping through the streets of New Orleans-one made from the ashes of the dead. Wars are being fought over who will control the supply, while the demand only rises. While the crime families wage war, users begin to experience terrifying visions of the dead coming back to life-through them. Eisner Award-nominated author Cullen Bunn (The Empty Man, The Unsound) and illustrator Jonas Scharf (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) team up for Bone Parish, a haunting blend of horror and crime that takes an unflinching look at how we connect to-and disconnect from-the world around us. Collects issues #1-4.