Alley: Junji Ito Story Collection

Gr 10 Up–In this collection of short stories, master horror mangaka Ito revisits classic body horror tropes, like the invasion of privacy, monsters connected by myriad protuberances from the mouth, mold spores growing over host bodies, and more. There are also other horror topics covered in the anthology, such as murderous twins, nefarious ice cream men, and strange, floating, catatonic missing persons. Ito continues to shock, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions as to what’s happening up until the opportune moment of reveal. Ito achieves this through his signature dark lines and deep shadows, featuring detailed backgrounds in situational horror scenes where vividness makes one’s skin crawl. His panel awareness is on full display, capitalizing on page turns to deliver the equivalent of a jump scare or a big reveal. There is some topless nudity in a story where the central horror stems from a lack of personal privacy, which will make the sense of violation feel ever more real for readers. With so many offerings in the “Junji Ito” anthology series, it’s hard not to compare, and while Alley may not be the strongest, it will find an audience.