Review by Karl Verhoven

A prelude introduces Anna Lyn and Megan as children in 1997 pledging friendship to each other. By the time we see Lyn again in 2006 she’s moving into a new apartment with her parents and Megan has died. Kasey Iris spends considerable time introducing other folk with apartments in the same block, most of them eccentric, especially the local gossip shouting about the elderly Mr. Cho “I’m not the only one to think he’s responsible for his wife and son’s death”. Whatever the truth of that, it’s not long before Lyn is confronted with a creature named Ghoul that’s come to life from a comic.

If Ghoul’s appearance is rather random, it’s a means to an end and Lyn is stuck with lively creature. We’ve already seen she’s not adequately addressed the loss of her friend, and perhaps Ghoul is exactly what she needs in her life.

Iris’ art is as lively as Ghoul, dismissive of panel borders, constantly shifting perspective and making the most of an energetic ink-black humanoid creature of undetermined origin. Manga is a big influence, so Lyn can change size according to circumstance, not literally, but as visual metaphor.

Having set-up the mystery of Mr. Cho, Iris runs with it, having Lyn and Ghoul follow him to the now defunct family restaurant, where a key scene explains why Lyn is curious and why the manifestation of Ghoul might be especially disturbing. It’s cleverly tied together, inducing further sympathy, but raises the question of whether Lyn continuing to investigate Mr. Cho will begin a healing process or deepen existing wounds.

For a time Ghoul adds visual variety and comedy relief while serving as a means for Lyn to be able to confide in someone she trusts, but there’s also a case to be made for the plot being stronger and the emotional drama greater without Ghoul’s presence. Iris eventually addresses that with scenes of Ghoul acting independently when things get seriously weird around halfway.

Ghoul becomes a really strange story, with the Cho family central. Part horror story, Iris pushes Lyn into distinct and uncomfortable areas, but mitigated by the cheerful cartooning. That, though, doesn’t mean a lack of threat. Terrors arrive, and within the contained environment they’re creative, but in a trippy way with lettering to match. Some flashbacks deliver the truth, both about events and relationships. As imaginative as this is, at times it seems Ghoul is being prolonged for Iris to experiment with the art, and that’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea.

There is, though, plenty of interesting back-up material, including the first appearance of Ghoul in a comic Iris produced for school.