Cover Image: It Took Luke

It Took Luke

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Really cool story with unique artwork. I love the intense splash of red making everything look more terrifying.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Netgalley and Oni Press for this eARC, these opinions are my own. This was an interesting graphic novel! Sal is an exterminator who hunts monsters. They are fed up of them job and want to move on, maybe rekindle things with their ex. Then they are called on a job… the only thing is they are facing something they’ve never seen before. Can they defeat it? Will their team survive? I think the storyline for this is really enjoyable. I like that the artwork was black and white except for the splashes of red. I think the side storyline between Sal and their ex! The only thing I would say is it might have been nice to have a little back story everything went really fast. That’s also a good thing though I enjoy quick reads! I think if you enjoy graphic novels with LGBTQ+ characters and monsters you’ll enjoy this!

Was this review helpful?

A graphic novel not afraid to dig into horror with a graphic style that complements the story perfectly. I was amazed by the black and white style and the touch of reds which made the gory aspects come alive.

The protagonist of this story is non-binary like the author and while I hate when people say this : I love that it was never stated but up to the reader to pick up on that through dialogues.

I think that while the horror elements were really well done, the story did lack some cohesiveness, some things and relationships didn't quite click together. I would have loved for a bit more development but that's a flaw inherent to the story's length.

Was this review helpful?

What an art!!!! I really adored the art style. Totally terrifying !!! Especially when the red color appeared as blood color but the other was not. That thing added the "thrilling" effect. Really love it

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I don't know what it is about this comic, but I'm in love with it. I absolutely adore the art style! The action scenes are dynamic, fast-paced, and are so fun to read. The flow of the panels adds to the action scenes; there are several page spreads that stood out to me. The way they're composed is just gorgeous. The color scheme for this comic is one of my favorite color scheme styles; black and white, with the only color being pops of red. I really like how easy it was to connect with the characters, mostly Sal. Molly and Hussam are written in a way that makes it almost feel like they could be your co-workers. It was all too easy to emphasize with them. I also emphasized heavily with Sal when they talk about how they accidentally trapped themself into a career that they ended up hating because it would mean trying to start over at twenty-seven. I winced reading Sal say "Now I'm thirty-one and full of resentment" and "I couldn't even tell you how many resignation letters I've written on my phone this past month". Like, ouch. I've been there myself, so it felt like the story really went for my throat. Sal is a painfully relatable character; struggling with their hatred for their job, and the brief mentions of their relationship woes with their partner. The story of the comic itself is great, even though it feels like it ends on a cliffhanger. I'm assuming this is a one-shot, not a series, but I really wish it was a series! What we see of the world in "It Took Luke" is fascinating. The mystery of the monster that Sal's team has been sent to exterminate was amazing, and the reveal is truly horrific. I'm not a huge horror person, but this captivated me, instead of grossing me out. This story is VERY gory, think Alien or The Expanse level of gore. But still, I found myself reading on in vaguely horrified awe. My ONLY complaint is that the comic is woefully short. The story itself does not feel short in any way; I was actually surprised to see it's only 92 pages. But I want more of this story and world; it's got me fully hooked. I really love this story and I really love the art style of this comic. I will totally be seeking out both the author and artist's other works after this!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publishers, artist, and writers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This graphic novel was METAL. I absolutely love body horror so this got my attention right away. The fact the only color in the book was red from the blood was an awesome touch. I could feel myself become anxious while I was reading. It was so hard to tell what was real and what wasn’t through Sal’s hallucinations. It really did play out like a short horror film I would have loved to see on tv.

Sal is just trying to make it till the end of the day so they can quit their job. They work as an “exterminator” and are extremely overworked and unappreciated. They are holding on by a thread and live in their work van. They are having problems with their partner and are trying their hardest to make it work but nothing seems to help. When their new coworker Luke gets kidnapped by the monster they are trying to exterminate, all hands are on deck to get him back. I wish I could know more about what the monsters really are and how they operate. I also wanted to know more about Sal and their friends.

The scene with all the bodies in the hallway and the big final monster boss at the end were my favorites. I would deff recommend if you like body horror or just horror comics in general. I want to read more and more comics from Oni Press so I’ll deff be looking out!

Was this review helpful?

3.75 stars Rounding up

Artstyle and horror were excellent in this graphic novel, and when I tell you that ending left me nervous, I was NERVOUS! Slightly felt a little gap in the backstory, but I love how it showed the REAL Crunch culture effects - I have endured!

Was this review helpful?