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Twisted Dark #3
Twisted Dark Volume 3
The third installment of the critically acclaimed 'Twisted Dark' series.
Each volume in the Twisted Dark series contains a collection of short, stand alone stories which are psychologically twisted in nature. Reading through the series however, subtle interconnections reveal themselves.
Described by comicsbulletin.com as 'an absolute gem,' and by bleedingcool.com as 'real, intelligent, human drama.'
Each volume in the Twisted Dark series contains a collection of short, stand alone stories which are psychologically twisted in nature. Reading through the series however, subtle interconnections reveal themselves.
Described by comicsbulletin.com as 'an absolute gem,' and by bleedingcool.com as 'real, intelligent, human drama.'
193 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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72 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 1, 2020
Finding it hard to keep rating these as 3 stars. So dropped this one down to 2. Its not terrible, however, its not really going anywhere either and the stories aren't clever or shocking.
The writer constantly states these are interwoven stories, but they really aren't.
Plus, I find i quite enjoy each one, but once I've finished and flick back through I can't remember most of them, so they're not very memorable. Might read the next one if I can pick it up cheap?
The writer constantly states these are interwoven stories, but they really aren't.
Plus, I find i quite enjoy each one, but once I've finished and flick back through I can't remember most of them, so they're not very memorable. Might read the next one if I can pick it up cheap?
August 15, 2015
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I'd almost missed this one on Netgalley, but luckily I found it just in time. I don't how I didn't see it when it first came up as I usually check it quite frequently (I know I shouldn't do that).
However, I really enjoyed the first to volumes of collected, twisted, dark stories and this book follows the same structure. The stories are drawn by many different artists, which gives the book a variety of styles. Some you'll like more than others of course, but basically I like the idea. It makes it a little bit less repetitive.
Something I also really liked in the previous books (and still) are the many connection between the different stories, not only in this one volume, but also between the different ones. I'd say that it definitely pays off to pay attention to the details and search for more connections, as I'm sure I still missed quite a few.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I'd almost missed this one on Netgalley, but luckily I found it just in time. I don't how I didn't see it when it first came up as I usually check it quite frequently (I know I shouldn't do that).
However, I really enjoyed the first to volumes of collected, twisted, dark stories and this book follows the same structure. The stories are drawn by many different artists, which gives the book a variety of styles. Some you'll like more than others of course, but basically I like the idea. It makes it a little bit less repetitive.
Something I also really liked in the previous books (and still) are the many connection between the different stories, not only in this one volume, but also between the different ones. I'd say that it definitely pays off to pay attention to the details and search for more connections, as I'm sure I still missed quite a few.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
September 22, 2015
Blessed FanEx reintroduced me to my favourite horror comic novel! This, the third installment in the Twisted Dark series maintains all of the twisted beauty that was present in the beginning.
I love the constant connections between all the short stories. The characters still are well developed no matter how short the story is. This series is perfect.
I love the constant connections between all the short stories. The characters still are well developed no matter how short the story is. This series is perfect.
June 5, 2015
Holy shit! This volume WAS FANTASTIC. So glad Neil went back to his original sort of storytelling. It's gritty and dark, and just oh so beautiful. XD Some real surprises in here that left me LITERALLY gasping. Great job! Can't wait to read the next one!
August 18, 2014
Much darker than volume 2, loved it!
April 20, 2019
The Twisted Dark series continues to be... twisted and dark! Okay, so we know as readers what we're getting by now - short stories with a dark twist. But what amazes me is how Gibson continues to deliver a diverse range of stories that explore so many different facets of human darkness.
My particular favourite this time explored body image, and how the mind can see something completely differently to how it actually is. The character starts off overweight but becomes obsessed with her body image, always chasing perfection. But the thing about perfection is the goal posts are constantly changing, and if you don't have the self confidence to live with your flaws and imperfections, then you end up trying to achieve something that isn't possible. The final image in this story was really powerful, summing up in one stark, horrific panel, exactly the cost of all those photoshopped celebrities and body image driven advertising.
More and more connections are starting to build up, as well. The books don't take long to read - I sat and read this in one sitting in about thirty five minutes - but they have so much re-read value. I really want to go back to books one and two and reread them with the knowledge of all three books in my mind - to see what other connections can be drawn, and what threads are still dangling.
I'm really excited to see where Gibson is going to take us next, and can't wait to read Volume 4!
My particular favourite this time explored body image, and how the mind can see something completely differently to how it actually is. The character starts off overweight but becomes obsessed with her body image, always chasing perfection. But the thing about perfection is the goal posts are constantly changing, and if you don't have the self confidence to live with your flaws and imperfections, then you end up trying to achieve something that isn't possible. The final image in this story was really powerful, summing up in one stark, horrific panel, exactly the cost of all those photoshopped celebrities and body image driven advertising.
More and more connections are starting to build up, as well. The books don't take long to read - I sat and read this in one sitting in about thirty five minutes - but they have so much re-read value. I really want to go back to books one and two and reread them with the knowledge of all three books in my mind - to see what other connections can be drawn, and what threads are still dangling.
I'm really excited to see where Gibson is going to take us next, and can't wait to read Volume 4!
June 14, 2020
I love this volume. For me, what makes Neil Gibson's stories so gripping is that they are often wholly rooted in the mundane. The ordinary. The every day. Then the twist happens. Not always unpredictable but even when you see it coming you are almost begging to be wrong.
The stories are either real in a way that you could believe them to be true, albeit disturbing, or so sick and twisted that you hope that it is far fetched but fear that it is not.
An additional thrill with these are the tapestry threads that weave through these interconnected tales. If you can't see the threads then either you have missed them or yet to get to the other side of the connection. Re-reading them I have spotted more. They are not hidden but there in plain sight. And make for a richer set of stories.
I have high hopes for future volumes. Fortunately I have a stack of them.
The stories are either real in a way that you could believe them to be true, albeit disturbing, or so sick and twisted that you hope that it is far fetched but fear that it is not.
An additional thrill with these are the tapestry threads that weave through these interconnected tales. If you can't see the threads then either you have missed them or yet to get to the other side of the connection. Re-reading them I have spotted more. They are not hidden but there in plain sight. And make for a richer set of stories.
I have high hopes for future volumes. Fortunately I have a stack of them.
November 2, 2021
DNF
The first one was really good. The second was meh. And now reading the 3rd i just cant keep interested. The stories just are not super enagging or as interesting as the first volume.
The first one was really good. The second was meh. And now reading the 3rd i just cant keep interested. The stories just are not super enagging or as interesting as the first volume.
July 3, 2015
This is by far my favorite volume of Twisted Dark yet. Reading these comics always makes me nervy because I'm looking for the twist, because there always is one. And it's always dark as hell.
I got a lot of the connections this time! Very happy with myself for that. This is definitely a series that highly rewards reading all the serials. The stories just compound on each other in a way that makes it more fluid that just a random collection of short, dark vignettes.
I'd also like to add that I love the quotes they add to the beginning of each story. They really set the tone, and just add to the overall nervy edge each story has since you have a clue to whatever awful is about to happen.
I continue to like the art work, although I much prefer his use of dark space like these shots...
To his still frames. But all the framing is so well done, and adds to the overall feel of each story.
Some are jumbled.
Some are orderly.
They're all lovely to read.
Looking forward to more from this series.
Copy courtesy of Diamond Book Distributors, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I got a lot of the connections this time! Very happy with myself for that. This is definitely a series that highly rewards reading all the serials. The stories just compound on each other in a way that makes it more fluid that just a random collection of short, dark vignettes.
I'd also like to add that I love the quotes they add to the beginning of each story. They really set the tone, and just add to the overall nervy edge each story has since you have a clue to whatever awful is about to happen.
I continue to like the art work, although I much prefer his use of dark space like these shots...
To his still frames. But all the framing is so well done, and adds to the overall feel of each story.
Some are jumbled.
Some are orderly.
They're all lovely to read.
Looking forward to more from this series.
Copy courtesy of Diamond Book Distributors, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 28, 2015
'Twisted Dark, Volume 3' by Neil Gibson is back, and we are back to the darker tales like we got in the first volume. The stories don't always have a twist, but they are all a bit twisted.
The stories do have some similar characters. Some are easier to pick out than others. One recurring character is El Nudillo, a ruthless and malicious drug lord. Characters who cross his path don't have very good things happen to them. There's also a woman who samples some wine at a supermarket, then gets pulled over for drunk driving. A young boy who is scared of something in the night takes it to an interesting career choice. Probably the most poignant story is 'Perfection' about a young girl looking to lose weight, and never happy with the results until the final results are revealed.
There are other stories, but I'll leave them for the reader to discover. The art is all by different artists. Some is better than others, but the real reason to read this is for the twisted imagination of Neil Gibson. The stories read like the old EC Horror comics or the old CBS Radio Mystery Theater. Classic throwback horror stories with more modern characters. I liked this one as much as the first volume.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, TPub, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
The stories do have some similar characters. Some are easier to pick out than others. One recurring character is El Nudillo, a ruthless and malicious drug lord. Characters who cross his path don't have very good things happen to them. There's also a woman who samples some wine at a supermarket, then gets pulled over for drunk driving. A young boy who is scared of something in the night takes it to an interesting career choice. Probably the most poignant story is 'Perfection' about a young girl looking to lose weight, and never happy with the results until the final results are revealed.
There are other stories, but I'll leave them for the reader to discover. The art is all by different artists. Some is better than others, but the real reason to read this is for the twisted imagination of Neil Gibson. The stories read like the old EC Horror comics or the old CBS Radio Mystery Theater. Classic throwback horror stories with more modern characters. I liked this one as much as the first volume.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, TPub, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
July 16, 2015
This is a collection of bizarre short stories often with fairly dark themes. Some of the stories were very overtly obvious in connecting while others were far more subtle. I don’t think I’ve picked up on all of the connections quite yet because they really are that subtle and take quite a bit of thinking. For me, most of these stories were dark, creepy, sometimes macabre enough to be considered in the realm of horror. I do think this is subject to personal taste though. While I enjoyed the very interesting stories and considering how they connected to one another I was a bit underwhelmed with the actual art. It was done very well but wasn’t a style that I personally find very appealing. There were a few scenes when I had trouble being able to tell various characters apart and had to go back and forth and really examine them, especially with men. I even did this between various stories a few times just to check. Overall I think this is a great choice for anyone who enjoys both graphic novels and the horror genre.
This eGalley was provided free from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion and I was compensated in no other manner.
This eGalley was provided free from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion and I was compensated in no other manner.
August 16, 2013
Twisted Dark just keeps getting better! Volume 3 is an excellent addition to the TDU and is a purer form than volume 2.
Neil Gibson's writing is once again top notch and in stories like "Perfection" he is able to make you almost empathise with the main character, before making you feel extremely uncomfortable with the choices and actions made.
Neil Gibson is able to explore our darker thoughts and almost puts us there; "what would I do?"
I found my skin literally crawl at times such is the impact of the writing, the content and the artwork!
Again excellently illustrated and each story and artist has been able to capture the essence of what it is about so as the reader you are fully immersed!
I am really looking forward to see just how Neil Gibson can continue to write such powerful and imposing stories for Volume 4 and more.
Neil Gibson's writing is once again top notch and in stories like "Perfection" he is able to make you almost empathise with the main character, before making you feel extremely uncomfortable with the choices and actions made.
Neil Gibson is able to explore our darker thoughts and almost puts us there; "what would I do?"
I found my skin literally crawl at times such is the impact of the writing, the content and the artwork!
Again excellently illustrated and each story and artist has been able to capture the essence of what it is about so as the reader you are fully immersed!
I am really looking forward to see just how Neil Gibson can continue to write such powerful and imposing stories for Volume 4 and more.
June 18, 2015
I received this title from the publisher via Netgalley.
Two Sentence Synopsis:
A collection of graphic short stories that are linked by a theme of twisty darkness. The stories are illustrated by a range of artists and broach a diversity of content.
If you enjoy stories that lean towards the dark side of human nature and have a twist in the tail, you should find something to appeal to you in this collection. The stories range from the consequences of crossing a torture-loving drug lord to the inner anguish of body image distortion and pretty much everything in between. A few of the stories left me a bit underwhelmed by their endings, but overall this is a gripping and gritty collection with some stunning artwork to flesh things out. I’d recommend this to horror and short story lovers looking for something new to surprise them.
Two Sentence Synopsis:
A collection of graphic short stories that are linked by a theme of twisty darkness. The stories are illustrated by a range of artists and broach a diversity of content.
If you enjoy stories that lean towards the dark side of human nature and have a twist in the tail, you should find something to appeal to you in this collection. The stories range from the consequences of crossing a torture-loving drug lord to the inner anguish of body image distortion and pretty much everything in between. A few of the stories left me a bit underwhelmed by their endings, but overall this is a gripping and gritty collection with some stunning artwork to flesh things out. I’d recommend this to horror and short story lovers looking for something new to surprise them.
July 24, 2015
A third successful collection in this world of ever interlinked short stories with dark behaviours highlighted as their themes. Insanity (of a kind), blackmail, torture and swindling are all here, along with a woman trying to kill someone linked in one way to a previous story, someone threatening someone else in the light of a phone conversation in the first… It's fun to see the connections (and there are some back to the first two volumes I read too long ago to fully identify) but even more enjoyable to see the depth and variation here. The multiple artists help, even if some of them could have more control of their line and manage to make their characters more clearly distinct from each other. Still, the flavours of each short story, as distinctive as they are, all play their small part in the overall picture, which remains a sharply focused and inventively novel one.
May 29, 2015
Twisted dark returns to form in this third volume which is much darker than the last instalment, hurrah! The stories are a mixed bag both in terms of story and art - I particularly liked “Perfection” and “Peace and Quiet” – the artwork on the latter by Atula Siriwardane is gorgeous and goes with a strong story. Connections are beginning to emerge as well which is a true delight. Sometimes it’s as subtle as the author on the spine of a book being a character from a previous volume, or sometimes its blatantly obvious like characters being related or working for the same drug lord. Still don’t think this one is as strong as volume 1, but it’s still very very good and I love the quotes that introduce each tale. Recommended.
June 21, 2015
I accidentally added the 4th volume, not this one, to my read list. Sorry!
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I liked Volume 3 of Twisted Dark a lot more than the 2nd one. It looks like Neil Gibson found himself once again in this one and is ready to rock! Or at least that's my interpretation. Whatever.
Plus, I loved the connections in this volume, connections might be the biggest reason that I keep turning pages instead of savoring the stories. It makes me want to go through all the volumes over and over again to see if I missed one, though I don't think I could have.
On the other hand, I can't say I was in love with all the stories. There were a few that I found weak, but overall, it was great to read. I can hardly wait for Volume 4.
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I liked Volume 3 of Twisted Dark a lot more than the 2nd one. It looks like Neil Gibson found himself once again in this one and is ready to rock! Or at least that's my interpretation. Whatever.
Plus, I loved the connections in this volume, connections might be the biggest reason that I keep turning pages instead of savoring the stories. It makes me want to go through all the volumes over and over again to see if I missed one, though I don't think I could have.
On the other hand, I can't say I was in love with all the stories. There were a few that I found weak, but overall, it was great to read. I can hardly wait for Volume 4.
July 2, 2015
Continuing in the same concept as the previous two volumes, we some returning characters and some new ones. We see more stories of the darkness within humanity from a husband having an emotional affair with a woman half his age, to his wife having said woman murdered.
We see sadness and despair and how cruel words can turn others into monsters themselves; like the overweight girl that tried to change herself after receiving hurtful critique even from her parents to the point that she became self-centered and oblivious to the damage she was doing to her body.
Rating 5 out of 5
Read@Book
We see sadness and despair and how cruel words can turn others into monsters themselves; like the overweight girl that tried to change herself after receiving hurtful critique even from her parents to the point that she became self-centered and oblivious to the damage she was doing to her body.
Rating 5 out of 5
Read@Book
April 15, 2017
Excellent read!
Excellent I look forward to continuing this series!! I finished this book in one hour, you just can't put it down!
Excellent I look forward to continuing this series!! I finished this book in one hour, you just can't put it down!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews