Little Monsters

Little Monsters #1-13

by Jeff Lemire (Writer), Dustin Nguyen (Illustrator), Steve Wands (Letterer)

It's Lord of The Flies meets vampires in an oversized deluxe hardcover volume of the bold series from Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen, the Eisner-winning creative team behind the best-selling DESCENDER and ASCENDER series.

They are the last children on Earth... who also happen to be vampires. For longer than they can remember, these child vampires have lived a life of eternal wonder amongst the ruins of humanity. But shocking events fracture the group and set them on a path of discovery that will shatter their innocence forever. Their ultimate survival depends on their ability to work together against the humans.

Collects the entire hit LITTLE MONSTERS series (Issues #1 - 13)!

Select praise for Little Monsters:

"A beautiful character study from top to bottom." —Multiversity Comics

"A linear narrative with a clean framework...keeps the reader entertained till the end." —CBR

"An intriguing start to a fresh and engaging take on the apocalypse and vampire genres. The kids are charming, and it won’t take long before you start to like them." —AIPT

"It is visually tantalizing and evocative in the best ways." —Black Nerd Problems

Genres: Comics, Horror, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, Dystopia

344 pages, Hardcover

First published May 8, 2024

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.

Reviews

[Jayson · Rating 3 out of 5]

(B+) 78% | Good
Notes: Review pending re-read. Individual reviews for included volumes can be found here:
- Little Monsters, Volume 1
- Little Monsters, Volume 2

[Relstuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lemire at his best again.

[Andrew Kline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very dark, melancholy vampire comic about kids who are left in an abandoned city and start questioning the instructions they were left with to wait. Some unique twists on vampire lore: consequences of human blood, a limit to their memory, etc. The issues alternate between developments in the current timeline and the back stories of the children, and while I am a little exhausted with the trope of constant time changes, the back stories are well done; just long enough to give the necessary information and get back to the main story. Absolutely stellar art from Nguyen, as always.

[Jonny Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

End of the world but what is ethical and what is morally right?

What fun story and a enjoy read

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a graphic novel my uncle sent me a few issues of many moons ago. I kept thinking about it and finally got around to getting my own copy of the entire story.

It's a quick read, and only takes place over a short amount of time, but you can really feel the depth and years behind each character. The narration can feel a little clunky, and sometimes the art doesn't work as effectively as I'd like, but it's a well-done eerie little tale perfect for the start of spooky season.

[don’t sweat the little things · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super excellent story!

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Maciej · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeff Lemire i Dustin Nguyen, znani z takich serii jak "Descender" i "Ascender", ponownie łączą siły, aby przedstawić nam niezwykłą opowieść w komiksie "Little Monsters". Ten tytuł to unikalne połączenie postapokaliptycznej wizji świata z historią o wampirach, gdzie głównymi bohaterami są dzieci.

Fabuła skupia się na grupie dzieci-wampirów, które (jak im się wydaje) są ostatnimi istotami na Ziemi. Od niepamiętnych czasów żyją w ruinach ludzkiej cywilizacji, wypełniając swoje dni zabawami i rytuałami, które mają złagodzić monotonię wieczności. Ich niewinność i rutyna zostają jednak zakłócone przez niespodziewane wydarzenia, które zmuszają je do konfrontacji z własną naturą i odkrycia prawdy o otaczającym je świecie.

Największym atutem komiksu są znakomicie wykreowane postacie. Dzieci nie są jednoznacznie dobre ani złe; ich moralność jest skomplikowana, co sprawia, że czytelnik łatwo angażuje się w ich losy, niezależnie od strony konfliktu, po której się znajdują. Lemire z wprawą prowadzi narrację, budując napięcie i wprowadzając intrygujące zwroty akcji, które trzymają w napięciu do samego końca.

Warstwa graficzna autorstwa Dustina Nguyena zasługuje na szczególne uznanie. Monochromatyczna stylistyka, z dominującą czernią i bielą, idealnie oddaje mroczny klimat opowieści. Subtelne akcenty kolorystyczne, pojawiające się w kluczowych momentach, podkreślają emocje i dodają głębi ilustracjom. Nguyen potrafi w niesamowity sposób przekazać historię za pomocą obrazów, często rezygnując z dialogów na rzecz sugestywnych kadrów.

"Little Monsters" to nie tylko kolejna opowieść o wampirach. To głęboka refleksja nad samotnością, potrzebą przynależności i poszukiwaniem własnej tożsamości. Komiks porusza uniwersalne tematy, które są aktualne niezależnie od realiów przedstawionego świata.

Podsumowując, Jeff Lemire i Dustin Nguyen stworzyli dzieło, które z pewnością przypadnie do gustu fanom mrocznych, postapokaliptycznych historii z dobrze zarysowanymi postaciami. "Little Monsters" to intensywna lektura, od której trudno się oderwać, pozostawiająca czytelnika z wieloma przemyśleniami. Gorąco polecam i z niecierpliwością czekam na polskie wydanie!

Przyjemność 3,8/5
Styl: 3,9/5
Historia: 4,1/5

Ocena: 3,93/5
goodreads - 4/5
thestorygraph - 4/5
lubimyczytac - 8/10

[Timothy Patrick Boyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

EVERY NIGHT ENDS. BUT IF YOU CAN JUST HOLD ON. . . ANOTHER ONE ALWAYS COMES.

Hell. Yes.

Jeff Lemire's Little Monsters is a post-apocalyptic tale about a group of vampire children who've been lied to and abandoned for as long as they can remember. When several of them discover their untapped potential after feeding on humans for the first time, everything goes to shit, secrets are uncovered, and horrible truths and consequences must be faced.

Unsurprisingly, Lemire handles the themes throughout with as much creativity and care as is to be expected. The narrative is built in a way that makes even its most familiar elements feel fresh, delivering moment after moment brimming with violent, blood-soaked urgency. The characters themselves are equal parts vicious and vulnerable, and their backgrounds are explored beautifully, adding depth to their actions throughout. And Dustin Nguyen's artwork captures the innocence and violence in a way that never cheapens their weight.

9/10

[Aristotle Kills · Rating 3 out of 5]

I disegni di Little Monsters sono strepitosi, con un tratto particolare un'utilizzo magnifico di colori, spaziatura e vignette. I protagonisti della storia sono interessanti e tridimensionali, mi è piaciuto scoprire la loro storia d'origine lentamente durante il progredire dei volumi, e ho apprezzato il tono cupo della trama. Da fan di qualsiasi cosa contenente vampiri e creature simili ho apprezzato la lore dei vampiri in Little Monsters e il modo in cui il loro essere vampiri viene trattato e il ruolo che questo ha nella storia. Nonostante ciò ho trovato la trama estremamente veloce e oserei dire affrettata. I personaggi potevano essere sviluppati ulteriormente e avere più ombre alle loro spalle, più carne addosso. Ho fatto a malapena in tempo a ricordare i loro nomi prima di essere lanciato nella narrazione sfrenata di un paio di giorni che non ti lascia tregua e non mi ha dato tempo di affezionarmi ai ragazzi e alla loro sopravvivenza. La protagonista, Laura, è a malapena presente e parla pochissimo, cosa che ha reso difficile crescere un'interesse nei suoi confronti, oltre ad avere un passato completamente inesplorato. Ho inoltre trovato la conclusione a dir poco strana e priva di impatto, forse anche controproducente alla storia e al suo sviluppo.
Consiglio la lettura se siete fan di racconti apocalittici e con vampiri, ma soprattutto per l'arte che è fenomenale.

[Timothy Grubbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unsupervised children can get up to trouble…unsupervised vampire children can be deadly…

Little Monsters by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen is Lost Boys meets Lord of the Flies with little I Am Legend tossed in.

The world ended…and all that’s left are a handful of vampire children trying to make the most of it. The adult vampires are gone…and the kids are from a number of different generations and decades…but they are still kids.

So they play…they explore…they try new things…and then something changes…

They find a surviving human…and they learn about how good fresh blood tastes.

The adults wouldn’t let them before…but the adults aren’t around anymore…

There are some lingering questions I have about the story, but the writing is solid, and the artist (who has previously done some good Batman stories involving kids) is really appropriate for this type of story.

[Sebastian Lauterbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this, it was a fast paced read.

Having a story told from the perspective of the 'monsters' instead of the humans in a dystopian setting, while having the reader sympathise with said beings makes an interesting premise. The children are well characterised and the setup contains enough mystery to keep me turning the page.

The revelation of what happened in the past feels a bit lacking, but it is told in tiny chunks one at a time, so it doesn't bother me too much. The ending is alright, but I would have preferred something more unique.

The artwork is good, I think Dustin Nguyen improved his pencil work since he did the Descender/Ascender. Might also be that a dystopian setting fits his style better. The book is mostly black & white, with some touches of blood, but it fits the book very well.

I can recommend this.

[Gavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pitched as Lord of the Flies meets Dracula and fully delivers on both fronts. Jeff Lemire with artist Dustin Ngyuen crafts a deeply intimate and personal story about a group of young vampire children having survived some kind of apocalypse attempt to find purpose and meaning in their seemingly unending existence. Through just 13 issues, Lemire is able to write a compelling narrative with only the briefest hints of each characters past, yet who they were are simply not important to the story, more so who they might become. It is a great horror book and the choice to keep Ngyuen's incredible art in shades of black and white with only red blood as our contrast makes it very visually appealing as well. Easily one of Lemire's best works.

[Rahul Nadella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jeff Lemire has gotten so casual in characterization, but it's really good. The book is brimming with so much potential and Dustin Nguyen delivers powerful artwork throughout the volume, while not my favorite of his it is still really strong. The end of the story felt a little too abrupt for me as it felt like we were just scratching the surface on the world Lemire and Nguyen built. I was impressed with every twist and turn the story took and how the characters grow and evolve within it. The story is thrilling and there is a beautifully tragic undercurrent running through it that engages the reader and makes you care about these characters. Overall, its another good hit from Jeff Lemire.

[Ani Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Lord of the Fireflies x Vampires" in the synopsis is so spot on.

Right off the bat, I really like how they introduce the characters. Goated ass storyline, I was automatically hooked. Also the cover art inbetween is pretty awesome to admire - covers for #3, #7, #12 are my fav. Also this is a bundle of vol#1-13 all in one place.

The gasp I gasped with that one Ronnie scene. Also o m g - it got good with the kids having to fight against survival vs living, change, and morals. Like HOLY SHIT it was good - the tension, the pacing, the action, and all the way up to the ending.

Also a nice touch at the very end is seein the cover sketches, the vampire studies, and the variant covers 🦇

[John Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wild
Not entirely sure how I feel

The Elders of the Vampire Race
realise that their time is coming to
an end.
They find orphaned children and
turn them into Vampires but do not
allow them to feed on humans, keeping
them pure. Not making them into the
monsters that the Elders had become.
The world "ends" the city is a hollowed out
remnant. No Humans, plenty of places
for Vampire "children" to play
forever.
Until humans wander into the city
and everything goes to shit.
As the old Hunt begins again.

[Bo Dixen Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vampire story with a twist of the vampires all being in childs bodies and in a post apocalyptic world where there happens also to be vampires, but the humans self destructed all in their own (there's hints of a pandemic).

It's a story of legacy, leaving a mark on the world and remembrance.

The casting of children, that act both childish and ageless is canny corresponding to the themes.

The art is in a loose greyscale style.

[Daniel Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tem uma boa história aqui, principalmente se você curtir vampiros e crianças em um mundo pós apocaliptico .
Junte isso ao fato das crianças estarem totalmente sozinhas e entendiadas acrescente o fato de que nenhuma delas apesar de serem vampiras proovou sangue humano e temos um caos quando isso ocorre
Lemire expõe traumas de infancias e debate temas como ética e lealdade até a última gota, ou seria a última página ? a arte do Dustin continua elegante e soberba .

[Alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those backgrounds were making me physically ill. So dizzying.

So I did rush through this a bit because I liked the story but the art was not it for me. (Idk that I've ever truly loved any Nguyen art?)

The story got a bit repetitive but it was still interesting. I couldn't remember some of the kids' names but again, I had to rush.

[Rebecca Alexx · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It’s one of my favourite reads of the year. I like that it explores the story from the “monster’s” perspective and that they are children. It adds to the impact of the story. The art is stunning with the use of black and white with pops of red. Each character is unique and well developed. It was heartfelt and hit me emotionally at time.

[Dean · Rating 2 out of 5]

Feels very manga influenced with art and grey scale. Kids talk and act like kids. Similar premise to lord of the flies plus vampires.
It's a fun read but I don't think I'd ever go back. A good entry point to horror for younger readers.

Second half lost my interest, ending was fine. I thought it would go the other way which would have been more interesting. The art I felt lost something there too, and the novelty of Gray scale wore off.

[andrew y · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I found out this wasn’t an ongoing, it was a sad day for me. These characters deserve to live much longer than they already have (hurr hurr) and Lemire continues his streak of never doing any wrong.

[Yani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do love a dark little gothic tale. And this is beautifully done. Lemire's writing and Nguyen's monochrome art (with occasional splashes of red) work in tandem wonderfully here.

I also really like this take on the vampire idea.

[JC Cornell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great simple story line that grabs your attention and takes you along. Really enjoyed the minimalistic artwork, added to the whole experience.

[Braeden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haunting and thrilling! Nguyen and lemire are an incredible duo.

[Sabrina Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

A random library find that pleasantly surprised me!!! Like Lord of the Flies but with vampires

[Afriel Caelum · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very enjoyable, I am not usually a fan of vampires but this is a bit of a new take on vampires. Very cool and very beautiful. 100% read this.

[Zachary Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

A page turning read with beautiful art that adds some different twists on the vampire lore. A good spooky season read for fans of vampires.

[Amara · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a little to get into this, but I quite enjoyed this story. A fresh take on the genre with interesting art. This comic managed to make me feel for its characters in a fairly short time.

[Julian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovable characters, atmospheric art and color, lonely immortal children, and a fast-paced adventure