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The Skin You're In: A Collection of Horror Comics
For better or worse, the bodies we inhabit are our homes. But despite the old adage, home isn't always the safest place to be…
Within these pages, Ashley Robin Franklin leads you through the corridors of the uncanny in eight horror comics that are just begging to get under your skin. Whether set in the arid desert or the rain-soaked forest, these stories reveal the fallibilities of flesh that lurk just beneath the surface. A strange desert flower offers an intoxicating balm to grief, a group of friends invoke an old tale by the campfire, and outside a remote farmhouse, something miraculous and terrible falls from the night sky. Bodies are found, lost, celebrated, borrowed, haunted ― and irrevocably changed.
The Skin You're In is the definitive collection of Ashley Robin Franklin's horror comics, showcasing her skillful exploration of queer horror and the ways in which our bodies, relationships, and environments affect us straight to the bone. The book collects all her previously published work, such as One Million Tiny Fires and Fruiting Bodies, as well as five never-before-seen comics, including the 100-page graphic novella Contest Winner. It's all packaged in a deluxe fabric-bound hardcover with foil accents. Just be warned: you might want to read this collection with the lights on.
Within these pages, Ashley Robin Franklin leads you through the corridors of the uncanny in eight horror comics that are just begging to get under your skin. Whether set in the arid desert or the rain-soaked forest, these stories reveal the fallibilities of flesh that lurk just beneath the surface. A strange desert flower offers an intoxicating balm to grief, a group of friends invoke an old tale by the campfire, and outside a remote farmhouse, something miraculous and terrible falls from the night sky. Bodies are found, lost, celebrated, borrowed, haunted ― and irrevocably changed.
The Skin You're In is the definitive collection of Ashley Robin Franklin's horror comics, showcasing her skillful exploration of queer horror and the ways in which our bodies, relationships, and environments affect us straight to the bone. The book collects all her previously published work, such as One Million Tiny Fires and Fruiting Bodies, as well as five never-before-seen comics, including the 100-page graphic novella Contest Winner. It's all packaged in a deluxe fabric-bound hardcover with foil accents. Just be warned: you might want to read this collection with the lights on.
376 pages, Hardcover
First published November 13, 2024
14 people are currently reading
1473 people want to read
About the author
Ashley Robin Franklin
11 books89 followersAshley Robin Franklin is an artist, cartoonist, and illustrator who currently resides in Austin, Texas. She was born in 1990 in the Rio Grande Valley, where she grew up and attended the University of Texas Pan-American. She majored in English literature with an emphasis in Creative writing, and minored in Studio Art.
She writes and illustrates comics, journals, draws, paints, and dabbles with various other artistic projects and mediums (including stamp carving, screen printing, acrylic painting, collage, etc.). Some of her greatest influences include her father, who is an art teacher and painter, manga, anime, films, indie comics, children's books, lowbrow art and tattoo culture, zine/diy culture, the occult, folklore/mythology and literature. She's also very interested in animation, children's book illustration, public art, printmaking and design. Things that make her happy include: travel, dogs, good beer, comics, cartoons, and ghost stories.
She writes and illustrates comics, journals, draws, paints, and dabbles with various other artistic projects and mediums (including stamp carving, screen printing, acrylic painting, collage, etc.). Some of her greatest influences include her father, who is an art teacher and painter, manga, anime, films, indie comics, children's books, lowbrow art and tattoo culture, zine/diy culture, the occult, folklore/mythology and literature. She's also very interested in animation, children's book illustration, public art, printmaking and design. Things that make her happy include: travel, dogs, good beer, comics, cartoons, and ghost stories.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
January 23, 2025
everything i pick up from ashley robin franklin elevates them in my mind - they've fast become one of my favorite graphic novelists.
ONE MILLION TINY FIRES is a story i had read last year and adored. the story is masterful, establishing so much within so few pages. the dramatic finale is transcendental, glitteringly beautiful and terrifying. truly a favorite!
REMNANTS is about an abusive ex haunted by hair left behind in his apartment, furious to see his former partner thriving with someone new, and ultimately consumed by this fury. the art here is not my favorite, but it's still extremely clever and evocative. i was blown away by the creative choice to show panels bordered by knotted hair!
#PLANTMOM is botanical horror! this one is told in a series of insta posts and messages, which could be seen as gimmicky, but i think it was pulled off super effectively. it's a slow descent, gradual mental and physical consumption by a mysterious plant. spooky!
FRUITING BODIES is mycological horror! i had also read this story last year and enjoyed it, though not as much as one million tiny fires. it's eerie and well-paced, but upon revisiting it, i think the climax could really have amped up the mushroom body horror and terror of it all. franklin is capable of jaw-dropping reveals, and this story seems to be missing that final impact.
NO BONES NANCY is a piece of campfire folklore, a terrifying tale from the past. the disrespectful are punished by a ghost, and ultimately by their own choices. i love the dramatic reanimation!
NIGHT BLOOMING is more botanical horror! a desert farmhouse, grief, unexpected companionship with someone who also knows loss. there's a night blooming cactus that can flower into the likeness of the person you've lost. i was a bit confused at the ending of this story, but the concept is poignant and fascinating.
CONTEST WINNER is the longest story in the bunch, and franklin really stretches their wings here. an isolated desert cabin, a reunion getaway with a childhood bestie, that creeping sense of unease. the body horror is top tier, and there's a magnificent otherworldly twist!
the collection finishes with an author's note from franklin, gushing about their love for horror! this is a deeply personal book, and i'm so glad that it seems franklin will have many more stories to share in the future.
ONE MILLION TINY FIRES is a story i had read last year and adored. the story is masterful, establishing so much within so few pages. the dramatic finale is transcendental, glitteringly beautiful and terrifying. truly a favorite!
REMNANTS is about an abusive ex haunted by hair left behind in his apartment, furious to see his former partner thriving with someone new, and ultimately consumed by this fury. the art here is not my favorite, but it's still extremely clever and evocative. i was blown away by the creative choice to show panels bordered by knotted hair!
#PLANTMOM is botanical horror! this one is told in a series of insta posts and messages, which could be seen as gimmicky, but i think it was pulled off super effectively. it's a slow descent, gradual mental and physical consumption by a mysterious plant. spooky!
FRUITING BODIES is mycological horror! i had also read this story last year and enjoyed it, though not as much as one million tiny fires. it's eerie and well-paced, but upon revisiting it, i think the climax could really have amped up the mushroom body horror and terror of it all. franklin is capable of jaw-dropping reveals, and this story seems to be missing that final impact.
NO BONES NANCY is a piece of campfire folklore, a terrifying tale from the past. the disrespectful are punished by a ghost, and ultimately by their own choices. i love the dramatic reanimation!
NIGHT BLOOMING is more botanical horror! a desert farmhouse, grief, unexpected companionship with someone who also knows loss. there's a night blooming cactus that can flower into the likeness of the person you've lost. i was a bit confused at the ending of this story, but the concept is poignant and fascinating.
CONTEST WINNER is the longest story in the bunch, and franklin really stretches their wings here. an isolated desert cabin, a reunion getaway with a childhood bestie, that creeping sense of unease. the body horror is top tier, and there's a magnificent otherworldly twist!
the collection finishes with an author's note from franklin, gushing about their love for horror! this is a deeply personal book, and i'm so glad that it seems franklin will have many more stories to share in the future.
November 13, 2024
An eerie, spooky, twisted up collection of horror comics! I love Ashley Robin Franklin's storytelling so much. These stories each had my skin crawling (in a good / fun way) and occasionally chuckling quite hard - particularly re: the nuances of social dynamics. These stories are at once easy to relate to but also take us off the rails with the body horror that comes into play.
February 9, 2025
a decent collection of comics - while i really enjoyed franklin's full length graphic novel The Hills of Estrella Roja, i find that their shorter comics are really hit or miss for me. out of this collection, i had already read "fruiting bodies" and "one million tiny fires" and found them just decent - unfortunately i felt the same about "remnants", "no bones nancy", and "night blooming". however "#plantmom" and "contest winner" stuck out to me and i genuinely really enjoyed both of those stories - contest winner was actually quite scary! overall it's a decent collection but i would only really recommend it for those two that i mentioned.
December 29, 2024
Fuck the haters.
I personally loved the storytelling, found the horror in the “man vs nature” conflict to be a refreshing choice for queer characters. Like their queerness is incidental, something the queer community has been asking for for a very long time.
Those who have written pissy reviews about how the characters sound like they’re from Instagram or tumblr… no they don’t. No one even mentioned capitalism, racism, or any kind of structural inequality so like wtf are you on about. Which would have been fine, btw. I’m going to push back and say that it’s actually annoying that this is such a deeply entrenched stereotype, even amongst queer people, that queer artists constantly have to tiptoe around not being labeled a tumblrina or whatever. Some of yall just have self hating brain rot (or garden variety homophobia) from hearing “anti woke” rhetoric for too long.
Favorite was 1000 tiny fires. I love art that expresses the erotic nature of death/obliteration
I personally loved the storytelling, found the horror in the “man vs nature” conflict to be a refreshing choice for queer characters. Like their queerness is incidental, something the queer community has been asking for for a very long time.
Those who have written pissy reviews about how the characters sound like they’re from Instagram or tumblr… no they don’t. No one even mentioned capitalism, racism, or any kind of structural inequality so like wtf are you on about. Which would have been fine, btw. I’m going to push back and say that it’s actually annoying that this is such a deeply entrenched stereotype, even amongst queer people, that queer artists constantly have to tiptoe around not being labeled a tumblrina or whatever. Some of yall just have self hating brain rot (or garden variety homophobia) from hearing “anti woke” rhetoric for too long.
Favorite was 1000 tiny fires. I love art that expresses the erotic nature of death/obliteration
February 19, 2025
A wonderful collection of queer short horror stories!
February 10, 2025
Haha this was awesome. It actually hung around in my head and spooked me in places, and the characters felt real, probably because a lot of them were queer and my age and refreshingly imperfect. For some reason the art style was difficult on me and I sometimes had a hard time following sequences of events and decoding the images easily, but that did mean I slowed down my reading a lot, which I think was actually good for the reading experience. :} yay
April 9, 2025
3+
This felt like an odd mix of accomplished and immature work.
I enjoyed most of the stories and interstitial art, but not the art style used for the narrative sections, which felt underdeveloped and was often hard to make out.
I would try future projects from this author, though.
This felt like an odd mix of accomplished and immature work.
I enjoyed most of the stories and interstitial art, but not the art style used for the narrative sections, which felt underdeveloped and was often hard to make out.
I would try future projects from this author, though.
Read
April 21, 2025My short story year returns! Sort of.
This graphic novel horror collection features seven stories of largely plant based (body) horror. It includes a lot of queer people going to remote places and forests where their phones don’t work. It also features a lot of annoying men who say “bro” more often than the average person. There are also a lot of small dogs in this. If you like the kind of horror of The Last of Us I think this (particularly Fruiting Bodies ) is a good recommendation.
The art is really beautiful and the stories were pretty good. A lot of the stories are a bit vague, open-ended, and leave you with an uneasy feeling of wonder.
- One million tiny fires
This story is about two women who are in a kind of rocky relationship. They live in an isolated farmhouse in Texas. Things do not seem to be going good between them. But then something happens, an unknown object crashes from the sky, and when Cassie goes to see what it is, she returns changed. Just as their relationship seems to be getting a bit better, Briana begins to suspect that something uncanny is happening to her partner.
- Remnants
An angry man has trouble letting go of his ex-girlfriend. He feels haunted by her. Or perhaps that is not so much about how he feels.
- #plantmom
This is the only story in this collection that is not black-and-white. Instead, we see colourful images completely through social media. I really liked this one.
- Fruiting bodies
Frances is forced to go on a 'bro's trip' with her brother and his annoying best friend. She has to just endure a short journey to get to her partner and start a new life together. Unfortunately, they take a wrong turn. Then the car runs out of gas. The three are forced to spend a night in the cold woods. It seems strange luck when they come across a beautiful, friendly stranger who is eager to help them.
I liked this although the ending felt a bit rushed. I would not have minded a longer version.
- No bones Nancy
Two girls join their friend, her boyfriend and his friends for a camping vacation in the woods. However, it does not take long for tensions to rise as the men make comments that upset the girls. When they are about to start playing music, the girls warn them not to. They explain the legend of 'No Bones Nancy' who has been angry ever since her death. Throughout the story we learn a bit more about the friendship between the girls and the relationship between the main character and her boyfriend. It is very successful in making you feel that these characters are real and get the frustrated tension that comes from misogynistic (micro) aggressions.
- Night blooming
When his husband dies, the main character is forced to move to a desert farmhouse. As he is processing his grief there, he gets closer to a woman who lives there. She is dealing with loss of her own. They become friendly and help each other. But why does this new neighbour take so many nightly walks?
I thought the concept of this was quite interesting, but the story itself fell a bit flat for me.
- Contest winner
Jane reunites with an old friend when they win a free vacation. They stay in an isolated desert cabin. What she did not know before going there was that she would not be able to use her phone around the cabin. Soon two other travelers start hanging out with them and they interact with the few people around there. Then a man goes missing.
This final story was possibly my favourite of the collection. It was filled with tension and a dread of what might happen. The end of the story... yes.
This graphic novel horror collection features seven stories of largely plant based (body) horror. It includes a lot of queer people going to remote places and forests where their phones don’t work. It also features a lot of annoying men who say “bro” more often than the average person. There are also a lot of small dogs in this. If you like the kind of horror of The Last of Us I think this (particularly Fruiting Bodies ) is a good recommendation.
The art is really beautiful and the stories were pretty good. A lot of the stories are a bit vague, open-ended, and leave you with an uneasy feeling of wonder.
- One million tiny fires
This story is about two women who are in a kind of rocky relationship. They live in an isolated farmhouse in Texas. Things do not seem to be going good between them. But then something happens, an unknown object crashes from the sky, and when Cassie goes to see what it is, she returns changed. Just as their relationship seems to be getting a bit better, Briana begins to suspect that something uncanny is happening to her partner.
- Remnants
An angry man has trouble letting go of his ex-girlfriend. He feels haunted by her. Or perhaps that is not so much about how he feels.
- #plantmom
This is the only story in this collection that is not black-and-white. Instead, we see colourful images completely through social media. I really liked this one.
- Fruiting bodies
Frances is forced to go on a 'bro's trip' with her brother and his annoying best friend. She has to just endure a short journey to get to her partner and start a new life together. Unfortunately, they take a wrong turn. Then the car runs out of gas. The three are forced to spend a night in the cold woods. It seems strange luck when they come across a beautiful, friendly stranger who is eager to help them.
I liked this although the ending felt a bit rushed. I would not have minded a longer version.
- No bones Nancy
Two girls join their friend, her boyfriend and his friends for a camping vacation in the woods. However, it does not take long for tensions to rise as the men make comments that upset the girls. When they are about to start playing music, the girls warn them not to. They explain the legend of 'No Bones Nancy' who has been angry ever since her death. Throughout the story we learn a bit more about the friendship between the girls and the relationship between the main character and her boyfriend. It is very successful in making you feel that these characters are real and get the frustrated tension that comes from misogynistic (micro) aggressions.
- Night blooming
When his husband dies, the main character is forced to move to a desert farmhouse. As he is processing his grief there, he gets closer to a woman who lives there. She is dealing with loss of her own. They become friendly and help each other. But why does this new neighbour take so many nightly walks?
I thought the concept of this was quite interesting, but the story itself fell a bit flat for me.
- Contest winner
Jane reunites with an old friend when they win a free vacation. They stay in an isolated desert cabin. What she did not know before going there was that she would not be able to use her phone around the cabin. Soon two other travelers start hanging out with them and they interact with the few people around there. Then a man goes missing.
This final story was possibly my favourite of the collection. It was filled with tension and a dread of what might happen. The end of the story... yes.
June 4, 2025
I’m not a horror fan at all, but WOW am I impressed!! I was creeped out reading each and every one of these stories and genuinely couldn’t figure out what was going to happen next in all of them. I really liked #plantmom, which is one of the creepiest stories told entirely in Instagram posts and comments. Super unique.
Unfortunately, I struggled with the coloring of this graphic novel. Black and white drawings are SO hard for me to look at. I feel like I missed a lot of details in the pictures because I simply couldn’t tell what I was looking at. I could tell in some scenes that a character was looking at something that made them upset or scared, but I had no idea what the something was. So storylines are getting a 4/5 stars but pictures cost this graphic novel another star.
Unfortunately, I struggled with the coloring of this graphic novel. Black and white drawings are SO hard for me to look at. I feel like I missed a lot of details in the pictures because I simply couldn’t tell what I was looking at. I could tell in some scenes that a character was looking at something that made them upset or scared, but I had no idea what the something was. So storylines are getting a 4/5 stars but pictures cost this graphic novel another star.
August 28, 2025
some were definitely creepy — no bones nancy and #plantmom were the more memorable ones. i also really liked contest winner because i feel like it’s the only one with a proper ending (and one i didn’t see coming). but the others kind of fell flat for me, like i couldn’t fully get into them and then suddenly they were over.
December 1, 2025
3.5 stars rounded down! i love horror comics a lot, and a lot of the themes in this are some of my faves—mimicry, celestial and environmental horror. i liked it but my reason for my rating is that i just didn’t click with the art style
my fave stories were night blooming, one million tiny fires, and contest winner. i also liked the little framing interstitial bits as connecting tissue!
my fave stories were night blooming, one million tiny fires, and contest winner. i also liked the little framing interstitial bits as connecting tissue!
March 22, 2025
Overall great collection of queer horror comics!!! Really love the variety and effort to try and string them together.
December 22, 2024
Favorite moments include:
- Censoring the word Trump
- every male character saying bitch every other sentence expect for the ones drawn like Bushwick hipsters
- “blood injury phobia is extremely common”
December 12, 2025
Hilarious, chilling, and wild all at the same time.
My favorites were Remnants, Plant Mom, and Contest Winner.
My favorites were Remnants, Plant Mom, and Contest Winner.
December 12, 2024
4.5 ⭐️
This is such a stunning collection of comics you don’t even know… The attention to detail and multilayered storytelling were so yummy gummy to read and the horror was so unique! With plot twists and relatable dialogue and ideas this was such a treat for me. And it’s rare that graphic novels make me feel emotion, especially within the horror genre, but Night Blooming got me fr🥺
I’m absolutely reading everything they write and exploring more titles from the publishing house bc what a stunning company as well
This is such a stunning collection of comics you don’t even know… The attention to detail and multilayered storytelling were so yummy gummy to read and the horror was so unique! With plot twists and relatable dialogue and ideas this was such a treat for me. And it’s rare that graphic novels make me feel emotion, especially within the horror genre, but Night Blooming got me fr🥺
I’m absolutely reading everything they write and exploring more titles from the publishing house bc what a stunning company as well
December 13, 2024
Mushrooms and skin-ghosts and cosmic entities, oh my! I’m really into all of these. Surprisingly so, because I don’t usually vibe with plant horror (everyone I know has heard me rant about The Ruins, for example). But I like Franklin’s art, and I loved Fruiting Bodies when I read it a while back, so I’m really happy I enjoyed the rest of the collection too. It’s all very intimate yet cosmic, and I enjoy that quite a bit.
November 3, 2025
Read for a book club and in our discussion, one of the things we came to agree on was that, though all of the stories in the book have similar themes and motifs, it doesn't really use these to like, build on anything - it more feels like the author just knows one way to tell a story, and so we find ourselves in these echoes of camping and bugs and west Texas and deserts and body acting weird stuff without it coming together to build something larger than the sum of its parts. It's like you gave someone five identical bags of Legos and asked them to build 5 different things - the form might be different, but the pieces are all the same, just rearranged.
The author's note clarifies that this was never planned as a short story collection, and it's more that they'd written several short horror comics over the years for various reasons (including one that was an inktober challenge, for example) and then realized later that they could form a body of work. Which does explain a lot of this, since none of these were made with the intention of being viewed all together in a volume like this. And where I might have enjoyed these a lot more as standalones, reading them back to back gave me a feeling of diminishing returns. I don't think any of the stories are bad, necessarily, but by the time I was done, I was done.
One of the big standouts was "#Plantmom", in part because it does feel like the one that shakes things up the most thanks to its unique framing device. Telling a story through a series of Instagram posts like this is a fun idea, and it gives us some other little bits to take notice of as well, such as when and how quickly the "Likes" on the posts start to decline as things get weirder and weirder. A small thing I noticed, but wasn't sure what to do with: you know how on Instagram in the app, down at the bottom right, it has a little circle showing your profile picture in it? From the screenshots we were seeing, we were looking at it while logged in as the "seed." account that gives her the plant. Does that make US the person who caused this to happen? Good question, but like I said, I wasn't sure what to do with it and no one else in the book club noticed or really had any thoughts on it either. Waddaya gonna do!
I also quite liked "No Bones Nancy" and was a bit surprised to learn that it was the first of these comics that the author had made. It's just a classic setup and payoff - telling creepy stories around the campfire, and oh no, the stories are TRUEEEEE. In true horror fashion it's particularly enjoyable because the people set up as the victims here really are just the worst. Something I noticed here is that the author has a particularly strong skill at drawing empty skin? Which is a weird skill to have but I wanna call it out because it really does look great - the shot of Nancy's skin in the tree, blowing in the breeze, shows it off especially well, but so does the last story, "Contest Winner." This being the chronological first story they'd done is really impressive, though it also explains why I got to it and was like "wow the art style is REALLY different."
The last one I'll call out is the first story, "A Million Tiny Fires," which feels like the biggest stretch of the artist's skills and storytelling. A more cosmic horror than everything else that would follow, with I think some of the more stunning imagery in it as well. Franklin seems pretty proud of the work they did here as well, and one of the bits in the back is showing their sketches and how it expanded past the usual paneling style in the rest of their work. When I got this from the library, the first page I flipped this open to was the one where the first is shooting out of the girl's eyes and I was like, man, AWESOME. I can't remember if this is the most recent piece they did but considering the years over which these stories came out, it's definitely cool to see them stretch and expand.
While I do like the art in general, I think that Franklin's weak point is the weak point a lot of comic artists have: coherent action that's easy to follow. Most of these aren't particularly actiony stories, by any means, but "Remnants" had a lot of spots with like, only using onomatopoeia and imagery to show what was happening, and a lot of times I couldn't really tell. An issue comes up later in "Contest Winner" where the main character picks something up but the way it's framed, and the black-and-white imagery of the collection, made it so it was pretty impossible to tell what the heck she was looking at and reacting to. That had an explanation later at least, but it threw me in the moment for sure.
This really is a handsome volume though. Very very nice look and feel. And the stories were fine, if a little unmemorable and feeling like they treaded over similar ground. One of my other book club members mentioned having read Franklin's full-length graphic novel and it being very good and to be clear I don't think Franklin's a bad artist or writer or anything, I just think that the way this was created - as a series of unrelated works finished years apart from each other - brings to the forefront a number of limitations that I don't think would be present in a more planned out book. I'd actually really love to see them dip their toe in horror again. Like I said I think I would have enjoyed these stories on their own, and the people at book club had the releases of some of these stories as standalones they were quite happy with! Maybe it's also my fault for reading them all in 2 days. I am willing to take the blame here.
The author's note clarifies that this was never planned as a short story collection, and it's more that they'd written several short horror comics over the years for various reasons (including one that was an inktober challenge, for example) and then realized later that they could form a body of work. Which does explain a lot of this, since none of these were made with the intention of being viewed all together in a volume like this. And where I might have enjoyed these a lot more as standalones, reading them back to back gave me a feeling of diminishing returns. I don't think any of the stories are bad, necessarily, but by the time I was done, I was done.
One of the big standouts was "#Plantmom", in part because it does feel like the one that shakes things up the most thanks to its unique framing device. Telling a story through a series of Instagram posts like this is a fun idea, and it gives us some other little bits to take notice of as well, such as when and how quickly the "Likes" on the posts start to decline as things get weirder and weirder. A small thing I noticed, but wasn't sure what to do with: you know how on Instagram in the app, down at the bottom right, it has a little circle showing your profile picture in it? From the screenshots we were seeing, we were looking at it while logged in as the "seed." account that gives her the plant. Does that make US the person who caused this to happen? Good question, but like I said, I wasn't sure what to do with it and no one else in the book club noticed or really had any thoughts on it either. Waddaya gonna do!
I also quite liked "No Bones Nancy" and was a bit surprised to learn that it was the first of these comics that the author had made. It's just a classic setup and payoff - telling creepy stories around the campfire, and oh no, the stories are TRUEEEEE. In true horror fashion it's particularly enjoyable because the people set up as the victims here really are just the worst. Something I noticed here is that the author has a particularly strong skill at drawing empty skin? Which is a weird skill to have but I wanna call it out because it really does look great - the shot of Nancy's skin in the tree, blowing in the breeze, shows it off especially well, but so does the last story, "Contest Winner." This being the chronological first story they'd done is really impressive, though it also explains why I got to it and was like "wow the art style is REALLY different."
The last one I'll call out is the first story, "A Million Tiny Fires," which feels like the biggest stretch of the artist's skills and storytelling. A more cosmic horror than everything else that would follow, with I think some of the more stunning imagery in it as well. Franklin seems pretty proud of the work they did here as well, and one of the bits in the back is showing their sketches and how it expanded past the usual paneling style in the rest of their work. When I got this from the library, the first page I flipped this open to was the one where the first is shooting out of the girl's eyes and I was like, man, AWESOME. I can't remember if this is the most recent piece they did but considering the years over which these stories came out, it's definitely cool to see them stretch and expand.
While I do like the art in general, I think that Franklin's weak point is the weak point a lot of comic artists have: coherent action that's easy to follow. Most of these aren't particularly actiony stories, by any means, but "Remnants" had a lot of spots with like, only using onomatopoeia and imagery to show what was happening, and a lot of times I couldn't really tell. An issue comes up later in "Contest Winner" where the main character picks something up but the way it's framed, and the black-and-white imagery of the collection, made it so it was pretty impossible to tell what the heck she was looking at and reacting to. That had an explanation later at least, but it threw me in the moment for sure.
This really is a handsome volume though. Very very nice look and feel. And the stories were fine, if a little unmemorable and feeling like they treaded over similar ground. One of my other book club members mentioned having read Franklin's full-length graphic novel and it being very good and to be clear I don't think Franklin's a bad artist or writer or anything, I just think that the way this was created - as a series of unrelated works finished years apart from each other - brings to the forefront a number of limitations that I don't think would be present in a more planned out book. I'd actually really love to see them dip their toe in horror again. Like I said I think I would have enjoyed these stories on their own, and the people at book club had the releases of some of these stories as standalones they were quite happy with! Maybe it's also my fault for reading them all in 2 days. I am willing to take the blame here.
July 20, 2025
4.5 stars all in all. A wonderful collection of queer horror that is modern, unique, and captivating. The only downside is that sometimes the pictures can take some time to interpret, and it can be hard to slow down to do that given the intensity of each story and how much it sucks you in. Let's review each story one by one!
One Million Tiny Fires: A mundane life on the farm changes overnight with a beam of light. The story becomes more disturbing with every page, with a conclusion that leaves the reader wondering if they just witnessed something beautiful or ugly - perhaps both?
Remnants: This one had me feeling squeamish for SURE. Tangles of hair follow an angry man around, as he suspects his ex is causing all of it with witchcraft. It's unclear what's real in this story, and what's controlling the mind through blinding anger. Really creative paneling, with a very quick-paced, creepy air throughout.
#plantmom: A mysterious plant causes a quick and morbid decline of a plant-loving woman, seen only through Instagram posts and comments. I loved the progression of this story and the ending cliffhanger. One of the most effectively creepy stories in the collection.
Fruiting Bodies: What started out as a bit of a cliché (no gas and stranded in the dark woods) quickly distinguished itself as a unique horror. I appreciated all of the fungi in the backgrounds throughout the story as foreshadowing. As interesting as the peak was, it was all a bit predictable given how suspicious the stranger immediately was.
No Bones Nancy: A spooky campfire story comes to life! This story isn't as chilling as the others and it's comparatively very straightforward.
Night Blooming: A widow dealing with grief meets an elderly woman looking for long past due companionship. The horror in this story takes a while to appear, and once it does, I was slightly underwhelmed. The story creates a life-on-the-farm feel with an air of eeriness and uncertainty around it, which I enjoyed.
Contest Winner: What starts off as a classic horror predicament (two women who barely know each other win a contest to go to a spooky house with no service) slowly becomes more sinister with each day. The ending twist is really cool and unexpected, quickly unearthing how the foreshadowing throughout was relevant. I really liked how this story ended in a way that connected with the parts of the book showcasing the chrysalis - a beautiful and haunting way to wrap things up and conclude the book.
One Million Tiny Fires: A mundane life on the farm changes overnight with a beam of light. The story becomes more disturbing with every page, with a conclusion that leaves the reader wondering if they just witnessed something beautiful or ugly - perhaps both?
Remnants: This one had me feeling squeamish for SURE. Tangles of hair follow an angry man around, as he suspects his ex is causing all of it with witchcraft. It's unclear what's real in this story, and what's controlling the mind through blinding anger. Really creative paneling, with a very quick-paced, creepy air throughout.
#plantmom: A mysterious plant causes a quick and morbid decline of a plant-loving woman, seen only through Instagram posts and comments. I loved the progression of this story and the ending cliffhanger. One of the most effectively creepy stories in the collection.
Fruiting Bodies: What started out as a bit of a cliché (no gas and stranded in the dark woods) quickly distinguished itself as a unique horror. I appreciated all of the fungi in the backgrounds throughout the story as foreshadowing. As interesting as the peak was, it was all a bit predictable given how suspicious the stranger immediately was.
No Bones Nancy: A spooky campfire story comes to life! This story isn't as chilling as the others and it's comparatively very straightforward.
Night Blooming: A widow dealing with grief meets an elderly woman looking for long past due companionship. The horror in this story takes a while to appear, and once it does, I was slightly underwhelmed. The story creates a life-on-the-farm feel with an air of eeriness and uncertainty around it, which I enjoyed.
Contest Winner: What starts off as a classic horror predicament (two women who barely know each other win a contest to go to a spooky house with no service) slowly becomes more sinister with each day. The ending twist is really cool and unexpected, quickly unearthing how the foreshadowing throughout was relevant. I really liked how this story ended in a way that connected with the parts of the book showcasing the chrysalis - a beautiful and haunting way to wrap things up and conclude the book.
April 24, 2025
A really wonderful comic anthology. Very well curated, in the general theme of each comic being very cohesive on where each comic is placed.
Lots of variety in storytelling format. There are four panel comics, one comic is told in a faux social media format (instagram posts basically), one comic has a creative paneling made to look like hairs - mirroring the horror element of the story, etc.
You can tell that the comics were made at different skill levels in the artists' life as the quality can sometimes vary across comics (pacing can be messy, or where characters are placed across panels is inconsistent). Not that that's a negative! It's kind of nice to really feel a sense of time in the creation of this work, and the art as a whole is wonderful.
Based on the blurb, "these stories reveal the falibilities of flesh that lurk just beneath the surface" and... "the ways in which our bodies, relationships and environments affect us straight to the bone."
Having finished, I don't know that I fully agree. The body horror seems to be very nature focused? There's a lot about the horror of nature and the relationship of nature with death and decay.
Didn't see as much about the fallibilty of the body beyond that body horror is... about that.
The relationship aspect primarily heighten the horror but don't really play into the body aspect of it (realising your girlfriend is no longer who you think she is, feeling yourself change and what that means for your loved ones, realising your perfectly good on paper relationship is not what you want, etc.) - but can't say the stories would be the same if they were less queer/less gender/less lesbian.
It does have the feeling of a snapshot of a horror story. The stories all tend to end right as the "true horror" begins. In some ways it's effective as the mystery + power of imagination helps make things spookier.
Lots of variety in storytelling format. There are four panel comics, one comic is told in a faux social media format (instagram posts basically), one comic has a creative paneling made to look like hairs - mirroring the horror element of the story, etc.
You can tell that the comics were made at different skill levels in the artists' life as the quality can sometimes vary across comics (pacing can be messy, or where characters are placed across panels is inconsistent). Not that that's a negative! It's kind of nice to really feel a sense of time in the creation of this work, and the art as a whole is wonderful.
Based on the blurb, "these stories reveal the falibilities of flesh that lurk just beneath the surface" and... "the ways in which our bodies, relationships and environments affect us straight to the bone."
Having finished, I don't know that I fully agree. The body horror seems to be very nature focused? There's a lot about the horror of nature and the relationship of nature with death and decay.
Didn't see as much about the fallibilty of the body beyond that body horror is... about that.
The relationship aspect primarily heighten the horror but don't really play into the body aspect of it (realising your girlfriend is no longer who you think she is, feeling yourself change and what that means for your loved ones, realising your perfectly good on paper relationship is not what you want, etc.) - but can't say the stories would be the same if they were less queer/less gender/less lesbian.
It does have the feeling of a snapshot of a horror story. The stories all tend to end right as the "true horror" begins. In some ways it's effective as the mystery + power of imagination helps make things spookier.
March 30, 2025
this was pretty good honestly giving it a 3.5 but idk if i wanna round up. some of this was kinda difficult to decipher when it came to what was going on because the black and white sketchy artwork made it a bit difficult to pick out the action sometimes. like often you are relying on the dialogue to tell the story. at the same time i really enjoyed the distinct style in the art and how cohesive it all was together though it was different stories with different character. some of the ideas for the stories were a bit dried up and almost cliche. like the one where the husband moves across country after his spouses death and he’s out in the middle of nowhere and now there’s an aspect of the spouses coming back in some way ? idk literally reading another story like that premise already so idk some of the ideas could have been a lil more original but at the same time i really enjoyed the newness of a couple of the stories. i’d read a couple of these short lil comics outside of them all being compiled together like this and i think they all fit together so well. i think they all have their own foundation in already told stories but with a queer ourtdoorsy unexplained twist. i overall enjoyed it for the gay out in the country horror aspect in each story that was a nightmarish gooey blend from one scene to the next. i will say that some of this was a bit forgettable though, and i found myself rereading whenever i started a new sitting of reading to remind myself what was even going on
May 13, 2025
I had high hopes but was a bit let down :(
A lot of the art was kind of underdeveloped. It reminded me a bit of the art on the Weird Cat Tarot, which I love, but in just black and white it lacks something. Simple art is fine, but don't fill the whole panel with scribbles just for the sake of filling it. But, that would have been okay if the stories had been more developed, or more effective in their creepiness. I was hoping for something like Through the Woods, which for me is so good that I should probably just stop trying to look for things like it entirely. There were a couple in here that were decent--I think the first one was probably best--and a few ideas or scenes from others that stand out a bit. But overall it felt fairly shallow.
A lot of the art was kind of underdeveloped. It reminded me a bit of the art on the Weird Cat Tarot, which I love, but in just black and white it lacks something. Simple art is fine, but don't fill the whole panel with scribbles just for the sake of filling it. But, that would have been okay if the stories had been more developed, or more effective in their creepiness. I was hoping for something like Through the Woods, which for me is so good that I should probably just stop trying to look for things like it entirely. There were a couple in here that were decent--I think the first one was probably best--and a few ideas or scenes from others that stand out a bit. But overall it felt fairly shallow.
August 7, 2025
There's something about horror that's always been queer. Ashley Robin Franklin takes that and runs with it, making quite possibly the queerest horror stories I've ever read.
Each story stands out on its own but have some common themes running through them. The men are almost always bad, and the women are almost always queer. The artwork is great and compliments the stories very well. I like that Ashley embraced the witchcraft and monstrosity that's always been associated with queer folks and used it to build narratives that empower us.
Some of the stories in particular are very haunting. My favourite was probably No Bones Nancy and Remnants. This line from Remnants - "A haunting doesn't always have to be from someone dead. It can come from strong emotions, staining a person or a place." - is something that will stick with me. So true and so well put!
Lovely read, overall.
Each story stands out on its own but have some common themes running through them. The men are almost always bad, and the women are almost always queer. The artwork is great and compliments the stories very well. I like that Ashley embraced the witchcraft and monstrosity that's always been associated with queer folks and used it to build narratives that empower us.
Some of the stories in particular are very haunting. My favourite was probably No Bones Nancy and Remnants. This line from Remnants - "A haunting doesn't always have to be from someone dead. It can come from strong emotions, staining a person or a place." - is something that will stick with me. So true and so well put!
Lovely read, overall.
November 3, 2025
one million tiny fires and contest winner were the best
didn't like:
- remnants
- no bones nancy
- night blooming
#plantmom and fruiting bodies were fun
the cover is catfishingggg a more fitting one would be a dark green?? the red gives a feel it would be more haunting....
art is gorgeous and queer and the horror aspect is definitely there but it is just not for me!!!! it's too cutesy and i don't really like this style of art in comic form, it's not that it's bad i just don't personally like it. it's my fault for going in blind but damn i'm regretting the purchase 😭😭😭
didn't like:
- remnants
- no bones nancy
- night blooming
#plantmom and fruiting bodies were fun
the cover is catfishingggg a more fitting one would be a dark green?? the red gives a feel it would be more haunting....
art is gorgeous and queer and the horror aspect is definitely there but it is just not for me!!!! it's too cutesy and i don't really like this style of art in comic form, it's not that it's bad i just don't personally like it. it's my fault for going in blind but damn i'm regretting the purchase 😭😭😭
January 26, 2026
overall: a fun read! gabe got me this for our holiday book exchange because i love graphic novels/comics and started getting into horror books more over the past year.
about half of the stories stood out to me and were memorable (plantmom, no bones nancy, night blooming), the rest not so much. sometimes the black and white illustrations made it hard to decipher what was going on. i didn't realize all of the stories would be botanical horror until over halfway through the book (my bad) but i have not read enough of this genre to know exactly how i feel about it yet.
about half of the stories stood out to me and were memorable (plantmom, no bones nancy, night blooming), the rest not so much. sometimes the black and white illustrations made it hard to decipher what was going on. i didn't realize all of the stories would be botanical horror until over halfway through the book (my bad) but i have not read enough of this genre to know exactly how i feel about it yet.
February 8, 2025
The stories tended to be similar formulas, with people arguing (esp. couples) and then something bad happening. The art was also so rough in places that it made it difficult to understand what I was looking at. I did like the interwoven crysalis story and the instagram plant one. Possibly because they were both short enough for me not to be frustrated with the repetitive character types. Really did think I would enjoy this more.
February 28, 2025
ruined my sleep schedule over this and then got nightmares..... but it was so intriguing.
Some of the memorable ones ( I forgot the title cause I returned the book already)
- the abusive ex who was cursed
- campfire story
- the isolated couple in the beginning of the book
- the last story ( wasn’t expecting that turn)
filled with queer rep throughout the book
- Achillean rep
- Sapphic rep
- Trans/Enby rep
Some of the memorable ones ( I forgot the title cause I returned the book already)
- the abusive ex who was cursed
- campfire story
- the isolated couple in the beginning of the book
- the last story ( wasn’t expecting that turn)
filled with queer rep throughout the book
- Achillean rep
- Sapphic rep
- Trans/Enby rep
October 14, 2025
A pretty spooky collection of short stories. Some didn't work, others I really liked or had a twist that had me going OMG. I think my favourite is the one with the plant and the instagram posts. Or the one with the dead woman who loves to dance... and murder. The one thing I wish for was that the endings at times just were a bit better, sometimes it felt like it stopped mid-story and I was just searching for more pages. The art was pretty good.
December 1, 2025
I had a spooky fun time with this collection of horror comics! I really came to love Ashley Robin Franklin's storytelling as I read, though some of these comics didn't particularly stick out to me. Each story had my skin crawling and hair raising in their own ways - ESPECIALLY #plantmom. These comics are both easy to relate to at times and filled with absolutely insane body horror, and horrendously dark storylines at others. Definitely worth the read!
March 30, 2025
Ashely Robin Franklin's horror comic collection, The Skin You're In, was deliciously unsettling and left me with a lingering sense of dread long after I finished reading. Each story was expertly crafted, with chilling visuals and an atmosphere that pulled me into its dark, twisted world. The perfect blend of eerie suspense and psychological terror, it’s a must-read for any horror fan.
June 10, 2025
Brutal and absolutely beautiful collection of short novella-sized comics. Art is fantastic, most of the stories aren’t original but done well. As with all anthologies, there are a few duds here and there but the bad stories still have the upside of the artwork and the better stories more than balance them out
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