Hunger Bill Sienkiewicz Premiere Edition

by Nihaarika Negi, José Villarrubia (colorist), Joe Bocardo (illustrator)

In 1896 Bombay under British rule, famine-stricken mutant Izna embraces her monstrous nature to seek revenge against oppressive forces.

In 1896 Bombay, under British rule, a concentration camp holds IZNA, a plague-infected and famine-stricken being. Mutated through medical experiments, she, along with others, becomes a mutant. British officers invite famine photographer William Wallace Hooper to document the mutants, unaware he's controlled by a shape-shifting vampire called Pisach. The Pisach infects prey with insatiable hunger, while Hooper bonds with Izna amidst rulers' games with famine slaves.

Unbeknownst, Izna descends from women embracing monsters. Discovering Hooper's role in her mother's death, she wishes to become a monster herself. Transformed into a half-human, half-mutant, half-beast, she embraces her hunger, consuming oppressors and drenching her land in blood. This infinite hunger mirrors trauma's generational and cultural impact, forging an inseparable link between oppressed and oppressor. The graphic novel blends True Blood, Kill Bill, and Spiral Into Horror, delving into hunger's exploration of trauma's pervasive influence.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Horror

152 pages, Hardcover

Published October 28, 2025

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

"A beastly people with a beastly religion. The famine is their own fault for breeding like rabbits"--Winston Churchill, 1943

Hunger (2025) is an angry horror story of colonialist British brutality in 1895 Bombay, where film maker Nihaarika Negi's family lived under British rule. Her first graphic novel. 3-5 million died of starvation. And then again in 1999 it was even worse, more millions dying. The quote from Churchill, above, pertains to a WWII famine, again over 3 million starved to death, linking these tragedies across the century.

In 1896 Bombay, a mutant, Izna, who was mutated through medical experiments--lives during a plague and a famine in a concentration camp British officers (not unlike Southern Americans who scrupulously documented lynchings, or Nazis who documented their various horrors) invite famine photographer William Wallace Hooper to document the mutants, but Hooper is controlled by a shape-shifting vampire called Pisach. The Pisach infects prey with insatiable hunger. Hooper initially bonds with Izna amidst rulers' "games" with famine slaves. Yes, like Roman games to the death with slaves, as in Spartacus.

Izna is infected by this hunger, but as she discovers she is descended from women who embrace magic, and monsters as one instance of the supernatural (cf, My Favorite Thing is Mosters, Emil Ferris) Izna accepts her magical and mostrous legacy, especially as she discovers Hooper's role in her mother's death,. So, yeah, she becomes a monster. This rage/revenge hunger story is really about generational trauma for oppression, in this case specifically colonialist oppression by the British against India.

Sound crazy? Complicated? Too angry and bloody for you? Weill, it is all that, historical fiction horror soaked in supernatural blood revenge.

I recently have read some of Franz Fanon's work on colonialism in Africa and his call for violent retribution and resistance and revolution, ala American's Revoluionary war against Britain. Okay, this is not for everyone; it's violent, it's horror, it has zombies and vampires in the context of post-colonialist critique. Visually--the art from Joe Bocardo, and that cover by legendary Bill Sienkiewicz--is remarkable, and it's conceptually audacious, so it's worth at least a look!

[Nitoy Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

What have I just read!? I thought it would be a zombie fest and a start of a series but I was wrong. It's an interesting read, haunting and shocking as well. It's a weird plot and the illustration is a trippy one. It's trying to be horror without too much death and more of an exploration to trauma and it's effects.

[Frida Hemborg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another gorgeous and well thought out edition by the Lab Press. By far the darkest I’ve read, not for the faint of heart both with the plot and illustrations, but also one of the greatest graphic novels I’ve had the pleasure of reading. It’s hard to fully grasp everything that happened in this story, it happened so much and so little all at the same time. Is it pure imagination, or real life? Is it the starved thoughts of a dying man, or a mad scientist who’s experiment went wrong. Which also gave an extra element to the story, made it very thought provoking and engaging. To dive deep into the darkest depths of your mind, and see what’s hiding.

Incredible illustrations, intriguing plot and a story that truly left you thinking ”What just happened?” Trauma, hunger and revenge. Loved it.

”Will I always become my last meal?”
”For now. It’s so you remember that love and loathing consume us in equal measure.”

✨

[Chiara Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel is a work of art, and not just for the illustrations. The whole story has impacted me deeply and I savoured each page like it was the last.
I’ve never seen such beautiful drawings, and combined with the carefully chosen text, it is a complete experience for the reader, immediately brought back in time to 1896 Bombay, in a detention camp under British rule. From the first page I knew this was going to be an emotional, terrifying and meaningful read. The combination of historical fiction with horror is one I love, and the result in this case is sublime!

I felt the pain of those suffering from the famine, and then experimented on by individuals that consider these people playthings.. The body horror is also so good and very effective!
There are some passages where the author also explored empowerment due to finding your own identity and to letting yourself go to your true purpose. The power of this story is also in how the author conveyed the neverending string between those that are exploited and oppressors, causing damaging ripple effects throughout generations. Until the bond breaks and unbridled rage is unleashed with only one aim: Stop the hunger by consuming those that caused it!
I cannot wait to experience more by this author!

Thanks to The Lab Press and Bookinfluencers.com for a copy and this is my honest opinion.

[Peacegal · Rating 2 out of 5]

The artwork is stunning and the subject matter is important--the brutality forced upon the people of India under British colonial rule. At the same time, the story was so chaotic and random I had a difficult time following it at all.

[Kay RW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hunger by Nihaarika Negi is a graphic novel that refuses to stay contained. It’s visceral, haunting, and lingers long after the final page. Set in 1896 Bombay amid plague, famine, and colonial rule, it blends horror, history, and folklore into a story that feels both mythic and painfully real.

Negi draws on fragments of colonial violence—plague camps, famine photography, medical experimentation—and filters them through the lens of monster lore. The result is a symbolic history, where the brutality of empire becomes monstrous in body and consequence. At the centre is Izna: plague-infected, famine-stricken, and transformed through experimentation into something extraordinary.

Izna’s shift from victim to monster becomes the emotional heart of the novel. Her “monstrosity” feels less like corruption and more like reclamation—a way of taking back a body that was used, displayed, and dehumanised. She embodies ancestral and generational hunger, carrying the weight of those who suffered before her.

The novel explores oppression as a cycle of consumption: systems feeding on bodies, wounds feeding future violence. The Pisach—a shape-shifting parasite driven by endless hunger—becomes a metaphor for trauma that survives its creators. British famine photographer William Hooper, infamous for objectifying suffering, is both observer and participant, his gaze part of the harm.

The artwork is stunning—grimy, bloody, atmospheric, and full of emotional force. The visuals balance the grotesque and the beautiful, heightening the story’s tension and mythic intensity.

Ultimately, Hunger is a story of transformation—of bodies, trauma, and history that refuses to be forgotten. Its brutality is deliberate and earned. Izna’s final metamorphosis feels like both destruction and release.

This graphic novel doesn’t seek to comfort; it seeks to reveal.
And in doing so, it becomes unforgettable.

[Matthew Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was incredibly fortunate to once again be invited by The Lab Press to receive and promote yet another phenomenonal book, Hunger by Nihaarika Negi and Joe Bocardo, and wow… this graphic novel absolutely floored me. From the very first page, it’s clear this team knows exactly what they’re doing. The story dives headfirst into heavy, real-world subject matter, generational trauma, cultural wounds, and the long shadow of colonialism, but Negi handles every theme with such thoughtful precision that it never feels overwhelming, only deeply impactful.

What truly elevates Hunger is the seamless weaving of supernatural and paranormal horror throughout the narrative. Negi uses these elements not as cheap thrills but as extensions of the emotional core of the story, making the horror feel both metaphorical and terrifyingly real. It’s the kind of storytelling that crawls under your skin and stays there long after you’ve closed the book.

And then there’s Bocardo’s art… every single page is a knockout. His style is so distinct and expressive that it doesn’t just complement the story. It amplifies it. The attention to detail, the atmosphere, the texture, and the emotional weight behind each panel, it’s all executed with absolute mastery. This is, without exaggeration, one of the most visually stunning graphic novels I’ve read in a long time. The Lab Press continues to prove they’re working at a premium level, both in the stories they curate and the physical quality of the books themselves. I genuinely trust anything they produce, sight unseen.

If you’re looking for a graphic novel that hits hard emotionally, showcases top-tier horror elements, and delivers breathtaking artwork on every page, Hunger deserves your immediate attention. Five stars across the board.

Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for my honest review. These thoughts are entirely my own, and I was not influenced to give a positive opinion.

[Melissa (Nissa_the.bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🖼️ love graphic novels
👻 are a fan of horror
👹 would embrace a monstrous form of yourself
😱 like to be scared

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

In 1896 Bombay, under British rule, a concentration camp holds IZNA, a plague-infected and famine-stricken being. Mutated through medical experiments, she, along with others, becomes a mutant. British officers invite famine photographer William Wallace Hooper to document the mutants, unaware he's controlled by a shape-shifting vampire called Pisach. The Pisach infects prey with insatiable hunger, while Hooper bonds with Izna amidst rulers' games with famine slaves.

Unbeknownst, Izna descends from women embracing monsters. Discovering Hooper's role in her mother's death, she wishes to become a monster herself. Transformed into a half-human, half-mutant, half-beast, she embraces her hunger, consuming oppressors and drenching her land in blood. This infinite hunger mirrors trauma's generational and cultural impact, forging an inseparable link between oppressed and oppressor. The graphic novel blends True Blood, Kill Bill, and Spiral Into Horror, delving into hunger's exploration of trauma's pervasive influence.

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This was an awesome graphic novel, full of intense and scary moments. The pictures were well done, and I felt really pulled into the story of Izna and her journey from a normal life into that of a monster. I felt so badly for her, but what really made me feel for her was the underlying sense of generational and cultural trauma. If you’re looking for a scary read with real life undertones, then check this one out!

[Feathered Quill Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hunger by Nihaarika Negi is a bold science fiction graphic novel that fans of dark fantasy will find themselves relishing.

The narrative is set in Bombay in 1896, as its residents suffer greatly due to the widespread famine and plague of the times. Izna, a young girl, is imprisoned in a concentration camp, where she is subjected to vicious medical experiments. While the medical experiments are intended to produce a controlled and submissive subject, the opposite actually transpires, resulting in Izna transforming into a monstrous, primeval form. Izna eventually accepts this transformation and begins using it to her advantage. What is exceptionally striking about this transformation is how Izna’s shift to a “monster” makes her come across as more of a victim reclaiming what was rightfully hers rather than a monster seeking to destroy.

The entire book, with its stunning artwork, chilling cover and protective outer box, makes this quite the conversation piece. The graphics that accompany the story are bold, expressive, and often able to tell a story wordlessly better than some other stories do with the use of words. The artwork is graphic but meaningful, and will appeal to fans of dark fantasy. With the crux of the story centering on the actual historical event of the 1896 Bombay plague, this story also has the ability to cross genres and appeal to fans of historical fiction.

Quill says: Hunger tells a bold, captivating story with stunning visuals and unexpected characters. Readers who appreciate stories with heightened tension, emotions, and an emphasis on the grotesque will find this book greatly rewarding.

[Harsh Tyagi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in famine-ravaged Bombay in 1896, Hunger follows Izna, a plague-infected woman imprisoned in a British concentration camp and subjected to grotesque medical experiments. Mutated into something both feared and exploited, Izna exists at the mercy of colonial cruelty, voyeuristic documentation, supernatural manipulation. As the truth of her lineage and her mother’s death surfaces, Izna chooses transformation over submission. What follows is not escape, but reckoning, as she embraces monstrosity as a language of resistance.

Hunger is not just another graphic novel. It is a unique experience. Every page feels soaked in rage. Nihaarika Negi crafts a world where history bleeds into horror, and the brutality of empire is rendered with an unflinching gaze. The narrative moves with ferocity. While the story is ferocious, the artworks are phenomenal. The book is a short read but it has a lasting effect.

It is the visual storytelling that truly dominates. The art is dense, textured, dark and fearless. Each panel feels surreal. The detailing is extraordinary, from decaying bodies and oppressive interiors to expressions that carry centuries of pain. The hardbound slip case elevates the book into an artifact, something meant to be held with reverence and unease. This is graphic storytelling at its best efforts. Hunger is exceptional because of how confidently it combines form and theme.

[Shreya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the MOST BADA$$ book I could start my year with. This book is emotionally wrecking graphic novel with art that makes you break out in goosebumps but can't put down and/or stop admiring. This. Is. The. Real. Thing.

Honestly, the epigraph at the beginning made me straight up weep from anger. This graphic novel is set in the time of the famine Indians were out through during the British Rule.

The art and concept is crisp, raw, brutal and very very angry and unapologetically real. And don't get me started on the cover.....the genius of it— I can't.

Pisach, is a beast created out of hunger and is perpetually insatiated. Pisach in many Indian languages mean, Beast or Ghost. There's too much uncensored colonial trauma shown and I think that was intentional.

But this is where I confess that I couldn't really understand all of it. I'm only a newbie in the graphic novel reader family.

The Lab Press is cooking up some impressive, unparalleled graphic novels and I can't TALK ABOUT IT ENOUGH. I'm just lucky enough to hold this in my hand for real.

Simply Unparalleled

[Hoarding Wyrm | Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been ages since I read a graphic novel, but I’m genuinely thrilled I picked up this one. Hunger is absolutely jaw-dropping: The artwork is stunning, the gore is gloriously detailed (truly, this one is not for the delicate among us), and the story leaves you sitting there afterwards thinking “What on earth did I just experience?” in the absolute best way.

Set in 1896 Bombay, history, folklore, and horror are blended into a feverish, unsettling narrative where colonial rule, famine, and plague all seem to compete for which can do the most damage. One of the reasons I adore graphic novels is the sheer creative freedom: The way story and illustration twist together, leaving you unsure what’s fact, what’s perception, and what’s something more haunting in-between. And I love stories like that. Ones that push you to think, to question, to sit with trauma and transformation alike.

All I can really say is this: Read it.

[Ag · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had been waiting for a long time to get this book, and now it’s finally here, and it’s as beautiful as all the other Lab Press books, and as remarkable as I expected it to be!
The absolutely stunningly beautiful design, and the print quality is WILDLY GOOD – and then the story with artwork to match too.
The book comes in a hardcover sleeve, black and gold, black and gold, BLACK AND GOLD. So pretty. It’s not just another fancy book edition; this is beyond that.
A graphic novel – please keep in mind that it is NOT for children, ok? It might be all pictures everywhere, but the story most definitely is not suitable for kids. I know people often assume that graphic novels are “for kids”. Trust me when I say that not all graphic novels are made equal, and not all are for kids! This is a weird book for weird people, a horror story with some pleasantly disturbing imagery, and with a pleasantly unhinged tale.

[Kylee Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5 "I can't tell if this hunger I feel is mine or someone else's."

Hunger is a stunning graphic novel, one where the art and narrative elevate each other on every page. Set during the 1896 Bombay plague, the story follows Izna, who is transformed into something monstrous after undergoing medical experiments meant to create a vaccine for the disease.

She embraces this new form, letting her hunger become something far more than a physical mutation. It symbolizes the weight of generational and cultural trauma, the kind passed down and imposed through colonial violence. Through this transformation, Izna gains the power to confront and consume those who have oppressed her and her community.

Hunger is beautiful, haunting, and bold, and it’s a story more people need to experience.

Thanks to bookinfluencers.com and the publisher for a review copy!

[Nuha · Rating 2.25 out of 5]

Colonialism is a horror that is often unimaginable in its scale and sheer evil. In HUNGER, Negi and Bocardo revisit the great Indian Famine which was purposefully orchestrated by the British in the late 18th century. The British worked the Indian people to death while continuing to extract grain to sell and use for their purposes. In this graphically violent reimagining, we see transmutated, diseased Indian bodies being tortured for British pleasure. Halfway through, though, there is a change in pacing and tone as we see one of the diseased Indian captives assume supernatural abilities, fall in love with a photographer, and somehow liberate the community? I think for me it was just very very violent but almost without reason.

[Anjali Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a masterpiece. I have never read anything like this. Reading it truly felt like watching an anime — full of gore, intensity, and shocking twists and turns.

I never imagined historical fiction could be blended so seamlessly with supernatural horror, but kudos to Nihaarika Negi for pulling it off beautifully.

The art and illustrations are top notch, making the entire experience incredibly immersive. I was hooked from the first page to the last.

If you enjoy bold storytelling, stunning visuals, and stories that push boundaries, I highly recommend this graphic novel.

[Jill Jemmett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel. It’s about experiments that were performed in a concentration camp in India in 1896. The experiments turned many subjects into mutants who were further experimented on. The illustrations were at times gruesome, but that suited the horrific subject matter. This would be a great graphic novel for a book club or other literary discussions.

Hunger is a powerful graphic novel!

[Lucsbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

"love and loathing consume us in equal measure"

"Hunger Bill" is like if V for Vendetta had a child with a dark fairy tale, and the result is a story about what the British did in India and the cruelties of colonialism.

If you want to diversify your reads, have a strong stomach, and want to read a dark tale about an even darker period in our history, I recommend this.

Thank you to Edelweiss and The Lab Press for this DRC.

[Michelle Godard-Richer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a dark, sinister, and captivating story with gorgeous illustrations that draw you into this dark version of Bombay. The world-building is unique and portrays real-world generational trauma in a terrifyingly relatable way. I was really amazed by the quality of this book and the gorgeous slipcase it comes with. Fans of horror and sci-fi would love this book.

[Stephanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

art was gorgeous even if it was graphic/gory at times... the story was shit. poor execution, all over the place, couldn't follow it at all. I have no idea what the hell happened. even after reading what it was supposed to be about I have no idea what I actually just read.

[Soteralzobooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.1