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Doll Parts A Lovesick Tale #1
A twisted new entry in the LOVESICK universe from Russ Manning Award winner LUANA VECCHIO
MINISERIES PREMIERE
Twelve-year-old Madeleine dreads the idea of growing up. She fears becoming like the cruel older girls or facing the contempt of her devoutly religious mother. But most of all, she doesn't want to become a target for the monsters that are out there, hiding in plain sight. However, a stomach-churning discovery forces Madeleine to confront the harsh reality that growing up isn't a choice--it's survival.
LUANA VECCHIO, winner of the 2022 Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award, invites you back into the infernal world of LOVESICK to uncover the tragic origins of the dark web's most infamous dominatrix. Part coming-of-age and part horror-thriller, DOLL PARTS is a must-read for both seasoned fans and newcomers to the twisted universe of LOVESICK, where youth and innocence are nothing more than meat for the cruel.
RETAILERS TAKE NOTE! Lunar accounts will receive a 2-sided freebie poster promoting DOLL PARTS on one side and JUVENILE on the other side.
MINISERIES PREMIERE
Twelve-year-old Madeleine dreads the idea of growing up. She fears becoming like the cruel older girls or facing the contempt of her devoutly religious mother. But most of all, she doesn't want to become a target for the monsters that are out there, hiding in plain sight. However, a stomach-churning discovery forces Madeleine to confront the harsh reality that growing up isn't a choice--it's survival.
LUANA VECCHIO, winner of the 2022 Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award, invites you back into the infernal world of LOVESICK to uncover the tragic origins of the dark web's most infamous dominatrix. Part coming-of-age and part horror-thriller, DOLL PARTS is a must-read for both seasoned fans and newcomers to the twisted universe of LOVESICK, where youth and innocence are nothing more than meat for the cruel.
RETAILERS TAKE NOTE! Lunar accounts will receive a 2-sided freebie poster promoting DOLL PARTS on one side and JUVENILE on the other side.
Kindle Edition
Published December 11, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
December 17, 2024
A prequel to one of the most twisted comics I've ever read, Lovesick
In the original Lovesick comic, the dominatrix Domino streamed videos of herself killing and mutilating men while other men got off to it. In the past as a twelve-year-old girl, Madeleine performs ballet under the strict rules of her devout mother. She doesn't want to grow up because she worries she'll end up being judgmental like her mother or a bully like the older girls at ballet.
But then one day, when a man pulls over to ask her for directions, she sees him pleasuring himself as he talks to her. And shortly after, one of the older girls is raped and killed. Madeleine begins to have fears and curiosity about what she wants and what she'll grow up to be. Would anyone have missed her if she had been the one killed? Madeleine decides to be her own person and break away from her mother's control, but this only the beginning of a much darker path.
Doll Parts has a much stronger first issue than Lovesick. This prequel mini-series seems like it will be more character focused than concept focused. Also, Luana Vecchio's artwork is beautiful. I really like how there's this deceptively cutesy veneer over everything and how it bleeds into both the horrific moments and the more "softer" moments. Bright pinks of an innocent girlhood are juxtapose by the pallid snow and somber-looking house rooms of the coming of womanhood.
I also enjoy Vecchio's ability to show and not tell about the themes she's exploring. You know this is about a girl being forced into a subservient hyperfeminine role by her mother and how the coming of womanhood and the monstrosities of certain men will damage her unprepared soul for it, without out it being bashed over your head. Take note other comic writers.
I just know this is going to be messed up. I can't wait to squirm and not be able to look away.
In the original Lovesick comic, the dominatrix Domino streamed videos of herself killing and mutilating men while other men got off to it. In the past as a twelve-year-old girl, Madeleine performs ballet under the strict rules of her devout mother. She doesn't want to grow up because she worries she'll end up being judgmental like her mother or a bully like the older girls at ballet.
But then one day, when a man pulls over to ask her for directions, she sees him pleasuring himself as he talks to her. And shortly after, one of the older girls is raped and killed. Madeleine begins to have fears and curiosity about what she wants and what she'll grow up to be. Would anyone have missed her if she had been the one killed? Madeleine decides to be her own person and break away from her mother's control, but this only the beginning of a much darker path.
Doll Parts has a much stronger first issue than Lovesick. This prequel mini-series seems like it will be more character focused than concept focused. Also, Luana Vecchio's artwork is beautiful. I really like how there's this deceptively cutesy veneer over everything and how it bleeds into both the horrific moments and the more "softer" moments. Bright pinks of an innocent girlhood are juxtapose by the pallid snow and somber-looking house rooms of the coming of womanhood.
I also enjoy Vecchio's ability to show and not tell about the themes she's exploring. You know this is about a girl being forced into a subservient hyperfeminine role by her mother and how the coming of womanhood and the monstrosities of certain men will damage her unprepared soul for it, without out it being bashed over your head. Take note other comic writers.
I just know this is going to be messed up. I can't wait to squirm and not be able to look away.
Read
December 27, 2024I wasn't aware that this is a prequel to a dark and twisted series about a female serial killer; I just thought the cover looked pretty, and for that, I was in for a surprise.
Although I probably wouldn't enjoy the original series (I won’t try it out), this issue was quite interesting. It shows, from the eyes of a distressed child, the horrendous side of adolescence and the dangers of the real world in a bold, unsavory manner, juxtaposed with the beautiful art.
I hope the next issues won't ramp it up just for shock value's sake. I'd like to see the author delve into more nuanced discussions regarding the problems they're portraying.
December 24, 2024
I can’t wait to read the rest of the issues when they come out! The color palettes in this are amazing.
August 8, 2025
As a long time fan of Domino’s story, I finally got my hands on Doll Parts, Luana’s prequel of her Lovesick tale, and after reading the whole thing in one sitting, I felt the need to give the story its flowers.
Doll Parts struck me as incredibly socially relevant. In the blooming age of AI, children everywhere are experiencing childhoods that seem more and more distant from the childhoods of their parents. Digital forums and communities are replacing playgrounds and make believe, and a child’s natural curiosity and proclivity for play can lead them to some dangerous places online.
Post covid, there is a distinct decrease in physical community and an increase in loneliness, so much so that the “male loneliness epidemic” is a common term. “Incels” and porn addiction are on the rise, and a lot of research is put into how constant access to pornography from a young age affects the male brain, but what I don’t see discussed with as much fervor is how this affects the minds of women and girls. What happens to a young girl’s ego when she is constantly exposed to images of women and other young girls in these hyper sexualized contexts?
If you look at any of the titles on mainstream porn sites, you will read women broken down into their parts and overtly objectified. They play a stereotype, placed in roles such as the whore or the innocent and easily corruptible good girl. Either route is presented to be for the male counterpart’s pleasure, erasing the women’s individuality outside of the sexual scene. Doll Parts pushes this metaphor, showing women literally chopped up and separated into parts, for visual or sometimes literal consumption.
In Madeleine’s story, she is confronted with older men who treat her as a victim over and over, and older women who encourage her to consider how she is viewed as a victim (Daisy’s mom) and how that is her own fault (her own mom). Where, in these adult examples, is there room for young Mads to grow her own perspective? The constant reinforcement to value men’s needs and thoughts above her own, and to quiet herself physically and verbally does not leave much room to build her own desires. She is presented with aggression and sex overlapping time and time again, and Luana shows us this with stark and alarming visuals.
The day Maddy gets her period being the same day she sees a dead body is no coincidence, solidifying the end of her childhood as well as the imagery of her anatomy being a catalyst for blood and pain. Madeleine becoming a victim seems inevitable to her, so much so that she feels the only control she has in her life is to beat them to the punch and place herself on a sacrificial altar. In this way, she can control not if but WHEN the looming violence happens to her. You can see one example of this when she chooses to lose her virginity to someone who she knows is realistically only paying attention to her just to “deflower” her. She has seen this happen to so many girls in her community that it feels pre-determined. In choosing the when, and setting the proverbial stage, she is grabbing onto freedom however she feels she can.
Reading this, I was reminded of stories I’ve read of the panicked rabbit that ends up throwing itself into the jaws of its predator. The real world and online examples of brutality and sexual oppression overwhelm Madeleine, and amalgamate into a fascination with submission and gore.
This story is a fascinating exploration of learned helplessness, and a girl’s desperation to be loved and wanted leading her right into danger. It is an artful investigation into the forming of our anti-hero Domino, scattered with the recurring symbolism of flowers and petals, of dolls and prey animals, of pink and black and red, providing the reader with lovingly placed breadcrumbs of information and insight into the mother demon’s backstory. The reader starts to get hints towards Madeleine/Domino being a somewhat unreliable narrator, as her perception of reality is skewed and affected by her emotional state. Part of the fun of reading Lovesick for the first time was deciding what parts of what you see is the “truth”, and Doll Parts shares that experience with the appearance and disappearance of Pigg’s mask.
I also particularly enjoyed the continuation of thinking about Domino getting her autonomy back in Lovesick by regaining her love of dancing and performance later in life. Madeleine/Domino’s story is not a clean one with a straight path, and it is not the typical hero’s journey, but in this way it feels more accessible. This is not a story without hope, but one that expresses the contradicting intricacies of being inside a female body. I am so grateful to have a peek into the early years of this character, and for being given the opportunity to witness the darkness that birthed her own “monster” in the sequel.
After all, what is a more violent experience than girlhood?
- with love, Minx
Doll Parts struck me as incredibly socially relevant. In the blooming age of AI, children everywhere are experiencing childhoods that seem more and more distant from the childhoods of their parents. Digital forums and communities are replacing playgrounds and make believe, and a child’s natural curiosity and proclivity for play can lead them to some dangerous places online.
Post covid, there is a distinct decrease in physical community and an increase in loneliness, so much so that the “male loneliness epidemic” is a common term. “Incels” and porn addiction are on the rise, and a lot of research is put into how constant access to pornography from a young age affects the male brain, but what I don’t see discussed with as much fervor is how this affects the minds of women and girls. What happens to a young girl’s ego when she is constantly exposed to images of women and other young girls in these hyper sexualized contexts?
If you look at any of the titles on mainstream porn sites, you will read women broken down into their parts and overtly objectified. They play a stereotype, placed in roles such as the whore or the innocent and easily corruptible good girl. Either route is presented to be for the male counterpart’s pleasure, erasing the women’s individuality outside of the sexual scene. Doll Parts pushes this metaphor, showing women literally chopped up and separated into parts, for visual or sometimes literal consumption.
In Madeleine’s story, she is confronted with older men who treat her as a victim over and over, and older women who encourage her to consider how she is viewed as a victim (Daisy’s mom) and how that is her own fault (her own mom). Where, in these adult examples, is there room for young Mads to grow her own perspective? The constant reinforcement to value men’s needs and thoughts above her own, and to quiet herself physically and verbally does not leave much room to build her own desires. She is presented with aggression and sex overlapping time and time again, and Luana shows us this with stark and alarming visuals.
The day Maddy gets her period being the same day she sees a dead body is no coincidence, solidifying the end of her childhood as well as the imagery of her anatomy being a catalyst for blood and pain. Madeleine becoming a victim seems inevitable to her, so much so that she feels the only control she has in her life is to beat them to the punch and place herself on a sacrificial altar. In this way, she can control not if but WHEN the looming violence happens to her. You can see one example of this when she chooses to lose her virginity to someone who she knows is realistically only paying attention to her just to “deflower” her. She has seen this happen to so many girls in her community that it feels pre-determined. In choosing the when, and setting the proverbial stage, she is grabbing onto freedom however she feels she can.
Reading this, I was reminded of stories I’ve read of the panicked rabbit that ends up throwing itself into the jaws of its predator. The real world and online examples of brutality and sexual oppression overwhelm Madeleine, and amalgamate into a fascination with submission and gore.
This story is a fascinating exploration of learned helplessness, and a girl’s desperation to be loved and wanted leading her right into danger. It is an artful investigation into the forming of our anti-hero Domino, scattered with the recurring symbolism of flowers and petals, of dolls and prey animals, of pink and black and red, providing the reader with lovingly placed breadcrumbs of information and insight into the mother demon’s backstory. The reader starts to get hints towards Madeleine/Domino being a somewhat unreliable narrator, as her perception of reality is skewed and affected by her emotional state. Part of the fun of reading Lovesick for the first time was deciding what parts of what you see is the “truth”, and Doll Parts shares that experience with the appearance and disappearance of Pigg’s mask.
I also particularly enjoyed the continuation of thinking about Domino getting her autonomy back in Lovesick by regaining her love of dancing and performance later in life. Madeleine/Domino’s story is not a clean one with a straight path, and it is not the typical hero’s journey, but in this way it feels more accessible. This is not a story without hope, but one that expresses the contradicting intricacies of being inside a female body. I am so grateful to have a peek into the early years of this character, and for being given the opportunity to witness the darkness that birthed her own “monster” in the sequel.
After all, what is a more violent experience than girlhood?
- with love, Minx
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2025
Girl afraid of growing up until that one day things get real and she dreams of becoming someone that could protect her as a teenager family life is rough and she must tread on without much support
February 26, 2025
loveeee
December 11, 2024
Yes please!!!!! This was gorgeous. I loved the story line. I can’t wait for the whole series let alone the second issue. Read this. I need you too!!!!
December 19, 2024
A young girl at odds with pretty much everything and everyone around her gets exposed to twisted sexuality and violence.
Well this was a pleasant surprise. I remember Luana’s first book, Lovesick, being fairly well written and feeling personal. This is even more so. The characters feel very real and the writing has improved. Luana is as fearless in her writing this time around. The main character is therefor easy to feel for and it’s very impactful when stuff happens. The writing reflects the young girl well and this is how you build characters. It seems she knows she has a story to tell here and so isn’t in a rush to catch the readers attention with 10 different characters and shallow tropes.
If I could choose, this is the only type of comic book I would read. Writers that have a story to tell, preferably illustrate them themselves, and don’t bend the knee to anyone or anything doing it. If we are lucky and it continues developing, this could be something special
Well this was a pleasant surprise. I remember Luana’s first book, Lovesick, being fairly well written and feeling personal. This is even more so. The characters feel very real and the writing has improved. Luana is as fearless in her writing this time around. The main character is therefor easy to feel for and it’s very impactful when stuff happens. The writing reflects the young girl well and this is how you build characters. It seems she knows she has a story to tell here and so isn’t in a rush to catch the readers attention with 10 different characters and shallow tropes.
If I could choose, this is the only type of comic book I would read. Writers that have a story to tell, preferably illustrate them themselves, and don’t bend the knee to anyone or anything doing it. If we are lucky and it continues developing, this could be something special
April 4, 2025
While I thought the story was engaging and meaningful in the portrayal of sexual assault and how children cope and (attempt?) to recover from such a traumatic experience, I still didn't really enjoy the series.
The art was really good, even though there was some odd paneling choices that felt more arbitrary and less intentional given its lack of consistent implementation through the issue, and there were particular sequences that-- while it made me viscerally uncomfortable-- were really strong in its execution and visual portrayal.
As for the story, I feel left out of the loop. This is certainly because this serves as a prequel to a series that I am completely unfamiliar with, despite that I found it to be particularly engaging and intriguing while not knowing anything about the series Lovesick.
Overall a good read but definitely not for someone like me.
The art was really good, even though there was some odd paneling choices that felt more arbitrary and less intentional given its lack of consistent implementation through the issue, and there were particular sequences that-- while it made me viscerally uncomfortable-- were really strong in its execution and visual portrayal.
As for the story, I feel left out of the loop. This is certainly because this serves as a prequel to a series that I am completely unfamiliar with, despite that I found it to be particularly engaging and intriguing while not knowing anything about the series Lovesick.
Overall a good read but definitely not for someone like me.
February 28, 2025
I was lured into this one by the cover art mainly, and didn't have a lot of expectations for it. What I found blew me out of the water.
This is the first issue of a miniseries that acts as a prequel to the series "Lovesick," which I haven't read but apparently followed a woman who moonlights as both a camgirl and a serial killer. In this prequel about the same character, Vecchio weaves a story of a pubescent girl who is at odds with both her judgemental, prudish mother and the sexual depravity of the men who are drawn to her girlish figure. When one of her classmates is kidnapped, assaulted, and murdered, and her body dumped outside the dance school the girls attend, future killer Mads is distressed, horrified, and intrigued; this leads her to rabbit holes of internet shock sites, feelings of personal crisis, and realizations about her place in the world and what sort of person she wants to be.
This issue alone is a shocking, effective, and intriguing story about being a teenage girl and realizing just how vulnerable you are, and what sort of scum exist out there that want to hurt you for no reason but their own sick pleasure. It's well-written, beautifully drawn and colored, and draws you in while also making you sick to your stomach.
Vecchio did a brilliant job with this one! I will never read it again!
This is the first issue of a miniseries that acts as a prequel to the series "Lovesick," which I haven't read but apparently followed a woman who moonlights as both a camgirl and a serial killer. In this prequel about the same character, Vecchio weaves a story of a pubescent girl who is at odds with both her judgemental, prudish mother and the sexual depravity of the men who are drawn to her girlish figure. When one of her classmates is kidnapped, assaulted, and murdered, and her body dumped outside the dance school the girls attend, future killer Mads is distressed, horrified, and intrigued; this leads her to rabbit holes of internet shock sites, feelings of personal crisis, and realizations about her place in the world and what sort of person she wants to be.
This issue alone is a shocking, effective, and intriguing story about being a teenage girl and realizing just how vulnerable you are, and what sort of scum exist out there that want to hurt you for no reason but their own sick pleasure. It's well-written, beautifully drawn and colored, and draws you in while also making you sick to your stomach.
Vecchio did a brilliant job with this one! I will never read it again!
April 2, 2025
Lovesick was one of the best limited series in comics here recently. Luana Vecchio grabbed me with her captivating covers and dark palette but hooked with a riveting story. Doll Parts is no different. I love that we are seeing the early stages of our protagonist, Domino and it's just as twisted as one would expect. The writing isn't your typical paint-by-numbers making of a monster story but rather an deeply vulnerable, and often times empathetic, look into Domino's back story. I think this book, only one issue deep, manages to speak volumes about the exposure to violence at such a young age. The art is breathtaking. Vecchio proves once again that she is one of the most underappreciated voices working in comics today.
September 13, 2025
I checked this book out of the library knowing it was a prequel but not knowing what the rest of the universe was about.
I went into this book blind because all my library description that briefly said was that it was part coming of age and part horror thriller. About. 12 year old girl with a strict mom that doesn’t want to grow up.
I thought it would turn out that she was going to be a murderer or something?? Or that she’s being haunted?? It turns out I was way, way, way off on my guesses.
I wasn’t prepared for this book. Pretty illustration, talented artist, the cover art drew me in.
The content is just not for me personally but the artwork in this book between chapters is beautiful to look at!
I went into this book blind because all my library description that briefly said was that it was part coming of age and part horror thriller. About. 12 year old girl with a strict mom that doesn’t want to grow up.
I thought it would turn out that she was going to be a murderer or something?? Or that she’s being haunted?? It turns out I was way, way, way off on my guesses.
I wasn’t prepared for this book. Pretty illustration, talented artist, the cover art drew me in.
The content is just not for me personally but the artwork in this book between chapters is beautiful to look at!
April 29, 2025
I really liked all the artwork inside. It was very pretty at times and terrifying in others.
My favorite characters were Madeleine and Daisy's mom. I empathized with Madeleine. I felt like her character was healing for inner me. I was happy to see how Daisy's mom was able to have a positive influence on Madeleine while she was struggling and navigating growing up.
I appreciated the author's note towards the end.
I think this is a good cautionary tale of things that do happen out in the world and how much we need to help the younger generations.
My favorite characters were Madeleine and Daisy's mom. I empathized with Madeleine. I felt like her character was healing for inner me. I was happy to see how Daisy's mom was able to have a positive influence on Madeleine while she was struggling and navigating growing up.
I appreciated the author's note towards the end.
I think this is a good cautionary tale of things that do happen out in the world and how much we need to help the younger generations.
January 2, 2025
Art was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in a comic. Wow, the color palette for each panel and page is picked to perfection. Didn’t realize this was a prequel but gave it a go… wow.
Trigger warning for all sorts of ped0ohili@, sexu@al harassment/abuse themes, r@p3, murd3r.
Won’t be finishing the series because of the material but I would really love to read “Lovesick” because Luana’s creativity is off the charts. Writing-wise and drawing-wise.
Trigger warning for all sorts of ped0ohili@, sexu@al harassment/abuse themes, r@p3, murd3r.
Won’t be finishing the series because of the material but I would really love to read “Lovesick” because Luana’s creativity is off the charts. Writing-wise and drawing-wise.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2024
Like the first Lovesick series, Doll Parts is a tough, tough read but incredibly powerful and important. We don’t often get honest, raw stories about adolescence. Like the first book, Vecchio’s afterward provides a necessary, hopeful framing - parents shouldn’t leave it up to their kids to find out the difficult things about the world.
May 21, 2025
This was a wild ride.
It gave the classic teenage angst and then narrowed in on what can happen when young kids are using online forums to talk to strangers. Holy hell, I was intrigued and also creeped out.
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for the DRC. I hope the following issues come out very soon.
It gave the classic teenage angst and then narrowed in on what can happen when young kids are using online forums to talk to strangers. Holy hell, I was intrigued and also creeped out.
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for the DRC. I hope the following issues come out very soon.
May 25, 2025
Luana is truly unreal. I am so in awe of her work! Lovesick was my first comic read that was written and illustrated by Vecchio and I'm now working through the Doll Parts volumes that are available. Volume one kicks off with a bang. I think MANY of us can relate to the feelings Madeline experiences. Luana, you can do no wrong. I can't wait to read more!
December 30, 2024
i didn’t know this was a prequel when i picked it, i was attracted by all the cute pink bears tbh..but i really liked it! i’m already hooked on the story and i find the main character very relatable..i need to find the second issue immediately
December 18, 2024
Found this through hoopla, odd story but somehow I am intrigued as to where it's going. Shows the dark side of early adolescence and accepting the reality of childhood and growing up
December 20, 2024
Its ok.
The art is cool. It was an ok book. I may or may not check out book #2. The story is kind of bland for me. Just my opinion.
The art is cool. It was an ok book. I may or may not check out book #2. The story is kind of bland for me. Just my opinion.
January 5, 2025
It was not what I expected when I open the book but loved the path it took. Excited for the next one!
February 20, 2025
I love the art. Really captures what it’s like to be a twelve-year-old girl in our society.
March 4, 2025
I don't know how to feel about this story yet but the art is really good!
April 8, 2025
Read all issues today and just wow im kinda changed for life…
April 19, 2025
Creepy, disturbing, and triggering, yet relatable at the same time. Love the colors and the way things are drawn.
Read
July 16, 2025Absolutely f* up. The artwork is pretty but the story is so gore and twisted.
October 6, 2025
Very sad and disturbing but drawn and colored nicely and with a bit more depth than Lovesick.
October 14, 2025
would be me if i wasnt an ugly frankenstein monster
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March 8, 2025
Picked it up in a comic shop because I thought the cover was pretty-
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews