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Groupies #1-5
Groupies
A sexy, fem-focused look at the dark underside of music fandom, informed by Mullane's research on the real women labeled "groupies" and illustrated by one of the industry's top artists! Celebrated filmmaker Helen Mullane teams up with superstar artist Tula Lotay for sex, drugs, and rock and roll on the Sunset Strip!
On a wild night out at the Fox Club, the coolest, hottest, and wildest girls on (or off) the Strip meet the edgiest up-and-coming band in town, and sparks fly. The Moon Show’s stardom is about to rise as they celebrate getting signed to the legendary Asmodeus Records. As the story unfolds, the excited groupies head on tour with the band – living the dream – but their tuned-in and dropped-out idyll is about to unravel. Something dark is pulling the strings, and the girls are about to discover the true cost of rock and roll.
On a wild night out at the Fox Club, the coolest, hottest, and wildest girls on (or off) the Strip meet the edgiest up-and-coming band in town, and sparks fly. The Moon Show’s stardom is about to rise as they celebrate getting signed to the legendary Asmodeus Records. As the story unfolds, the excited groupies head on tour with the band – living the dream – but their tuned-in and dropped-out idyll is about to unravel. Something dark is pulling the strings, and the girls are about to discover the true cost of rock and roll.
144 pages, Paperback
Published February 10, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
May 6, 2026
Bit of a weak story but MY GOD, THE ART!!! Wow. Stunning, simply stunning.
It was hard to follow at times, but because the girls are constantly tripping it made sense. I could have used a little more narrative detail, though.
It essentially follows a group of girls who attach themselves to the hottest new act. The boys are living their best lives and partying hard, and the girls have to go along or be left behind.
The story focuses mostly on the partying, meaning the story takes a backseat. Because of that, when the conclusion comes it's rather abrupt. There's been hints throughout but, while it's a sinister threat lurking in the background, it never really spreads its ominousness through into the story. As a consequence, the conclusion feels rushed and honestly a little lacking in substance.
I can't really recommend this one for the story - it's an interesting idea but poorly executed. But the artwork itself gets an extra star because it's absolutely stunning and suits the psychedelic mood of the 'groupies' phenomenon. It's a hazy trip throughout and makes this graphic novel worth appreciating.
It was hard to follow at times, but because the girls are constantly tripping it made sense. I could have used a little more narrative detail, though.
It essentially follows a group of girls who attach themselves to the hottest new act. The boys are living their best lives and partying hard, and the girls have to go along or be left behind.
The story focuses mostly on the partying, meaning the story takes a backseat. Because of that, when the conclusion comes it's rather abrupt. There's been hints throughout but, while it's a sinister threat lurking in the background, it never really spreads its ominousness through into the story. As a consequence, the conclusion feels rushed and honestly a little lacking in substance.
I can't really recommend this one for the story - it's an interesting idea but poorly executed. But the artwork itself gets an extra star because it's absolutely stunning and suits the psychedelic mood of the 'groupies' phenomenon. It's a hazy trip throughout and makes this graphic novel worth appreciating.
October 29, 2025
The core idea of Groupies, a story about the dark bargain of selling your soul for power and fame, is undeniably cool, even if the premise itself has been done to death. This pact fuels the narrative's tension and promises a gritty dive into the cost of stardom. However, the execution of this concept is significantly hampered by the presentation.
The book is bogged down by an EXTENSIVE amount of narration, which feels unneeded and overpowers the actual sequential art. Worse still, the art style itself is just hard to follow at points, creating a muddy visual experience that makes discerning the action a chore. While this difficult-to-follow art is probably on purpose to convey the chaos, I'm never a fan of that.
All of this is a shame because there are moments when the book hints at its potential. When the art isn't so muddy, it manages to be genuinely sexy and visually HOT (Who doesn't love boobies?), capturing the decadent energy of the rock world too.
Yet, the overall package couldn't come together enough for me. The main characters, despite being at the center of such a dramatic, high-stakes trade for their souls, felt disappointingly lifeless. The combination of the frustrating art, the heavy narration, and the weak characters means that despite a great idea at its heart, the book fails to deliver a cohesive or compelling experience. A 2 out of 5.
The book is bogged down by an EXTENSIVE amount of narration, which feels unneeded and overpowers the actual sequential art. Worse still, the art style itself is just hard to follow at points, creating a muddy visual experience that makes discerning the action a chore. While this difficult-to-follow art is probably on purpose to convey the chaos, I'm never a fan of that.
All of this is a shame because there are moments when the book hints at its potential. When the art isn't so muddy, it manages to be genuinely sexy and visually HOT (Who doesn't love boobies?), capturing the decadent energy of the rock world too.
Yet, the overall package couldn't come together enough for me. The main characters, despite being at the center of such a dramatic, high-stakes trade for their souls, felt disappointingly lifeless. The combination of the frustrating art, the heavy narration, and the weak characters means that despite a great idea at its heart, the book fails to deliver a cohesive or compelling experience. A 2 out of 5.
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July 23, 2025This is hardly the first story, or even the first comic, to take as its central premise a hard-rocking, occult-inflected, hedonistic rock band a la Led Zeppelin and ask – but what if they really were in league with the powers of darkness? And, as is so often the way with invented analogue bands*, from their name down to the songs, the Moon Show never quite convince as plausible colossi. But what Groupies does have is, as the title suggests, a new perspective on that story – one informed by subsequent reassessments of the legends of rock'n'roll excess, but with more sense than to veer wholesale into easy binaries of depraved male villainy and innocent female victimhood. And more than that, what it has is the art of Tula Lotay, who makes the trips magical enough, the stars and their admirers sexy enough, and the darkness nightmarish enough that what might still have ended up feeling pat in other hands instead becomes as heady, breathless and addictive as it needs to be for this to sing.
*Exceptions exist, obviously; Velvet Goldmine is my favourite, but for this sort of scene Spinal Tap are, perhaps alarmingly, about as close as I've encountered.
*Exceptions exist, obviously; Velvet Goldmine is my favourite, but for this sort of scene Spinal Tap are, perhaps alarmingly, about as close as I've encountered.
April 14, 2026
One of my favourite films is 2000’s Almost Famous, which explores many things from 70s rock music to a child’s aspirations to get into journalism and be cool. Another theme from Cameron Crowe’s film is what it means to be a fan, specifically a “groupie”, who follows a particular musical group around while they are on tour or who attends as many of their public appearances as possible, with the hope of meeting them. Whatever feelings you have towards groupies, creators Helen Mullane and Tula Lotay explore the good and the bad of what it means to be that kind of fan.
Originally published as a Comixology Original, Groupies centres on five women who meet the edgiest up-and-coming band in town, known as The Moon Show. As the band’s stardom is about to rise due to getting signed to the legendary Asmodeus Records, the excited groupies head on tour with them, living the dream, only to discover something dark and the true cost of rock and roll.
There is some potential from the book’s premise, starting with the groupies themselves who are perhaps more than you expect. As each issue is told through the perspective of one of the groupies, Mullane delivers extensive narration about how these characters feel about each other, as well as the band, which seems glamorous at first – with the sex and drugs – until some show abusive side.
While it raises interesting questions about why these girls would waist their lives following around a band, Mullane’s writing lacks any motivation for the characters to function, especially when some of them either detect or become victims of the horror. As for the band themselves, who go through a satanic twist for fame and fortune – which has been done to death in other media – we never spend much time to hear their individual voices, whilst the horror element always feels like an afterthought.
So much of this book is presented like a fever dream and that largely comes down to Tula Lotay’s ethereal artwork. Although she was more successful with Somna with a more coherent narrative that balances the sexiness and the horror, Groupies is still pretty sexy from its diverse range of beautiful men and women that are nicely contrasted from darker visuals where the horror is often presented as a distorted face.
Without going into spoilers, Groupies ends on a bit of an anticlimax, which gets acknowledged in the narrations and that alone sums up the book itself, in that whatever potential this book has, it just doesn’t go the narrative distance to really say something.
Originally published as a Comixology Original, Groupies centres on five women who meet the edgiest up-and-coming band in town, known as The Moon Show. As the band’s stardom is about to rise due to getting signed to the legendary Asmodeus Records, the excited groupies head on tour with them, living the dream, only to discover something dark and the true cost of rock and roll.
There is some potential from the book’s premise, starting with the groupies themselves who are perhaps more than you expect. As each issue is told through the perspective of one of the groupies, Mullane delivers extensive narration about how these characters feel about each other, as well as the band, which seems glamorous at first – with the sex and drugs – until some show abusive side.
While it raises interesting questions about why these girls would waist their lives following around a band, Mullane’s writing lacks any motivation for the characters to function, especially when some of them either detect or become victims of the horror. As for the band themselves, who go through a satanic twist for fame and fortune – which has been done to death in other media – we never spend much time to hear their individual voices, whilst the horror element always feels like an afterthought.
So much of this book is presented like a fever dream and that largely comes down to Tula Lotay’s ethereal artwork. Although she was more successful with Somna with a more coherent narrative that balances the sexiness and the horror, Groupies is still pretty sexy from its diverse range of beautiful men and women that are nicely contrasted from darker visuals where the horror is often presented as a distorted face.
Without going into spoilers, Groupies ends on a bit of an anticlimax, which gets acknowledged in the narrations and that alone sums up the book itself, in that whatever potential this book has, it just doesn’t go the narrative distance to really say something.
October 15, 2025
Drugs, sex, and rock and roll! Groupies follows a group of girls/groupies who go on tour with The Moon Show, the newest band on the Sunset Strip. They party and have fun, but something sinister is lurking among them.
This was a fun read! I enjoyed the artwork and illustrations. At times some of the characters looked realistic, which I haven't seen in any other graphic novel. I liked how each chapter was told from a different groupie’s perspective. The story was dark, with themes of murder, sex, drugs, and demons. I was really into it until the ending. It was abrupt and as one character said, anticlimactic. Overall, fun quick read.
Thank you, NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios, for the ARC.
This was a fun read! I enjoyed the artwork and illustrations. At times some of the characters looked realistic, which I haven't seen in any other graphic novel. I liked how each chapter was told from a different groupie’s perspective. The story was dark, with themes of murder, sex, drugs, and demons. I was really into it until the ending. It was abrupt and as one character said, anticlimactic. Overall, fun quick read.
Thank you, NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios, for the ARC.
October 30, 2025
This was an interesting read, I wasn’t sure what I was expecting but it was beautifully drawn. I’m not big on cult-ish stories so unfortunately this wasn’t for me especially with how it ended.
March 8, 2026
So pretty!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for the ARC copy of Groupies. This has not affected my review at all, which are my own thoughts.
So, in "Groupies", we follow a group of women, friends with each other and the coolest people around the Fox Club, where, one night, the meet the Moon Show, the edgiest up-and-coming band in town and whose stardom is about to start and only go upward. As y'all can imagine, sparks fly between these two groups as the band celebrates getting signed by the legendary Asmodeus Records and the women get to travel around on tour with them, AKA, being their "groupies". But something sinister is brewing behind their backs, involving the band, that puts the unsuspecting women in danger, a danger that will make them realize the true cost of fame.
Unfortunately, this one was a bit of a disappointment for me. The premise sounded amazing, and the exploration of the "groupies", of these women and the way it all works while also delivering a dark tale of fame, desire and even supernatural elements, really drew me in. Too bad I feel like the execution of it all wasn't what I expected.
Without giving too much detail away, of course, let's say the story was a bit confusing, like it wanting to do a bit too much in little space and without really developing enough. Also, the art didn't help sometimes; for example, the character would be saying something emotional, in distress or anger, and they would look plain, just standing there, with a facial expression that did not accompany their words. Also, I just wasn't a fan of the art style, though this is very subjective, 'cause I'm sure other people will like it or even be fans of the artist, so I tried to not have the art be much of an important point of why I didn't like this one, but it is still there after all, and cannot be ignore.
I was mostly disappointed by how things resolved, and how the supernatural element was actually implemented. I...expected more, maybe more mystery, too. And, yeah, the fact the plot seemed to just wander around without deciding for a path, didn't helped me much to enjoy this one.
Now, I'll give the comic some grace and talk about some positives that it has, because not everything was bad.Mainly, the salvation were the main character, the women that made up the "groupies". Distinct between each other, with different personalities and styles and different ways of going about the story, they made up for the lack of other stuff. I got quite attached to them and was hoping for the best while I knew that that was quite improbable, but that just speaks of how well written they are. Characters are definitely the strongest point of the story, and if I were to recommend it, it would be because of them.
The women are friends before they agree to go around with the band, and I think that's what makes everything that happens after much more emotional and capable for us (readers) to relate to and fear for them, because we see them be close, and kind and protective and, ultimately, worry about each other. An important part for these kind of stories, in my opinion.
So, even though "Groupies" wasn't that great for me and I probably won't think much about it in the future, I can definitely see its appeal for other people, and it was definitely an interesting read when it comes to the fame world and the "groupies" existence and how they interact with the bands, the expectations, the sacrifice...And while I cannot speak of the accuracy of its depiction because I have never been a "groupie" nor met one, it was definitely interesting and revealing to read a story about them with such an intimate POV.
So, in "Groupies", we follow a group of women, friends with each other and the coolest people around the Fox Club, where, one night, the meet the Moon Show, the edgiest up-and-coming band in town and whose stardom is about to start and only go upward. As y'all can imagine, sparks fly between these two groups as the band celebrates getting signed by the legendary Asmodeus Records and the women get to travel around on tour with them, AKA, being their "groupies". But something sinister is brewing behind their backs, involving the band, that puts the unsuspecting women in danger, a danger that will make them realize the true cost of fame.
Unfortunately, this one was a bit of a disappointment for me. The premise sounded amazing, and the exploration of the "groupies", of these women and the way it all works while also delivering a dark tale of fame, desire and even supernatural elements, really drew me in. Too bad I feel like the execution of it all wasn't what I expected.
Without giving too much detail away, of course, let's say the story was a bit confusing, like it wanting to do a bit too much in little space and without really developing enough. Also, the art didn't help sometimes; for example, the character would be saying something emotional, in distress or anger, and they would look plain, just standing there, with a facial expression that did not accompany their words. Also, I just wasn't a fan of the art style, though this is very subjective, 'cause I'm sure other people will like it or even be fans of the artist, so I tried to not have the art be much of an important point of why I didn't like this one, but it is still there after all, and cannot be ignore.
I was mostly disappointed by how things resolved, and how the supernatural element was actually implemented. I...expected more, maybe more mystery, too. And, yeah, the fact the plot seemed to just wander around without deciding for a path, didn't helped me much to enjoy this one.
Now, I'll give the comic some grace and talk about some positives that it has, because not everything was bad.Mainly, the salvation were the main character, the women that made up the "groupies". Distinct between each other, with different personalities and styles and different ways of going about the story, they made up for the lack of other stuff. I got quite attached to them and was hoping for the best while I knew that that was quite improbable, but that just speaks of how well written they are. Characters are definitely the strongest point of the story, and if I were to recommend it, it would be because of them.
The women are friends before they agree to go around with the band, and I think that's what makes everything that happens after much more emotional and capable for us (readers) to relate to and fear for them, because we see them be close, and kind and protective and, ultimately, worry about each other. An important part for these kind of stories, in my opinion.
So, even though "Groupies" wasn't that great for me and I probably won't think much about it in the future, I can definitely see its appeal for other people, and it was definitely an interesting read when it comes to the fame world and the "groupies" existence and how they interact with the bands, the expectations, the sacrifice...And while I cannot speak of the accuracy of its depiction because I have never been a "groupie" nor met one, it was definitely interesting and revealing to read a story about them with such an intimate POV.
October 23, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and Mad Cave Studios for the opportunity of reading this ARC!
In this horrific graphic novel we follow five girls who become the "groupies" of the newest rock star group The Moon Show. In a journey full of music, drugs, sex and abuse, the girls will start noticing strange things happening to people around them, and then to themselves. It will be up to them to ignore the evidences of dangerous happenings in order to keep this sex, drugs and rock&roll life and put their lives at danger.
Through different metaphors, this graphic novel deals with very many important and serious topics such as the term groupies and power issues in artist-fan relationships, rivarly between women for men's attention, drug abuse, toxic friendships, abuse, patriarchy, compulsory heterosexuality... between many others. I think dealing with all these issues in a single work is not impossible, as they are very much realted and talking about one will lead you to the others: however, I do think not all of these topics have been completely well constructed, and so it barely leave room for development.
I do not believe this work romanticises these topics at all, althought at the beginning it can feel like it those, it is the characters which believe this, and they will end up being proved wrong. The readers should not completely trust the main characters, as they are unrealiable narrators. The work itself is quite direct about condemning such toxic behaviours, not only talking about the abusers but also about those who incentivise such abuse and those who don't believe the victims who accuse them of having abusive behaviours. In the end, we see the girls also accepting their part of blame in how the story ended up unfolding and their attemp at a "clean" life, and I think that is quite a powerful message.
Not only the story is full of metaphors, imageries and foreshadowing through the language and vocabulary used in dialogues, music and even thoughts, but also, the story completely interacts with the panels and their form/organisation, the colours, the written text etc. They are such cool details which add to the story overall. The art is also so much different from anything I have seen before in a graphic novel, it gives an original touch, distinguishable from any other work of the sort.
Overall, this was such an interesting read; I cannot say it was good as it was quite gory, gave me goosebumps and made me want to never believe in an artist again. However, I think it could be a fantastic work to be throughly analysed from a gender and sociology studies perspective. Please be aware of the trigger warnings before opening this work, it's quite an intense ride.
In this horrific graphic novel we follow five girls who become the "groupies" of the newest rock star group The Moon Show. In a journey full of music, drugs, sex and abuse, the girls will start noticing strange things happening to people around them, and then to themselves. It will be up to them to ignore the evidences of dangerous happenings in order to keep this sex, drugs and rock&roll life and put their lives at danger.
Through different metaphors, this graphic novel deals with very many important and serious topics such as the term groupies and power issues in artist-fan relationships, rivarly between women for men's attention, drug abuse, toxic friendships, abuse, patriarchy, compulsory heterosexuality... between many others. I think dealing with all these issues in a single work is not impossible, as they are very much realted and talking about one will lead you to the others: however, I do think not all of these topics have been completely well constructed, and so it barely leave room for development.
I do not believe this work romanticises these topics at all, althought at the beginning it can feel like it those, it is the characters which believe this, and they will end up being proved wrong. The readers should not completely trust the main characters, as they are unrealiable narrators. The work itself is quite direct about condemning such toxic behaviours, not only talking about the abusers but also about those who incentivise such abuse and those who don't believe the victims who accuse them of having abusive behaviours. In the end, we see the girls also accepting their part of blame in how the story ended up unfolding and their attemp at a "clean" life, and I think that is quite a powerful message.
Not only the story is full of metaphors, imageries and foreshadowing through the language and vocabulary used in dialogues, music and even thoughts, but also, the story completely interacts with the panels and their form/organisation, the colours, the written text etc. They are such cool details which add to the story overall. The art is also so much different from anything I have seen before in a graphic novel, it gives an original touch, distinguishable from any other work of the sort.
Overall, this was such an interesting read; I cannot say it was good as it was quite gory, gave me goosebumps and made me want to never believe in an artist again. However, I think it could be a fantastic work to be throughly analysed from a gender and sociology studies perspective. Please be aware of the trigger warnings before opening this work, it's quite an intense ride.
October 30, 2025
I requested "Groupies" after falling in love with the cover and being curious about a story centred on a culture and environment that you rarely get a window into.
It reminded me of "Daisy Jones and the Six" mixed with "The Vampire Lestat", but focusing on the people that suffer the most with a band's emotional disregulation: the young women, that follow them looking for fun, and because they are chosen for their beauty and sexuality, they then find themselves blamed for everything that happens to them, not matter how abusive and coercive the men get. They become unable to leave. After all, they depend on them for everything, because at the end of the day, they can contribute to the gains, but they aren't getting paid.
From the beginning to the end, the girls only have themselves to count on. Their sisterhood is not devoid of its power imbalances and jealousies, like when the white groupie thinks she is owed the vocalist or the girlfriend who thinks herself different to the rest of the girls.
As things get worse, the girls turn to alcohol and narcotics to deal with the pressure to be the coolest girl around, and maintain their spot as the favourite, and the social clout that came with it, when in the end, they got little out of that experience but trauma.
While the book is fem-focused, I didn't see any of the sexiness that the synopsis promised. Not only does the story veer into the very sleazy and slasher-horror tropes, but the emphasis on the young women's nakedness, when they were being coerced or abused by the musicians, or even worse, when they were being attacked, and on their corpses, disgusted me. There is nothing sexy about female pain, and it's disappointing that the women behind this resorted to that trope.
The art is breathtakingly beautiful and unlike anything I've seen elsewhere, reflecting the setting and mental state of the characters. It reminded me of 70s cameras, postcards and sleazy magazines, which was perfect.
This story was a great reminder that you absolutely don't know your idols, and that to be at the top, they probably got away with awful things, and there will never be any justice for it. And never stand by a man when he's down, because that is where he is gonna leave you, after he climbs over you.
Thank you to Netgalley and Net Cave Studios for this DRC.
It reminded me of "Daisy Jones and the Six" mixed with "The Vampire Lestat", but focusing on the people that suffer the most with a band's emotional disregulation: the young women, that follow them looking for fun, and because they are chosen for their beauty and sexuality, they then find themselves blamed for everything that happens to them, not matter how abusive and coercive the men get. They become unable to leave. After all, they depend on them for everything, because at the end of the day, they can contribute to the gains, but they aren't getting paid.
From the beginning to the end, the girls only have themselves to count on. Their sisterhood is not devoid of its power imbalances and jealousies, like when the white groupie thinks she is owed the vocalist or the girlfriend who thinks herself different to the rest of the girls.
As things get worse, the girls turn to alcohol and narcotics to deal with the pressure to be the coolest girl around, and maintain their spot as the favourite, and the social clout that came with it, when in the end, they got little out of that experience but trauma.
While the book is fem-focused, I didn't see any of the sexiness that the synopsis promised. Not only does the story veer into the very sleazy and slasher-horror tropes, but the emphasis on the young women's nakedness, when they were being coerced or abused by the musicians, or even worse, when they were being attacked, and on their corpses, disgusted me. There is nothing sexy about female pain, and it's disappointing that the women behind this resorted to that trope.
The art is breathtakingly beautiful and unlike anything I've seen elsewhere, reflecting the setting and mental state of the characters. It reminded me of 70s cameras, postcards and sleazy magazines, which was perfect.
This story was a great reminder that you absolutely don't know your idols, and that to be at the top, they probably got away with awful things, and there will never be any justice for it. And never stand by a man when he's down, because that is where he is gonna leave you, after he climbs over you.
Thank you to Netgalley and Net Cave Studios for this DRC.
October 18, 2025
3.75 (I received an e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
TW: Domestic violence, drugs, murder and nudity
This was an interesting read with every section changing to another girls’ point of view, starting with the youngest and quite naive Jasmine. These particular women are almost rockstars/celebrities in the rock and roll music industry themselves. During their usual night out at a club while on copious amounts of substances they watch the band “The Moon Show” and really get into the vibes of the music. After being backstage with the band they are asked to go tour with them, however the next morning one of the women does not make it to the tour bus. While on tour you can see the small references to the dark powers involved with a record label called Asmodeus and A&R manager named Lilith. You really get immersed in a hazy dream like atmosphere in the beginning with the art style with blending the edges 0f the drawings. It’s like hard to explain but you have more detailed part of the drawings (like the middle, usually faces and body parts) and then colours blend and lines fade away. The ending of the story was not what I was expecting and while I didn’t hate it, it puzzled me.
TW: Domestic violence, drugs, murder and nudity
This was an interesting read with every section changing to another girls’ point of view, starting with the youngest and quite naive Jasmine. These particular women are almost rockstars/celebrities in the rock and roll music industry themselves. During their usual night out at a club while on copious amounts of substances they watch the band “The Moon Show” and really get into the vibes of the music. After being backstage with the band they are asked to go tour with them, however the next morning one of the women does not make it to the tour bus. While on tour you can see the small references to the dark powers involved with a record label called Asmodeus and A&R manager named Lilith. You really get immersed in a hazy dream like atmosphere in the beginning with the art style with blending the edges 0f the drawings. It’s like hard to explain but you have more detailed part of the drawings (like the middle, usually faces and body parts) and then colours blend and lines fade away. The ending of the story was not what I was expecting and while I didn’t hate it, it puzzled me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Hey, it's the 70s, groupies are all over vapid rock musicians, and it turns out that some of them have sold their soul(s) to the devil. I actually don't know what this book is trying to say, the stakes feel very low for what is actually happening, and the tension plateaus early and never really recovers. And then it stops on a wet fart of an ending, which the author tries to lampshade by having the narrator point out it's an anti-climax.
I never got a feel of why these girls were groupies in the first place, of what they got out of it. Didn't some groupies try to become a musician's muse? That would've been interesting. There's none of that here.
The art is pretty, in a glib Vertigo-adjacent way, with smatterings of Dave McKean's painterliness. Problem is the eponymous groupies are kind of blandly pretty, and I really quickly got kind of confused who was who, although I'd accept that might just be my problem. The depiction of psychedelia is especially disappointing and a bit dull, which is bad in a visual medium like comics.
(Thanks to Mad Cave Studios for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley)
I never got a feel of why these girls were groupies in the first place, of what they got out of it. Didn't some groupies try to become a musician's muse? That would've been interesting. There's none of that here.
The art is pretty, in a glib Vertigo-adjacent way, with smatterings of Dave McKean's painterliness. Problem is the eponymous groupies are kind of blandly pretty, and I really quickly got kind of confused who was who, although I'd accept that might just be my problem. The depiction of psychedelia is especially disappointing and a bit dull, which is bad in a visual medium like comics.
(Thanks to Mad Cave Studios for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I am someone who is very involved in the music scene. I non-ironically refer to myself as a fangirl and, if I had unlimited money, I would probably spend my time following my favorite bands on tour. I really expected to like this graphic novel, and I am very sad to say I did not.
No parts of it resonated with me. I was not particularly a fan of the writing, alternating between the character's thoughts and the dialogue around her. I know sex, drugs, and rock and roll is the definition of the lifestyle, but these things don't need to be mentioned in every sentence.
The artwork was pretty and stylized, but it made things a bit hard to follow at times. I appreciate the message that was to be portrayed through the style.
Finally, while I do know that “Groupies” definitely exist, I just found the whole thing a bit demeaning to women. It wouldn't necessarily be a problem if this characterization was complex and intentional, but I just felt like they were all one-dimensional.
Thank you to NetGalley, Helen Mullane, and Mad Cave Studios for the advanced copy. This review is left voluntarily and honestly.
No parts of it resonated with me. I was not particularly a fan of the writing, alternating between the character's thoughts and the dialogue around her. I know sex, drugs, and rock and roll is the definition of the lifestyle, but these things don't need to be mentioned in every sentence.
The artwork was pretty and stylized, but it made things a bit hard to follow at times. I appreciate the message that was to be portrayed through the style.
Finally, while I do know that “Groupies” definitely exist, I just found the whole thing a bit demeaning to women. It wouldn't necessarily be a problem if this characterization was complex and intentional, but I just felt like they were all one-dimensional.
Thank you to NetGalley, Helen Mullane, and Mad Cave Studios for the advanced copy. This review is left voluntarily and honestly.
October 8, 2025
I couldn’t make it through the first 10 pages and just skimmed the rest because I felt obligated to “finish” this graphic novel.
IF, and that is a huge if, you read this, this is what you will see:
• Drug use
• Satanic ritual
• Demons controlling people
• Brutal murder of several characters (including a beheading)
• A man having sex with two women (bodies entwined but nothing crucial shown)
• A man watching women have sex (bodies entwined but nothing crucial shown)
• Female breasts in several scenes
• And nothing but hopelessness
I don’t know what I expected. I guess I need to finally learn my lesson that comics are no longer about Superman, Batman, X-Men, Avengers, Hulk, etc. I know they will justify this as being a cautionary tale, but you can do that without going as far as they went. NetGalley has a section called Erotica. This should have been in that area. I can only hope that this comes with a warning when sold in stores or online retailers.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
October 27, 2025
2.5
The story is set during the heyday of "Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll" and the peak of "Groupies". A group of women follow an upcoming band as their groupies, and as the band explodes in popularity, the dynamics between the girls get more and more twisted. The story is very vague and hazy in its writing style; I think it's meant to show how the girls are constantly high on various drugs so none of them are ever thinking clearly. The art style reflects this, with every page being a drippy and hazy watercolor style. However, that makes a LOT of the story seem muddy, as the "melting" effect makes it hard to tell what's going on. The writing itself is also fairly bland when it comes to dialogue. The story itself reminds me of very old-school 1980s Satanic Panic style stories about rock stars. The story is okay, there's just no substance to it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
The story is set during the heyday of "Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll" and the peak of "Groupies". A group of women follow an upcoming band as their groupies, and as the band explodes in popularity, the dynamics between the girls get more and more twisted. The story is very vague and hazy in its writing style; I think it's meant to show how the girls are constantly high on various drugs so none of them are ever thinking clearly. The art style reflects this, with every page being a drippy and hazy watercolor style. However, that makes a LOT of the story seem muddy, as the "melting" effect makes it hard to tell what's going on. The writing itself is also fairly bland when it comes to dialogue. The story itself reminds me of very old-school 1980s Satanic Panic style stories about rock stars. The story is okay, there's just no substance to it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
November 3, 2025
I requested this arc, enraged, due to a review claiming this comic was so bad it should be classified as erotica. This is not erotica.
Groupies has some things going for it. Between the art style and the premise of the story, I was immediately drawn in. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to its potential.
This comic leans heavily on exposition despite its visual medium. The characters fell flat for me, often time blending together. And, despite what should've been a very high stakes plot, there wasn't any tension.
I went into this wanting to bat for it, but the execution was lacking. Regardless, I don't think this comic is so bad to warrant some mildly sexist comments about its contents.
Thank you NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Groupies has some things going for it. Between the art style and the premise of the story, I was immediately drawn in. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to its potential.
This comic leans heavily on exposition despite its visual medium. The characters fell flat for me, often time blending together. And, despite what should've been a very high stakes plot, there wasn't any tension.
I went into this wanting to bat for it, but the execution was lacking. Regardless, I don't think this comic is so bad to warrant some mildly sexist comments about its contents.
Thank you NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Here, a bunch of hoers join up with a second-rate rock band to experience the sex n drugs n rock n roll lifestyle – but who is going to behave more vampirically – the lads, the girls, the rock industry, the dealers, or someone/thing else? I certainly wasn't interested in all the drug-taking, and the mystical side of things was oftentimes quite literally that – in amongst the "we don't care if you can't tell who is who and what is what" artwork, a lot of the first couple of issues is weird frames stuck to the right-hand vertical edge of the page, promising something overleaf and yet never delivering.
Such indeed is the feeling you're only seeing half the book, and not only through that – the teenaged reader lusting after the lasses (and he will, trust me) sees them through a kind of Vaseline filter so often that he might be better off elsewhere. One and a half stars.
Such indeed is the feeling you're only seeing half the book, and not only through that – the teenaged reader lusting after the lasses (and he will, trust me) sees them through a kind of Vaseline filter so often that he might be better off elsewhere. One and a half stars.
November 4, 2025
Mmmmh, sehr psychedelisch. Sowohl vom Artstyle, als auch der Plot. Das Artwork ist teilweise extrem detailliert, aber zeitgleich auch sehr sketchy mit ausfadenden Strichen. Mit den Charakteren bin ich bis zuletzt leider nicht richtig warm geworden - sie wirken zwar recht realistisch, aber auch sehr fern, nicht greifbar. Die Story konnte mich auch nicht so richtig packen. Es geht um Sex, Drugs and Rock n Roll - wie man es von früher so mitbekommen hat bei vielen Bands. Abseits davon gibt's aber auch blutige und brutale Szenen - denn der Ruhm kommt nicht immer vom Können oder Talent.. Optisch fand ich das alles sehr nice gemacht, aber leider hat's mich einfach nicht überzeugt im Ganzen.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Honestly, I am going to be obsessed with anything with art by Tula Lotay.
This experimental, dark and chaotic story about 'groupies' who travel with a band that is quickly gaining fame. I love that every section was from the POV of one of the women. All of our women characters were unique and flawed in their own way. There is a creeping dread and an ultimate darkness that you can see our story moving towards. The drugs that the characters are taking, is mirrored by the nightmare logic of the story. There are a few times I wasn't sure what was happening, but the art and paneling kept me turning the pages to find out.
This experimental, dark and chaotic story about 'groupies' who travel with a band that is quickly gaining fame. I love that every section was from the POV of one of the women. All of our women characters were unique and flawed in their own way. There is a creeping dread and an ultimate darkness that you can see our story moving towards. The drugs that the characters are taking, is mirrored by the nightmare logic of the story. There are a few times I wasn't sure what was happening, but the art and paneling kept me turning the pages to find out.
Read
March 26, 2026I've always been fascinated but also horrified at the idea of groupies. They definitely were a part of rock & roll culture, but it's hard to ignore the stories of these girls being underage, hanging around men in their 20s, 30s, and beyond. And being exposed to and first-hand experiencing some insane shit.
The illustrations in this one were absolutely stunning, and I couldn't help thinking of Jennifer's body while reading. The vibes were strong, not because the demonic cheerleaders but how men uses women as a means to end to further their own ambitions
The illustrations in this one were absolutely stunning, and I couldn't help thinking of Jennifer's body while reading. The vibes were strong, not because the demonic cheerleaders but how men uses women as a means to end to further their own ambitions
April 20, 2026
I can't decide if it's a case of style over substance or if I just wasn't high enough to understand the psychedelic way the story is told. Things happen and the characters all have distinct personalities, but it all seems to be there simply as an excuse for Lotay's gorgeous art. And even that, as pretty as it is, doesn't work to tell the story because it's hard to tell the characters apart. It's like a series of very pretty art panels, loosely connected by a narrative thread that has excellent potential it never lives up to.
October 14, 2025
2.5⭐
I enjoyed the plot but I do wish there would have been a bit more to it. It did sometimes get a bit confusing at times. It's more of a darker story than I had expected so make sure to look into triggers before hand. I did like the art style, it reflected what was happening in the story really well. In some instances the characters were using drugs and the art matched the vibes iykyk.
Thank you Netgalley & Mad Cave Studios for the E-arc! *All opinions are my own*
I enjoyed the plot but I do wish there would have been a bit more to it. It did sometimes get a bit confusing at times. It's more of a darker story than I had expected so make sure to look into triggers before hand. I did like the art style, it reflected what was happening in the story really well. In some instances the characters were using drugs and the art matched the vibes iykyk.
Thank you Netgalley & Mad Cave Studios for the E-arc! *All opinions are my own*
October 29, 2025
It's the 70's and drugs and rock n roll are everywhere. A group of hot girls from the Sunset Strip have made it their mission to become THE groupies: the ones every other groupie wants to be. They strike gold when they hook up with up and coming band The Moon Show... but how come so many pretty girls keep turning up dead everywhere they go? When the girls themselves start to fall, they need to contend with the fact that Rock n Roll really might be the devil's music.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Loved every second of this! It’s smart, sexy, scary and just dripping with cool. Above all else though, it is a refreshingly honest and complicated examination of female friendships and dynamics in a genre blending 70s set music industry satire/cautionary tale. Even when the characters think of the girls as disposable, the reader never does. We are fully invested in the inner lives of these mad, bad, sad, messy, REAL women.
March 29, 2026
A horror comic that's as colorful and gorgeous looking as Dario Argento's Suspiria with a touch of the surreal and nightmarish aspects of a David Lynch film, and the creeping dread of a great '70s Satanic horror film..
The rock 'n roll back drop was fascinating, lurid, and sleazy, but it never felt exploitive. I connected with the titular characters, rooted for them, and was horrified when they made bad decisions or the dark things swirling around them overcame them.
The rock 'n roll back drop was fascinating, lurid, and sleazy, but it never felt exploitive. I connected with the titular characters, rooted for them, and was horrified when they made bad decisions or the dark things swirling around them overcame them.
August 11, 2025
5 on 5 stars for the art.
3 stars for the plot.
3 stars for the plot.
October 23, 2025
Read the entire collected edition early via netgalley. Great idea and gorgeous art but the ending didn’t work for me.
Review of advance copy
LOVE IT. Sex drugs rock n roll. The darkness. Can't wait for the next one.
October 17, 2025
My Selling Pitch:
A satanic panic rockstar graphic novel with gorgeously moody, trippy art. Firmly a horror, but it's got some sleazy sexiness behind it.
Pre-reading:
Love the moody purples of this cover.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Immediately reminding me of Hot Wax and House of Idyll.
Power in suffering ~just~ to look at. I hate that I get that.
I love the smudgey, grooveyness of it.
God, this art is gorgeous.
Like obviously it's romanticizing drug addiction, but that doesn't feel out of place for a groupie story.
A new bombshell has entered the villa
This is so good. I am obsessed with the art.
There’s a lot of violence against women in this, but I don’t think it’s gratuitous because it’s pointing out how abusive that lifestyle was/is and how it’s men inflicting it, and then the sexism in the predatory industry.
I wish they would use some variety with the word ball. Like we can say fuck. We can say literally so many other words than just that.
Post-reading:
What a banger. Rockstar horror is really having a literary moment. The art is stunning. Stunning. There's a painterly smudgeyness to the drawings that only emphasizes the characters’ state of mind while they're out of it on drugs. It's glittery. The color theory work in the highlights is so good. The horrific panels are genuinely scary and work so well because you never get to see the monster’s real face. The plotting doesn't necessarily have any twists, but the art is so engaging that you’re going to devour this. I liked the mixed media element and all the perspective switches. I would've liked to see a couple more pages added to this with backstories for the characters. I would've liked to see how they were attracted to the lifestyle or how the bandmates found each other. The story doesn't need that addition to succeed, but it would've added more depth.
I can see some readers finding the sex and violence and drug use gratuitous. I think it captured the vibe efficiently, and I think the book does a good job of narrating how the girls find it empowering at first but quickly realize they're being preyed upon. I think it romanticizes drug use, but it's quick to point out that this sort of lifestyle isn't all that glamorous and is rife with abuse. I think it's an excellent pairing for Hot Wax and House of Idyll readers. I think if you enjoyed either of those, you're pretty much guaranteed to love this.
Who should read this:
Hot Wax or House of Idyll fans
Erotic horror fans
Nostalgia fans
Ideal reading time:
Spooky season
Do I want to reread this:
Yup.
Would I buy this:
Yup.
Similar books:
* House of Idyll by Delilah S. Dawson-same book different font. Horror, cults, queer, rockstars
* Hot Wax by M. L. Rio-lit fic, family drama, romance, queer, revenge thriller, rockstar
* You're an Animal by Jardine Libaire-lit fic, family drama
* Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall-graphic novel, paranormal horror, high school, queer
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A satanic panic rockstar graphic novel with gorgeously moody, trippy art. Firmly a horror, but it's got some sleazy sexiness behind it.
Pre-reading:
Love the moody purples of this cover.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Immediately reminding me of Hot Wax and House of Idyll.
Power in suffering ~just~ to look at. I hate that I get that.
I love the smudgey, grooveyness of it.
God, this art is gorgeous.
Like obviously it's romanticizing drug addiction, but that doesn't feel out of place for a groupie story.
A new bombshell has entered the villa
This is so good. I am obsessed with the art.
There’s a lot of violence against women in this, but I don’t think it’s gratuitous because it’s pointing out how abusive that lifestyle was/is and how it’s men inflicting it, and then the sexism in the predatory industry.
I wish they would use some variety with the word ball. Like we can say fuck. We can say literally so many other words than just that.
Post-reading:
What a banger. Rockstar horror is really having a literary moment. The art is stunning. Stunning. There's a painterly smudgeyness to the drawings that only emphasizes the characters’ state of mind while they're out of it on drugs. It's glittery. The color theory work in the highlights is so good. The horrific panels are genuinely scary and work so well because you never get to see the monster’s real face. The plotting doesn't necessarily have any twists, but the art is so engaging that you’re going to devour this. I liked the mixed media element and all the perspective switches. I would've liked to see a couple more pages added to this with backstories for the characters. I would've liked to see how they were attracted to the lifestyle or how the bandmates found each other. The story doesn't need that addition to succeed, but it would've added more depth.
I can see some readers finding the sex and violence and drug use gratuitous. I think it captured the vibe efficiently, and I think the book does a good job of narrating how the girls find it empowering at first but quickly realize they're being preyed upon. I think it romanticizes drug use, but it's quick to point out that this sort of lifestyle isn't all that glamorous and is rife with abuse. I think it's an excellent pairing for Hot Wax and House of Idyll readers. I think if you enjoyed either of those, you're pretty much guaranteed to love this.
Who should read this:
Hot Wax or House of Idyll fans
Erotic horror fans
Nostalgia fans
Ideal reading time:
Spooky season
Do I want to reread this:
Yup.
Would I buy this:
Yup.
Similar books:
* House of Idyll by Delilah S. Dawson-same book different font. Horror, cults, queer, rockstars
* Hot Wax by M. L. Rio-lit fic, family drama, romance, queer, revenge thriller, rockstar
* You're an Animal by Jardine Libaire-lit fic, family drama
* Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall-graphic novel, paranormal horror, high school, queer
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 23, 2025
I love the colors. They put you into another world. It is smutty and creepy my favorite combination.
5 stars
5 stars
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