I Was a Fashion School Serial Killer

I Was a Fashion School Serial Killer #1-5

by Doug Wagner, Daniel Hillyard (illustrator)

Rennie Bethary has just been accepted into New York City’s most prestigious fashion school. Her designs are daring, edgy, and singular…and made of human flesh. Did we forget to mention Rennie is a serial killer who simply wants to be a fashion designer instead? Stupid, pesky, murderous urges!

Genres: Horror, Comics, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics, Contemporary, Fiction, Mystery Thriller

144 pages, Paperback

First published December 3, 2025

Reviews

[Bookishrealm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I....

What the heck did I just read?!? This is an interesting read. It took a wild spin at the end, but part of me is hoping that they do more in this series.

[☠︎︎ A. ☠︎︎ · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

The art in this story is really doing the heavy lifting here. Its gorgeous from beginning to end. But the story seemed thin and disconnected from the setting. The turn that happens in the 4th and 5th issues didn't make sense to me, so I enjoyed them for the parts rather than the complete product. But, this made me curious enough to explore more works by this creative team.

R.E.A.D.S. SCORE
R: 5/10
E: 7/10
A: 8/10
D: 6/10
S: 6/10
Total: 6.40/10.00

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 2 out of 5]

A weaker entry in Doug Wagner's unending obession with serial killers. I think the fact that this book's serial killer makes clothes out of her victims is meant to be an interesting twist, but it didn't do much for me. And then there's the problem that there is absolutely zero sense of jeopardy - Rennie is almost supernaturally perfect at ripping people apart, and you never at any point have the sense that she could fail, or that she's in danger. And then you're left with a tepid revenge fantasy, which is every Wagner book at this point.

I'm not angry, just disappointed.

(Picked up a review copy through Edelweiss)

[Lizette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommend-O-Meter: For those who support women’s rights AND wrongs

Listen. It’s exactly what it says on the tin. Very dead-dove-do-not-eat, so viewer discretion has to be advised if you’re not into the idea of seeing a murderous woman using human skins for fashion. And the art is done very well, which is to say it’s graphic. Super graphic. Gory as hell in the best way possible, and I totally ate it all up. I’ll concede that the story itself is pretty basic, but that doesn’t mean it’s not entertaining!

Rennie, our resident serial killer, is just so fun. She literally bathes in the blood of her enemies and honestly? Good for her. Even before fashion school, she was already into the whole killing thing, and it’s never really explained. Like, that’s just who she is. Fair enough, I’d say. And anyway, I fully believe most of them had it coming.

Also, fashion school brings her Sofie, a bubbly new friend who brings Rennie’s emo self out of her shell, and I absolutely adored their relationship. I gotta say, I do feel incredibly queerbaited though LMAO. Mild out of context spoiler alert but Sofie literally says they should be “more than best friends” and. Guys. She meant business partners. I’m dying. Rest in peace, my LGBT dreams.

[I received an ARC of this book from the publisher on NetGalley. This does not in any way affect the contents of my review.]

[mrglasswillbreak · Rating 3 out of 5]

A girl with strong homicidal tendencies and urges, who has a past of giving in to them and viciously murdering “bad” people, decides she wants to quit killing and try to focus on her new dream of becoming a fashion designer, a dream she got into due to her habit of making clothes out of the skin of her victims. She joins a prestigious fashion school to chase this new dream but finds that the environment and people around her make it hard for her to quit her old habits.

This was a very cool premise for a book, and the art here is very nice, perfectly fitting the dark comedic tone of the series. If only it had some decent writing, interesting character development, or even just a properly fleshed-out story, it might have hit the spot a lot better. The characters here sometimes behave in inexplicable ways, and the lead has no backstory, so she’s not even that relatable. This could have gone so much better if it had been properly executed, but it’s worth the read for the art, and also the fashion and clothing references and designs.

Big Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an eArc.

[Michael J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what I said on my blog about Issue #1 of this series in December 2025:

"Mixing the fashion industry with murder? Now, that’s a concept I don’t recall seeing before - which attracted me to this book just based on the title alone. This is creepy and bloody, but it’s more than just that. There’s a good story behind the front window displays. This title shows promise.

    Main character Rennie is skilled at both design and execution, and the former earns her acceptance at a fashion school. She’s a serial killer on the side, but she seems to have valid reasons for who is victimized (just who she judges as bad people). Besides her skills with leather, she also hand-carves her chopsticks/sewing needles/weapons from bone and sews with human skin. 

   We don’t learn too much about her in Issue #1. She seems sort of an outcast, wears punk styles, and scratches at various itches when she gets annoyed. The supporting cast is also interesting.

Two murders occur in the debut issue, but I think Rennie is just getting started."

I rated the debut issue 3.5 stars, and that prompted me to pre-order the remaining four issues and wait until the series was completed to resume reading. Alas, priorities change and I finally finished reading this in March of 2026 - - not too long of a wait compared to other series I have been stock-piling for that rainy day.

Overall, this was an enjoyable series. It's goofy and gory, and if you just don't ask too many questions and go with the flow - you'll enjoy it as well.

We really don't learn that much more about Rennie beyond what was revealed in that first issue; but there's just enough characterization of her as well as the supporting cast to emphasize with some of these characters, especially her new friend and fellow outcast at the fashion school - - Sofie. Perhaps the creative team, both males, decided not to venture too far with troubled female characters lest they get called out for it.

We never learn how Rennie became a serial killer, and knowing that detail would have been appreciated. She does evolve as the story moves forward, choosing her victims when she feels that her friends have been endangered or wronged. The source of her itching/scratching affliction is never specified; and it seems that the killings are a salve of sorts that makes the irritation go away after she bathes in victims' blood.

As the story progresses, the previously introverted Rennie comes out of her shell a bit and socializes, embracing her friendship with Sofie - most likely the only best friend she's had in her life.

In the latter issues, a grave injustice/cruelty plays a role in the proceedings and Rennie becomes the solution. The ending is satisfying.

I'm sticking with my 3.5 star rating, although Goodreads doesn't allow for half-stars.

[Salem ☥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this. And I mean... reeeeeally wanted to like this. I don't understand the setting being in a fashion school if there's only going to be one instance of clothes being made. The fact that two men wrote this is glaringly obvious.

Not only does the main character come off as an edge-lord, but she has a very weird "not like other girls" sort of energy. We're also told the FMC has a "compulsion" to kill people. Had she been given something complex like OCD, maybe her personality could've been elaborated on better & more interesting.

The art style could've been better. When I saw the first couple of pages, her chin vs her mouth to hairline ratio astounded me. It reminds me of a very specific style used in old gay manga LOL. Don't even get me started on the conversations surrounding food. "Is it a cheat day? Do you starve yourself? Vomit? Are you one of those girls that can eat anything?" Do men think that women genuinely talk to each other like this? Especially during their first meetings?

I think this concept could've been great had more care gone into it. None of the plot lines made that much sense to me. She's a serial killer—hates people, somehow becomes friends with one girl immediately, and then their teacher ends up sex-trafficking said friend... like what? Did the writer pick out random plot sequences from a top hat? Usually I'm not so snarky in reviews, especially ones where I was so generously given a piece of media for free, but man... C'mon!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review!

[Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horror/comedy graphic novel
Dark comedy , quirky, gory

The plot was balanced, a bit Dexterish, and very quick and easy to get through. Not really for squeamish, "needs trigger warning" types. Loved the artwork!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had so much fun with this! Bloody, gory, and fashion-forward, with lovable characters and seriously stunning art. The only thing that held it back for me was the ending; without spoilers, I found it plausible, but not necessarily believable. I guess there were a few early hints, but I wished more time had been spent laying the groundwork, cultivating an atmosphere of distrust (I won't say in who!), etc. A few small additions could have made it feel more like a well set-up twist, and less like a last-minute pivot.

Thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and brutal; a great entry into the world of horrifying graphic novels! Hope to see more of a backstory about Rennie! The art was detailed, sharp, and gruesome.

Thank you to NetGalley, the authors and illustrators, and Image Comics for a copy.

[Fiona Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️✨

The title and cover art, of course, immediately caught my attention, and I was initially excited to see this bizarre premise unfold. A young, college-aged girl who is already a prolific serial killer, trying to be a normal fashion school student while fighting the urge to turn those who annoy her into clothing? Sign me up!

Sadly, I did not enjoy this book as much as I had hoped I would. Like many other reviewers, I felt that the plot needed to be fleshed out more, and despite the extreme actions taken by our protagonist, Rennie, she never really faces any consequences. While fashion is meant to be integral to the plot and to Rennie’s character, it has very little effect on the narrative, and we see very few pieces of clothing—either normal or macabre. It honestly felt like the creators themselves weren’t that interested in fashion and glossed over it as a result.

Ultimately, my biggest issue with this comic is the portrayal of women. While this is clearly meant to be a woman-focused narrative with a “strong female protagonist,” we instead get stereotypes of women that feel more outdated than ever—the dark, mysterious woman who’s “not like other girls,” the blonde, wealthy mean girl, the sweet, ditzy girl who frequently uses the phrase “cheat day” while eating, etc. This is such a superficial portrait of women, I knew immediately that this comic was written and drawn by men.

Again, this story has a ton of potential. In the handful of moments where we actually get to see Rennie use her “killer” fashion designer skills, the premise and art really pop. Those moments were just too few and far between.

Thank you to NetGalley and Image Comics for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Ebony · Rating 2 out of 5]

The fashion school setting was really cool and I really liked the art style. The friendship aspect was nice to read through. Unfortunately, the story was severely lacking for me. It didn’t feel fleshed out at all. We don’t have much information about Rennie and her “quirks”. The fashion aspect didn’t even feel like it needed to be part of a story. It could’ve been done in any other setting. Closer to the end it felt like the story went all over the place

[Alex Sarll]

I Was A Fashion School Serial Killer: it's a longer title than Wagner and Hillyard's previous collaborations Plastic, Vinyl and Plush combined. Hell, even if you take it down to initials it's still longer than two of them individually. It's also a slightly easier pitch, especially compared to the cannibal furries in Plush (who were not the villains), but for me it very much stays on the right side of the porous line between increasing accessibility and selling out. The pair's black humour and gleeful goriness is unimpinged, and as protagonist Rennie slays her way through snobbish mean girl coursemates, frat bros, and other deserving cases, there's the simple joy, so rare nowadays, of seeing bad people get what's coming to them. I kept worrying we'd lose the story's focus with some seen-it-all-before game of cat and mouse, but when there is eventually a wrinkle, it's a little less hackneyed, nicely tying up the theme of finally finding a friend who gets you as well as offering a spectacular, hilarious action climax. Really, my only complaint is a pretty niche one. Commendably, Rennie does her best not to waste the wasters she kills, using their blood for a bit of the old Bathory skincare routine and their skin in the clothes she makes. But, a couple of weeks ago, I went to a talk by someone who, for entirely non-serial killer reasons, honest, had human leather to display (specifically, her own), and I don't think the jacket here could be the colour it is without the original wearer's tattoo being a lot more obscured than it's shown here. Still, that aside, excellent work.

(Edelweiss ARC)

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Was a Fashion School Serial Killer is a wild ride from start to finish because it is a gruesome and darkly comedic story that blends high fashion with high body counts.

The plot follows Rennie Bethary, a talented and homicidal fashion design student who uses human skin to create her unique designs. Rennie arrives at a prestigious New York fashion school determined to leave her bloody past behind, but the cutthroat world of fashion, filled with backstabbing rivals and corrupt faculty, proves too tempting. The book is an intense and brutal affair, with some truly sick and inventive kills that will satisfy any gorehound.

Despite her deadly hobby, Rennie is a captivating protagonist a crazy bitch who is also somehow wonderfully charming. You find yourself rooting for her as she navigates the ridiculous demands of her program and the cruel people around her. The book's pacing is impeccable, maintaining a constant level of suspense and dark humor that keeps the pages turning.

Fans of Wagner and Hillyard's previous collaboration, Plastic, will feel right at home here. Both series share a similar brand of over-the-top, bloody, and darkly humorous storytelling that elevates the genre. While the twist at the end may be predictable, the journey there is so much fun that it hardly matters.

Overall, I Was a Fashion School Serial Killer is a brilliant blend of comedy and horror, proving that a little bit of suspended disbelief can lead to a lot of entertainment. A strong 4 out of 5.

[Caitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC

I Was a Fashion School Serial Killer is told in 5 parts following Rennie, a new student and a bit of a recluse, and her extra-curricular activities: including but not limited to murder, bathing in blood and making outfits out of her victims. Delicious. I don't read a lot of graphic novels but I rally enjoyed this art style. The contrast between Rennie and her classmates was really impactful and I LOVED the action scenes.

Rennie and newest (and only) friend Sofie have a great connection and I related to how Rennie battled with coming out of her shell and staying where she felt comfortable. This fashion school also includes the resident mean girls and struggling artists. It's not the focus of the story but there is a little exploration of friendships and how fragile they are for young people. My favourite thing about it was I had no idea where it was going, and while it wrapped up quickly, it let me satisfied.

BONUS: some really satisfying kills!

[Danny_reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐

This was fine...

Tbh, I wasn't a huge fan of the art style from the jump. It was a bit too superhero comic-y for my tastes. I love the idea of a serial killer / fashion designer, but I would have loved for us to delve more into the fashion aspect of it all. We saw her sewing and occasionally sketch things, but none of it felt like the author or illustrator were particularly interested in that aspect of the story - and then I wonder why they made her a fashion designer in the first place.

This story had major potential. I just wish it wasn't created by two white men.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review!

[David Hornero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lo que hace interesante la historia es que la protagonista descubre, sin buscarlo, el placer de encajar y conectar con otras personas, a pesar de tratarse de una asesina en serie. Es esa aventura personal lo que hace atractivo el personaje, visualmente conseguido con detalles como esos pequeños ojos azul claro presentes en todas las viñetas, que logra conectar con el lector y con ese deseo universal de pertenencia. La historia no tiene grandes pretensiones ni se toma muy en serio a sí misma lo que, junto con el gore que acompaña buena parte de sus páginas, hace que la lectura sea entretenida y fluida. Una ligera sorpresa.

[Anjedah / bookriot_awesomeyou · Rating 2 out of 5]

huh?? 🤨 in which world are we living in to consider serial killing simple?
Sophie reaction is very sloppy. 😑


thank you netgalley for providing me e-arc.

[Catarina | cat literary world · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very strange book, where a serial killer finds a true friend. It was an entertaining read, although very strange. Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me early access.

[mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Reading I Was a Fashion School Serial Killer was… interesting. It is graphic (obvsly) and full of gore, which honestly isn’t surprising, considering the title. We have Rennie, an aspiring professional designer whose work immediately grabs the attention of her classmates and professors. Of course, there’s a reason for that: her designs are cool yes, but they are also made from… well, human parts... Yes, she’s a serial killer, and somehow in the context of the story, it actually makes sense (not me trying to justify this lol).

I liked several characters, not just the main one. Some of the side characters engaging, and even the antagonists had interesting roles. However, I do feel that certain parts of the plot fell a bit flat. Especially near the end, everything started to feel rushed, like the story suddenly went: Okay… we need to finish this… go go go.

Overall, it’s a bold and strange story, definitely not for everyone, but cool in its own way.

[Paz · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for the e-ARC.

Oh, I'm gonna be honest, this one is tough to review. The title explains it all. It's a story about a young girl with homicidal tendencies studying to become a fashion designer. She uses the skin of her victims to make clothes, and bathes in the blood of them, those baths are the only thing that calm the itching of her skin that her compulsions cause her. This sounds gruesome and creepy, but in reality both the writing and the art style makes this story very lighthearted and very shallow.
The story is fast paced. Any conflict the main character struggles with is quickly resolved a few pages later. She never struggles with the murders either, in fact, though it seems to be a story grounded in reality, she has a superhero kind of strength and a stealth only Batman can rival. It's just so silly. Instead of focusing on the serial killer aspect, the spotlight is on her having friends for the first time, romantic problems and dealing with bullies that had the most cliche pieces of dialogue. The fashion school aspect was honestly just there to have an specific setting. It all felt like a trashy cw show from years ago.

From the cover and the title I was expecting so much more, oh Jae Lee your work tricked me. The art inside by Daniel Hillyard is okay, nothing special, but at least fit the tone of the story. Nothing too gruesome for the girl with the dark secret, but nothing too original either for the young talented fashion designers.

[Katies_bookish_adventure · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick but enjoyable horror graphic novel read! I liked the art style of the novel and the storyline was interesting. I wasn’t too invested in the characters, you don’t really get much background regarding any of them but I didn’t mind them. I wish some more context was given to certain plot points or characters but otherwise this book just really focuses on the deaths. They feel a bit cartoony but I liked them, the gore was graphic but it didn’t feel over done. I would have liked to see more been done with the kills, I like Rennie’s style/what she does after kills but I would have liked to have seen more outfits (if you know what I mean). Overall, This is definitely a book where you would have to suspend your disbelief/not take it too seriously. It was still a fun time though and I enjoyed the gore and horror elements! Thank you to the publisher for my complimentary review copy.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Selling Pitch:
Promising Young Woman X Project Runway

Pre-reading:
Hannibal ruined me, and I love camp.

(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Is he also a killer?

Took me a second to realize those were scissors.

The detail in the drawings! I love how he draws weight in fabric and hair. The color palette is really lovely too.

The pacing to the skinned man reveal was so good!

Them tipping her zero dollars on not DoorDash is so real.

Good for her.

I think the pink sketch is the best one.

Did not have prof sold her into human trafficking on the bingo board omg.

I wish she was in a cooler outfit. I don’t like this design. It seems a bit like appropriation, no?

Post-reading:
A lovely first entry! I can’t wait to hear her backstory or learn how she disposes of all the bodies. You have to suspend some disbelief for this. I don’t think anyone buys that a twenty-something girl is bringing a necklace to a gunfight and winning, but I think if you're picking up fashion school murder, you're down to clown. The art is really pretty. I love how he draws weight to fabric and hair. I didn't like her submitted design. I think that could've been tweaked. I think my only real complaint is that it isn't longer. Will definitely pick up the next collection.

Who should read this:
Campy horror fans
Hannibal fans
Dexter fans
Good for her fans

Ideal reading time:
Halloween

Do I want to reread this:
Yup

Would I buy this:
Yup

Similar books:
* Artificial by Maria Llovet-dystopian horror graphic novel, career in fashion
* Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall-YA horror graphic novel, good for her
* Killing Stalking by Koogi-horror graphic novel

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Neurospicy Potato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I really enjoyed this one! It's a fun and gruesome story about a young fashion design student that uses some unique materials. It was fun, gorey and the storyline was pretty entertaining as well. The characters were deep enough to stay interesting, and the side-stories added just enough spice to the whole thing. It has just enough funny moments to keep the story somewhat light hearted, while it is about a serial killer!

Rennie is just such a fun character! I loved her to bits.

Minus one star for the graphic design, though. Red text on a dark grey background was a very poor decision, because it is barely readable and gave me a headache. If they changed that, I would have rated it five stars. But I couldn't get over that design choice, it was hurting my eyes.

I Was a Fashion School Serial Killer is a fun dark comedy mixed with horror. An entertaining read for sure! If you're a fan of movies like Saw or a Splatterpunk enjoyer, like me, then you might like this little graphic novel as well!



I wouldn't mind getting more volumes, though. It was very entertaining and I would love to continue reading about Rennie's story.

Disclaimer:
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

[Katrina G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was fun! You rarely see female serial killers in fiction, so I was really excited to dive in to this one. I really liked seeing Rennie's character development throughout the story. She was a cold loner to begin with, but she became a warm friend by the end of things. Of course, this all happened in between the vicious murders she kept committing. I liked that each kill served a purpose. She wasn't just killing for the fun of it, but because there was a reason behind it.

I only wish that there was a bit more fashion included in the story. I was expecting her to wear her victims, but really all we saw her do was bathe in their blood. I found it a bit odd that Rennie's passion for fashion and murder didn't overlap a little more.

[Adriana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rennie Bethary is a fashion designer with mad skills, born mostly out of her ability to use human skin to make amazing designs. Where does she get skin? She's a serial killer looking to change her ways, but people just won't stop provoking her.

The idea sounds fun and brilliant, but the execution left much to be desired. The plot is rushed and left me with more questions than answers. The art is good and has some great spreads, but it relies heavily on shock and gore.

I get that Rennie's victims are mostly bad people who deserve karma, but the fact that she just goes around doing what she does with zero consequences just doesn't feel right.

In the end, this book wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Image Comics for the read.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: horror, black comedy, thriller, graphic novel
Trigger Warnings: gore, violence, mentions of sexual assault, bullying
If you liked: American Psycho and The Devils Wears Prada
Rating: 3 Stars

if you bottled up elizabeth bathory and hannibal and threw them into fashion school. a dark horror comedy with rich artwork. the storyline itself isn't revolutionary and has been done about a billion times before this and will be done a billion times after it, but it was a quick read that was entertaining enough to keep you going.

[Jeremy Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful, Deranged, and Dangerously Fashionable!

This graphic novel contains so much for readers! It’s delightful with stories of friendship and belonging that are at times, tender and sweet. It’s also quite deranged. It features acts of shocking violence but they are balanced with horror elements that kept me hooked on the story. Additionally, this story is about a fashion school student, and the fashion was a fun element that felt contemporary. The illustrations brought to life a genuinely fun story that I loved and I know readers of all ages are going to love!

[Liv Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank u image comics for the arc !

this was so wild and absurd but also undoubtedly so fun. i think the beauty in a comic like this is how ridiculous it is. did i use any critical thinking? no. is any of it realistic? no. but did i have a good time? yes!! i think my only complaint would be that i didn’t necessarily love the last volume, but other than that i think this was a silly good read!

[Eryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly read a little too much Ebony Darkness Dementia Raven Way. The fashion school drama is like a bad 90s sitcom, there's no real sense of how the main character is getting away with some frankly very obvious murders, and the actual understanding of high fashion by the author/illustrator is minimal. The concept was much, much better than the execution (pun intended.)