Narco

by Doug Wagner, Daniel Hillyard (Illustrator)

The master of dark, genre-bending graphic novels that challenge the boundaries of comfort, morality, and storytelling itself, returns with a new unforgettable tale.

Marcus Wesphal has a rare form of narcolepsy - when he gets excited, he passes out. He’s homebound life, a harmless infatuation with the girl next door. But when he witnesses her murder and collapses, he becomes suspect #1. Now, he must leave his apartment to pursue a killer.

Collects all issues, #1-5.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Mystery, Graphic Novels Manga, Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2023

Reviews

[Lukasz · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

2.5/5

Huh. The high ratings surprised me because I found this pretty average at best.

The premise is genuinely interesting: a guy with a rare form of narcolepsy who passes out whenever he gets too excited has to investigate a murder. A solid hook, and there are some tense moments built around it. Unfortunately, I never felt the book figured out what kind of story it wanted to be.

It jumps between a darker murder mystery, more goofy sitcom-like dynamics between Marcus and his friends, and moments that are supposed to be genuinely horrific. None of those elements are necessarily bad on their own, but they don’t always work together. The friend group in particular felt a bit too whimsical for me, and some of the emotional reactions and character decisions just didn’t make much sense.

The writing is okay, but nothing special, and the art is similar: perfectly serviceable, but I didn't find it particularly impressive. The mystery itself also isn't especially clever.

I can see why some people are enjoying it - the premise is cool, it moves quickly, and there’s definitely some fun to be had here. But for me, too many things didn’t quite add up, either emotionally or logically, and the darker elements never really landed the way I think they were supposed to.

Clearly I’m in the minority on this one, though, so if the premise sounds good to you, give it a shot. For me, unfortunately, it was a pretty forgettable read.

[Krystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay story, but certainly not one of the best from this team.

I loved the idea - a murder mystery featuring a guy with narcolepsy? Heck yes.

Unfortunately, it didn't really deliver anything particularly tense and I found I wasn't waiting impatiently for the next issue at any stage.

Artwork is fine, easy to follow with bold lines and colours, but this story is shades of blue, grey and red. So it doesn't stand out a lot on that front.

On the whole, while I enjoyed the story well enough, it just seemed rather underwhelming. I feel like it was maybe trying to be serious and funny at the same time and it ended up just kind of being a messy blend of the two that didn't work.

Still, an easy enough read and only five issues so if you're looking for a quick crime story to digest, this could work for you.

[itselv]

Marcus suffers from narcolepsy, and one time after passing out, he wakes up next to a dead body, with policemen surrounding them, ready to arrest him.
He knows he didn't do it, but how can he prove it?

While it started promising, it ended up being just, eh.. okay. The reveal was inane and ludicrous.
The plot desperately needed more pages, at least fifty more, few in between plot points and much more before the reveal.
As well as some tweaking of the plot to make it more interesting—there wasn't a time where I was on the edge of my seat, I felt no anticipation or suspicion at all the whole time, which shouldn't be the case for a murder mystery!

The story swung between being either cliché/boring, or mildly entertaining. Maybe a younger audience would find it more entertaining than I did.

[✩｡°⋆ Lala ⋆｡°✩ · Rating 4 out of 5]

🖋️ Author: Doug Wagner
📖 Title: Narco
🖌️ Illustrator(s): Daniel Hillyard
📅 Pub Day: November 3, 2026
💌 Publisher: Image Comics
📚 Format: Digital
🏷️ ISBN: 9781534334991
⏱️ Length: 144 pages
📌 Genre(s): Crime Thriller, Graphic Novel, Mystery
⭐ Star Rating: 4

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──  

I liked Narco quite a bit! The premise grabbed me immediately. Marcus has narcolepsy that causes him to pass out when he gets too excited, and then he witnesses his neighbor's murder and immediately becomes the prime suspect. Having him try to solve a murder while also constantly fighting his own body is such a good setup for a mystery.

The story itself moves at a really nice pace, and I liked that it doesn't feel like it's trying to rush from one scene to the next. There's actually a lot of time spent getting to know Marcus and the people around him, which made the whole thing feel more grounded than I expected.

And obviously, Little Guy was my favorite character. 🥹 The possum scenes were genuinely some of my favorite parts. I wasn't expecting to get this attached to a possum in a murder mystery, but here we are. And now I really want a pop tart.

The artwork is really good too. There's a lot of blood at points, but the visuals also do a great job with Marcus's perception.

I did figure out the twist before the reveal, but I still liked how it was handled. The payoff worked even if the actual answer wasn't a huge surprise.

Really fun crime comic with a weird little heart underneath all the murder and chaos. And Little Guy deserves his/her own book.

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──  

If you like:
✔️ Dexter style serial killer
✔️ Unconventional protagonists
✔️ Wrongfully accused leads
✔️ Whodunit mysteries
✔️ Psychological tension
✔️ Quirky horror adjacent crime

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Thank you to NetGalley, Doug Wagner, and Image Comics for gifting this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

This review is cross‑posted across multiple platforms.

[Rustic Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Image Comics for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review
All of the individual issues are already publicly released and I personally didn't know that this was already published last 2023 by another publisher.

I think is just a very okay book. The Narco ...lepsy feels a little bit too gimmicky, I know it's there to set tension, but sometimes it's easily defused like the main character was a suspect but later on, not really anymore. The question of him being a potential suspect, even to the readers, just disappeared.

The killer's identity might be a little bit too obvious, but I don't get fully get the reason why they did it. Like not doing it and they might be fine, I tried to rationalize their reason but it's too ridiculous to me.

I honestly enjoyed the art style and the coloring really suited it.

[Bryan Fischer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some unique ideas, some cliche ideas, emotive artwork (reminded me of Ryan Ottley), couple great panel layouts, but ultimately doesn’t live up to the media it compares itself to. Although this is a mini series, I think a few more issues to flesh out the characters would have been nice.

Thanks to Image Comics and NetGalley for this ARC!

[Mac]

(This review is for all 5 issues)

Issue 1: 3 stars
Issues 2-5: 2 stars

The artstyle is gorgeous but the pacing is all over the place. Would've loved if this was longer with more horror. Still don't understand why this is classified as horror in the first place

[Theo Styl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Narco 1-5 issues

This is actually the first Wagner comic I' ve read, and I was initially partly drawn to it by its B Covers, which pay homage to Hitchcock films ( the art-adaptation of those covers is teriffic). So naturally I went in expecting a Hitchcockian suspense thriller.

The premise is definitely interesting i.e. Marcus's condition (narcolepsy) which makes for some interesting situations and gives the story an original angle on the whodunit-mystery formula.

That said, I wouldn't really compare the actual suspense to Hitchcock. Hitchcock movie themes especially from Rear Window (both protagonists witness a murder while impaired by their condition to prevent it) are there, but the story and the suspense never climax to the level I was expecting.

Its not that I did not enjoy the series, or the murder scenes where the artwork does a good job on depicting the "impact" of whats happening! However, while in the first two issues do a good job establishing Marcus as a character (the only character developed, lets say, "properly") and the mystery as we move towards the end everything is rushed, leaving little room for big surprises and twists(in terms of predictability- who the killer is)! I thing this is where the five-issue format hurts the story, not allowing to expand characters and plot threads.

Overall, Narco is an interesting and enjoyable mini comic series with a genuinely unusual protagonist but with a not so unusual and unpredictable killer.

[Bookish Bard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Image Comics and NetGalley for this ARC.

This TPB collects the mini-series Narco, written by Doug Wagner (previous titles include Beware the Eye of Odin and Plush) and illustrated by Daniel Hillyard (who previously illustrated Plastic and Plush).

The story is effectively a murder whodunnit. Our protagonist, Marcus James, has a rare form of narcolepsy that kicks in whenever his heart rate gets too high, causing him to fall unconscious. Marcus is a shy, awkward young man with a penchant for conspiracy theories, and he believes he has discovered a previously unknown serial killer. Our story goes from there.

This definitely felt like a book of two halves for me. The first half really gripped me, and I became really invested in the story. Then it was just… over.

The reveal of the killer felt a bit weak and, honestly, quite obvious. The method by which they’re caught also seemed a bit far-fetched and really made me question the killer’s intelligence.

It’s such a shame because I feel that, with a few more issues, this could have been among the all-time great true-crime-style graphic novels.

Given the promise it showed, I’m still going to give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Narco TPB releases on November 3rd 2026.

[Allen Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed "I Was a Fashion School Serial Killer" from the same creative team, so I was looking forward to seeing Doug Wagner and Daniel Hillyard's latest collaboration. The two have a knack for creating quirky, memorable characters, and that remains true, but this time around, the story itself is a bit less memorable. How many times have we seen someone wrongfully accused of murder track down the real killer in order to clear their name? At this point, it's practically a narrative archetype. The narcolepsy adds a unique wrinkle, but ultimately it doesn't really affect the trajectory of the story. What's worse is the comic spends around three issues or so teasing out a painfully obvious "twist". Maybe my expectations were just too high. I think because the story itself is so typical, I kept expecting the story to shift into more unique territory, but it just... doesn't. That's not to say the comic is bad. Daniel Hillyard's art is always great and as I mentioned, the characters themselves are very memorable. It's not a bad way to spend an hour or so, but ultimately, the comic just isn't anything special.

[Stephen Reyes-Lawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was surprisingly cute. I didn't realize that it was the writer and artist of Plastic until I actually opened it and noticed the artwork, so it's extra surprising that it's cute knowing who made it. I think the only reason that it's categorized as horror is because of the creators, because this is just objectively not horror in the slightest, unless a serial killer automatically categorizes something as horror to you. It's like a YA murder mystery if anything. I'm also not sure why they went with Narco as the title. I was definitely expecting something having to do with cartels going in, but that's probably on me for not really reading the synopsis. The friend group was a little too whimsical for me for sure. That was my main issue. They were straight out of a corny sitcom. Very New Girl. There was some charm to it for sure, but it was a little silly sometimes. You can also tell who the killer is a mile away, but it's a short fun read all in all. Worth reading if it's on sale or something.

[PurplePixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

* Thank you NetGalley and 12-Gauge Comics | Image Comics for the ARC and my honest review *

NARCO is a pretty solid story about Marcus, who has severe narcolepsy that causes him to pass out when overstimulated, who gets caught up in a murder investigation involving a girl he had a major crush on. His friends, an opossum included, try to help him navigate this troubling time, but it becomes way bigger than any of them could have imaged.

The pacing was incredibly steady. Like an edge of your seat kind of vibe chapter to chapter. The ending kinda jumps at you though. I would have liked a little bit more to extend the drama, but honestly, it's good where it stands as well. This is a good example of what happens when you combine issues into one book. I didn't have that slight break between issues to build anticipation; however, that doesn't take away from the full on investment I had in seeing it to the end.

Also, thank you for the alternative covers, scripts, and page layouts at the end. I love seeing the comicbook process.

[Sighthounds_and_stories · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wagner and Hillyard are a must-buy creative team for me, and this story does not disappoint. This is the latest series in the Plastic-verse, which is populated by quirky, bizarre serial killers. It is able to be read completely as a standalone.

Marcus Wesphal has a rare form of narcolepsy, he passes out while witnessing the murder of the girl he has a crush on. Now he has to track down the killer to clear his own name. All while befriending a possum.

Original and Inventive, you never quite know where the story is going to go. Wagner showcases the weird and wonderful characters that would usually be confined to the supporting cast in the role of resident nerd, or comedy relief. Putting these characters front and center allows them to be more rounded and more interesting. Hillyard's art is a joy. Easy to follow, but as Imaginative as the story, with shifting perspectives and unusual angles, that emphasise the disorientation that Marcus feels.

If you enjoy dark humour and absurd horror then you should definitely check this out.

[Mariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narco is a solid, fast-paced thriller built on a genuinely terrifying premise.

The main character’s condition is absolute nightmare fuel. Having a disorder where extreme fear, stress, or panic literally knocks you unconscious in high-stakes situations creates an incredible, high-tension hook for a story. (It also just hit me that his website name is a direct nod to his narcolepsy lol!)

The first half of the graphic novel does a fantastic job of steadily building up tension and paranoia as he tries to navigate the danger. However, because it’s only around 140 pages, the second half sprints to the finish. The killer’s identity becomes obvious pretty quickly, and the resolution plays out almost exactly as you’d expect without any real surprises.

The artwork is decent and gets the job done, but the unique physical stakes carry the book. A cool, quick read that delivers a good burst of suspense, even if the mystery unravels a little too predictably at the end!

[Giannina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The storyline and characters in Narco will captivate you from the start. The main characters are uniquely themselves and have interesting backstories, and the story kicks off with a major and devastating event which will drive the story forward.

The art really complements the darker and quirkier tone of the graphic novel. I was particularly impressed by the art that covers 2 pages, showing a birds view of a characters apartment interconnecting with the side panels that show the movements of that character in that particular apartment. I caught myself examining and admiring those 2 pages for several minutes every time.

I did feel the story was a little rushed; I would’ve liked it if we had gotten to know the characters a little more before the main event happened, and to have more of the story before the main event was resolved. In this case, a little more is definitely better.

_____________________

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

[East of Reality · Rating 4 out of 5]

I go back and forth on the rating. This is such a quick read, but the story is so tight, so focused, and really well put together. the art — especially for the moments when Marcus loses consciousness — is amazing. I think the only reason it isn’t a five star read from me is because it’s so fast, and I think some of the mystery solving moments were rushed past. But then I think, it didn’t spend too much time with red herrings, or with convoluted obfuscations that killed the momentum.

It’s a straightforward and entertaining story, well worth the read if you’re into mysteries. There’s some blood, what with the murders and all, but no real gore. It’s fun, it’s fast, and while I — personally — would have wanted just a little more time with the characters to flesh them out a bit more, I don’t think that’s a deal breaker.

Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Alex Sarll]

Someone killed the girl Marcus had finally plucked up the courage to get a date with, and framed him for it, so now he has to find out who... except his narcolepsy kicks in whenever his heart rate gets too high, which is a real handicap if you're in a thriller. I was just recently saying, after being slightly underwhelmed by the Plastic prequel, that I'd rather have a new oddball crime story from Wagner & Hillyard, and if this feels a little less weird than some of their best, it still scratches that itch, with bonus points for a cute supporting possum and a founding theory mirroring one of my own thoughts on serial killers: surely all the really successful ones are those who aren't stupid enough to stick to a single MO, taunt the authorities, and otherwise make themselves easy targets?

(Netgalley ARC)

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Narco” is a sad, but heartwarming story about a young man with a condition. When he gets excited, he passes out. On top of that, he has narcolepsy. Not the best combo. But Marcus has worked his life around the issue.

He also has a problem. He has a secret crush. She wants to pay him back for a favor by fixing him dinner. Which leads to him getting excited. And what follows that? Passing out. Narcolepsy kicking in. Murder.

The question you need to answer (by reading the graphic novel) is, “Did Marcus commit murder?” Or even murders?

The mystery part was fun even though the circumstances were sad. The artwork is good. Just an enjoyable read all around.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for an ARC copy of this work.

Narcos is a genuinely delightful fast-paced thriller with a Dexter-esque twist.

I really enjoyed the characters, both Marcus and his friendship group who gave major Scooby Doo gang vibes. Everyone felt established and I like how Marcus' condition played into the plot seamlessly. My only issue was the length. I could have read at least another volume of this and due to the length it seemed the conclusion was rushed due to the need to fit this within the page count.

I did enjoy the artwork and feel like it complimented the story well. I've never read Doug Wagner's work before but I am insterested into looking at more of his work in the future.

[✨ gabi ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed in this one, to be honest. When the book started out with this thing about discovering the murders and connecting them to one copy-cat serial killer I was so hyped, seriously. But then we spend pages and pages on this boy with his crush until they die and the boy loses all brain cells, it appears. This is someone that finds shit that police didn’t find, he makes connections no one has done before, but all of that is just in the past, off-screen, because on screen he makes me wonder if he can string two thoughts together. Made me go 🤨🤨🤨 to the fact he ever discovered a serial killer. Anyway, the art wasn’t much my preferred style, but it’s fine. The characters are a bit bland, but ok.

[Alex Swanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Image Comics for the Arc! All thoughts and feelings are my own!
Rating is 3.75 stars, Rounded to 4
I thought the mystery and art of this were peak! I loved the red herring near the middle of the book but wished we saw more from it as consequences. I also felt the conflict felt a tad rushed! But besides that I really loved the book and felt horrible for our main character. I loved him he was awesome, I also really appreciated the cast of background characters. I feel they were very interesting and fun to be around, Though we all know the best character was the pop-tart loving possum
I would definitely recommend this book!

[Nick Padula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

A clever thriller with a compelling premise...a narcoleptic protagonist! Quite the intriguing hook, Hitchcock would probably get a kick out of it! Had a fun time with this and loved the art style. The mix of cartoony illustrations with dark subject matter worked well for me. Marcus was an engaging lead and his friend group were all believable and likable. While the ending was somewhat predictable, that didn't stop me from enjoying the journey of the story.

[Mox Leonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was originally drawn to Narco because of some of the movie homage variant covers, and other than that, I really had no clue what the story was about going in.

Even though the ending twists felt pretty predictable to me, I was still captivated by the story that got us there. The buildup, atmosphere, and unfolding mystery kept me invested, even when I could see where things were headed. Going in with very little knowledge of the plot probably helped make the experience more enjoyable, too.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy.

[Sem · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's good to see Wagner and Hillyard tackle a different type of story, one with a genuinely nice and normal protagonist and one closer to Scooby-Doo for Grown-Ups than whatever blood-soaked guts-out nightmare they cooked up before and will cook up next. It works shockingly well, even if it does feel like a few cute ideas held together with a thin mystery, probably because those ideas are genuinely fun and quirky without getting overbearingly saccharine at any point.

[frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Image and to Netgalley for a copy of this ARC

Narco is a fun fast paced crime thriller that is best read as a trade. Daniel hillyards art is clean and legible and lends it self to a quick read you can nock out in afternoon.

Its a great entry point to comics for someone who’s interested getting into the medium. Its got plenty of blood but is stylized in way that more sensitive readers could still enjoy.

I would buy the issues at my local shop

[Wm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Simplistic, with a denouement far too short and unsatisfying.

[Rey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 3.5/5.

Quite engaging.

A coder who faints, blogs about serial killers for fun. Has to then solve one that happens close to home.

Its all good, the art, the story.

[Isabell · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://hauntedreads.com/2026/08/25/n...

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as single issues

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75⭐️ thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. Great premise that never really evolved into something more interesting, I found this pretty predictable. Art was cool and the cast of characters are fun.