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Hotell #1
Hotell
You won't find it on any map, but if you happen to be driving down Route 66 late at night and you're truly desperate for shelter, sanctuary or secrecy, you might see a battered sign on the side of the road: The Pierrot Courts Hotel - where many check in but few check out.
96 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 18, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
July 10, 2022
Four interconnected horror stories all taking place at Pierrot Courts on Route 66, a mysterious hotel that seems to only appear to the guests it wants there. And out of all those guests that will be checking into Pierrot this weekend, how many will be checking out?
This was the one AWA book I hadn’t gotten around to and I feel like such a fucking moron for holding off on it after finally reading it. John Lees, who I’m currently obsessed with after how fan-fuckin-tastic Crimson Cage was, teams with Dalibor Talajić and Lee Loughridge for another banging horror series published by AWA. I haven’t read a lot of John Lees's work, but every single horror book I’ve tried by him so far is emotionally draining and thought-provoking, and this is no different.
All of Lees's stories here are solid and all come together in the end, even if I do prefer some over others. The serial killer and wife one were my favorites, but I did like how the 4th issue brought all the plotlines together. The art by Talajić and Loughridge is top-notch, and they are always trying new drawing techniques and styles to suit Lees’ scripts. The designs for all the horrors you see throughout this are terrific, the page layouts are great, and the lines themselves are crisp.
This is an easy recommendation for any horror fans out there, and I’d also recommend picking up Crimson Cage. Johns Lees is already proving himself to be one of the best horror writers in the comic industry nowadays, and he always seems to select artists who constantly bring out the best in his scripts. Fantastic book and I’m stoked to dive into Volume 2.
This was the one AWA book I hadn’t gotten around to and I feel like such a fucking moron for holding off on it after finally reading it. John Lees, who I’m currently obsessed with after how fan-fuckin-tastic Crimson Cage was, teams with Dalibor Talajić and Lee Loughridge for another banging horror series published by AWA. I haven’t read a lot of John Lees's work, but every single horror book I’ve tried by him so far is emotionally draining and thought-provoking, and this is no different.
All of Lees's stories here are solid and all come together in the end, even if I do prefer some over others. The serial killer and wife one were my favorites, but I did like how the 4th issue brought all the plotlines together. The art by Talajić and Loughridge is top-notch, and they are always trying new drawing techniques and styles to suit Lees’ scripts. The designs for all the horrors you see throughout this are terrific, the page layouts are great, and the lines themselves are crisp.
This is an easy recommendation for any horror fans out there, and I’d also recommend picking up Crimson Cage. Johns Lees is already proving himself to be one of the best horror writers in the comic industry nowadays, and he always seems to select artists who constantly bring out the best in his scripts. Fantastic book and I’m stoked to dive into Volume 2.
August 17, 2022
A decent little horror anthology
If you are desperate enough, you may find this roadside motel along Route 66. Or maybe it finds you? Four tales of guests staying at the Pierrot Courts that somewhat overlap.
If you are desperate enough, you may find this roadside motel along Route 66. Or maybe it finds you? Four tales of guests staying at the Pierrot Courts that somewhat overlap.
December 9, 2024
This was scary good!
January 16, 2022
So this is about this weird creepy hotel off of Route 66. Not everyone can find it tho. It’s like it only lets certain people come. You get a few stories about the different guests that come here and the weird, horrific experiences they have there. While some of these stories were pretty cool and creepy, it was the overall connective tissue that got a little convoluted. There is this big painting in the lobby of the hotel that comes into play at the end and that’s the part that had me like, wait what? So basically we have a few cool stories that get lost in the sauce when they try to connect it all together.
December 4, 2021
I read this book via Kindle Unlimited.
I first heard of this book from a podcast I watch on Youtube called the Killer Comic Book Show, and then it was mentioned on another youtube channel, I took that as my sign that I needed to read it. Then when I saw it on Kindle Unlimited, I thought that's the ticket. The universe said, "this is for you".
This hotel appears when you need it most. But not in a helpful way. On historic route 66, Perriott Court has four rooms, a dingy setting, a pool no one recommends you should use and no cell service. It is isolated, perfect for those who want to be lost, and it's got a dark history. Murders, serial killers, you name it, this hotel has seen it all. This series is made up of four issues, each following a character who checks into each of the four rooms at the same time. There's Alice, pregnant and fleeing her abusive partner in Room 1. Bobby, who has just chopped up his wife and murdered her, and yet somehow, Muriel is still there in the room, in Room 2. Lisa went missing years ago and was last rumoured to be seen in Room 3, so now her sister is there looking for some clues as to what happened to her sister. And in room 4 is Cody, a kid who's father believes he is possessed and wants to perform an exorcism on him.
At first it doesn't seem like the stories are linked in any way, but as the series goes on, each story becomes more and more tied together, which I loved. This was so smartly planned out. The art was incredible and honestly, I am so happy I got to read this before I forgot/moved on to something else. All I could think about was the song Hotel California while I was reading this too. It's such a good horror comic.
I first heard of this book from a podcast I watch on Youtube called the Killer Comic Book Show, and then it was mentioned on another youtube channel, I took that as my sign that I needed to read it. Then when I saw it on Kindle Unlimited, I thought that's the ticket. The universe said, "this is for you".
This hotel appears when you need it most. But not in a helpful way. On historic route 66, Perriott Court has four rooms, a dingy setting, a pool no one recommends you should use and no cell service. It is isolated, perfect for those who want to be lost, and it's got a dark history. Murders, serial killers, you name it, this hotel has seen it all. This series is made up of four issues, each following a character who checks into each of the four rooms at the same time. There's Alice, pregnant and fleeing her abusive partner in Room 1. Bobby, who has just chopped up his wife and murdered her, and yet somehow, Muriel is still there in the room, in Room 2. Lisa went missing years ago and was last rumoured to be seen in Room 3, so now her sister is there looking for some clues as to what happened to her sister. And in room 4 is Cody, a kid who's father believes he is possessed and wants to perform an exorcism on him.
At first it doesn't seem like the stories are linked in any way, but as the series goes on, each story becomes more and more tied together, which I loved. This was so smartly planned out. The art was incredible and honestly, I am so happy I got to read this before I forgot/moved on to something else. All I could think about was the song Hotel California while I was reading this too. It's such a good horror comic.
October 26, 2020
John Lees does what he does best, giving you multiple horror stories but this time they all connect into one larger picture by the end.
And like any good multiple stories at once comic there's some better than others. The first story of an abuse victim getting away from her husband/bf with her unborn child faces a horror of a creature far darker than you can imagine joining her. The second story of a husband and wife trying to get away from their problems...only to learn they might be ending up dealing with them here in Hotell. A sister is trying to find out what happened to her sister years ago but what she might find is a lot worse. And a demon might be inside a child or the child might be bipolar and his father has gone crazy.
The way the stories all come together is pretty solid. I really enjoyed most of them. The first story of mother and child is probably one of the stronger ones. The husband and wife one had a neat twist, and it is for sure twisted. I really liked the exorcist one even though the ending to it was weird. The sister trying to find out what happened is good but the weakest of the bunch.
While I don't think I enjoyed it as much as SINK (Check out Sink volume 1 and 2 by John Lees, SO good.) it is still really solid horror stuff. Go pick it up. AWA lineup is really solid so far. 4 out of 5.
And like any good multiple stories at once comic there's some better than others. The first story of an abuse victim getting away from her husband/bf with her unborn child faces a horror of a creature far darker than you can imagine joining her. The second story of a husband and wife trying to get away from their problems...only to learn they might be ending up dealing with them here in Hotell. A sister is trying to find out what happened to her sister years ago but what she might find is a lot worse. And a demon might be inside a child or the child might be bipolar and his father has gone crazy.
The way the stories all come together is pretty solid. I really enjoyed most of them. The first story of mother and child is probably one of the stronger ones. The husband and wife one had a neat twist, and it is for sure twisted. I really liked the exorcist one even though the ending to it was weird. The sister trying to find out what happened is good but the weakest of the bunch.
While I don't think I enjoyed it as much as SINK (Check out Sink volume 1 and 2 by John Lees, SO good.) it is still really solid horror stuff. Go pick it up. AWA lineup is really solid so far. 4 out of 5.
February 23, 2021
Genuinely creepy in a way few stories in this medium can pull off. While the individual stories themselves offer no major surprises, the sum of HOTELL's parts worked extremely well for this horror comics fan. I loved the way the characters crossed paths, scenes were viewed again through a different character's eyes, images that made no sense in one narrative became clear later on, etc. I dug this a LOT. Would definitely be interested in seeing more tales of the Pierrot Courts motel . . . but you couldn't pay me to stay the night there.
May 20, 2023
This graphic novel was amazing. At first I was a little skeptical but I really enjoyed it in the end. I am a sucker for a collection of stories that all interlink and that’s exactly what this graphic novel does. It was very gory and very entertaining horror with a top notch ending. I definitely recommend.
August 20, 2022
This probably has to be the most frightening thing I have ever read. Kept me gripped as I wanted to see what happened next.
October 3, 2025
4.5 🌟 rounded up.
Well, this was an unique one! It's been on my TBR for ages but when I started it today I discovered it was a comic. The art was immersive and the tension it created for me was intense. The interconnected short stories were both unsettling and entertaining at the same time. I really enjoyed this quick little read!
Well, this was an unique one! It's been on my TBR for ages but when I started it today I discovered it was a comic. The art was immersive and the tension it created for me was intense. The interconnected short stories were both unsettling and entertaining at the same time. I really enjoyed this quick little read!
October 7, 2020
In my snarkier youth, I would have opened this review with something akin to "Outright Geekery proclaims, on this book's cover that Hotell is 'The single best horror comic I've read in years." so I have to assume they haven't read any horror titles in at least a decade." I strongly disliked this book. But I think it's because I went in expecting this to be a suspenseful horror book, or something frightening. That's not what this is. This is a D- level horror that you used to find in the Marked Down bin at Blockbuster video. The kind of film made for MST3K.
The narrator of this collection runs a hotel. He appears to be talking to you at the beginning of each issue, but he's also talking to whoever the protagonist is in a particular issue. And that person is about to have a bad time.
There is not an original idea within ten miles of this book. The stories are Way Hokey and So Far Over The Top that you couldn't see them without The James Webb Telescope. A pregnant woman running away from The Most Textbook Abusive Husband Character Ever Written has a demon baby. SHOCK! A husband brutally murders his wife only she keeps coming back from the dead. HORROR! A person who tries to find out what's going on within the hotel gets way more than they bargained for. EXCLAMATION POINT!
If you're looking for a horror book to make you laugh, this is a four or five star book. The art is perfect , as its colored well, and very competent, but the anatomy is often just a smidge off, which is acceptable for horror. And there isn't a twist or turn that you won't see coming from the very first page.
While each issue is its own standalone story, they all exist at the same point in time, so characters overlap, and you can see their stories from different angles. CONTINUITY!
Look, you, like me, should have seen that the book is called HotELL and realized that there wasn't going to be any subtlety or original thought in the story. The characters have no depth. The dialogue is so wooden you can feel it splintering your eyes. But for some people, this is what they love about horror. And if that's you, you should definitely buy this book. It's competently terrible in a way that I can't enjoy but it appeals to enough people that schlock like this keeps getting written, and rewritten, and rewritten, and rewritten (like mediocre to subpar superhero comics).
The narrator of this collection runs a hotel. He appears to be talking to you at the beginning of each issue, but he's also talking to whoever the protagonist is in a particular issue. And that person is about to have a bad time.
There is not an original idea within ten miles of this book. The stories are Way Hokey and So Far Over The Top that you couldn't see them without The James Webb Telescope. A pregnant woman running away from The Most Textbook Abusive Husband Character Ever Written has a demon baby. SHOCK! A husband brutally murders his wife only she keeps coming back from the dead. HORROR! A person who tries to find out what's going on within the hotel gets way more than they bargained for. EXCLAMATION POINT!
If you're looking for a horror book to make you laugh, this is a four or five star book. The art is perfect , as its colored well, and very competent, but the anatomy is often just a smidge off, which is acceptable for horror. And there isn't a twist or turn that you won't see coming from the very first page.
While each issue is its own standalone story, they all exist at the same point in time, so characters overlap, and you can see their stories from different angles. CONTINUITY!
Look, you, like me, should have seen that the book is called HotELL and realized that there wasn't going to be any subtlety or original thought in the story. The characters have no depth. The dialogue is so wooden you can feel it splintering your eyes. But for some people, this is what they love about horror. And if that's you, you should definitely buy this book. It's competently terrible in a way that I can't enjoy but it appeals to enough people that schlock like this keeps getting written, and rewritten, and rewritten, and rewritten (like mediocre to subpar superhero comics).
December 26, 2020
(4,1 of 5 for surprisingly good horror comics)
Not really known author and four standalone stories revolving around Pierrot Courts - small motel, which you can occasionally find on some sideroad from Route 66. Or rather it finds you and your demons, making you give the final stand against them.
I like how all four stories are composed together, creating a bigger picture, and how they connect one to another. The idea of mixing a few well-known tropes so we get something at least bit fresh is good. It is well-executed and it works perfectly as horror, comic and a story.
The art is also good. I was generally surprised how good comics horror this is. Well-balanced, good escalation, nice stories - it was very pleasant (as far as horror can be) comics.
Not really known author and four standalone stories revolving around Pierrot Courts - small motel, which you can occasionally find on some sideroad from Route 66. Or rather it finds you and your demons, making you give the final stand against them.
I like how all four stories are composed together, creating a bigger picture, and how they connect one to another. The idea of mixing a few well-known tropes so we get something at least bit fresh is good. It is well-executed and it works perfectly as horror, comic and a story.
The art is also good. I was generally surprised how good comics horror this is. Well-balanced, good escalation, nice stories - it was very pleasant (as far as horror can be) comics.
September 26, 2020
Again, read 1-4, but I’m not marking them individually.
This was GOOD!
Kind of had a Creepshow vibe to it.
Just the right blend of atmosphere, gore, real-world horror. And each issue was better than the last. Issue 3 was probably my favorite. My god, that ending 😬
I got the first issue through unlimited and gladly paid for the other three. Worth the cost.
This was GOOD!
Kind of had a Creepshow vibe to it.
Just the right blend of atmosphere, gore, real-world horror. And each issue was better than the last. Issue 3 was probably my favorite. My god, that ending 😬
I got the first issue through unlimited and gladly paid for the other three. Worth the cost.
May 21, 2020
Very bizarre but I like the art.
August 19, 2021
Motivation for reading - I've been neglecting my stack of comics while diving down the rabbit hole of prose novels that I've bought over the last year. I needed to remedy the situation and this graphic novel crawled to the top of the pile. I'm so glad it did. This is a fabulous collection of horror stories that take place in the four rooms of the Pierrot Courts hotel, which is located in a secret place off of Route 66. I read this in one sitting and found I couldn't put it down. It's gruesome and unsettling and I loved every panel.
June 7, 2021
Fakt výborný horor, zoskladaný z príbehov z hotela v rámci každého zošita. Úprimne ma prekvapilo, jak veľmi dobre sa to čítalo, ako dobre to pôsobilo a ako nepríjemne som sa miestami z toho cítila. Parádne tie jednotlivé príbehy do seba zapadali. Kresba nebola nič výnimočné, krásny priemer ktorý k tomu celému pasoval. Viac takýchto jednohubiek, prosím.
December 30, 2020
Best horror comic I read this year!
September 20, 2023
I read a fair amount of horror anthologies and without a doubt, I can confidently say that this is one of the best out there. Each issue brings you in and captures your attention and then with smaller details brings together each other plot as one complete story. Beautifully done. Looking forward to the second volume, though I don’t know how it could possibly be any better than this one.
September 25, 2023
Really good. Creepy and surprising.
May 31, 2024
3.5 stars
December 20, 2020
This one just didn't do it for me. I like the premise. A haunted Hotel that can only be found by certain people at certain times. The hotel only have four rooms, and each guest has their own story in this horror anthology and all the stories are linked. The problem being, the stories don't make much sense. It's creepy overall, and has a great horror vibe, but I was left scratching my head when it was over. The art was good, and it wasn't terrible, but just a little too weird for me personally.
January 3, 2022
Horror Reading Challenge: Graphic Novel
Really unique horror graphic novel, where all the different stories, crossed paths with each other. I had a lot of fun with this one, and now that I have read my first horror graphic novel, it is a sub genre I will read more of. The art in this book is stunning. Beautiful and horrifying when it needed to be. Creepy hotel stories always intrigue me, and this was a fun one. Check in if you dare.
Really unique horror graphic novel, where all the different stories, crossed paths with each other. I had a lot of fun with this one, and now that I have read my first horror graphic novel, it is a sub genre I will read more of. The art in this book is stunning. Beautiful and horrifying when it needed to be. Creepy hotel stories always intrigue me, and this was a fun one. Check in if you dare.
June 21, 2021
Hotell collects issues 1-4 of the series written by John Lees with art by Dalibor Talajić.
A collection of intertwining horror stories set in a rural motel that only appears when needed.
These stories we're incredibly creepy! I lived how little events happened that effected the other stories. The concept is great for anthologies stories and I hope to see more of this series!
A collection of intertwining horror stories set in a rural motel that only appears when needed.
These stories we're incredibly creepy! I lived how little events happened that effected the other stories. The concept is great for anthologies stories and I hope to see more of this series!
July 1, 2024
Some good horror imagery with a decently strong story.
October 26, 2022
I wasn’t sure how to feel about this at first. The whole thing with the had me wondering what the hell I was reading. I was bored and pretty close to giving up until I started to see that each of the individual stories were interconnected in some way. I loved getting to see how all the pieces went together and being like, ‘oh, so that’s what was really going on in that part that I saw two chapters ago’.
Unfortunately, it all fell completely apart with that ending. There were a couple moments throughout the volume that seemed kind of hokey, but the final pages were like a weird Nyquil dream. It was just so over the top and ridiculous that it ruined any enjoyment I’d had up until that point.
Unfortunately, it all fell completely apart with that ending. There were a couple moments throughout the volume that seemed kind of hokey, but the final pages were like a weird Nyquil dream. It was just so over the top and ridiculous that it ruined any enjoyment I’d had up until that point.
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February 12, 2025This is about a motel in which scary things happen to the people who stay there. I'm glad I borrowed this from the library. All of these stories are interconnected, which I enjoyed seeing. I did not care for the first and second stories, but the third and final were more interesting in my opinion. The first is about a pregnant woman who left her abusive boyfriend and the second is about a husband whose wife keeps coming back to life each time he murders her. The third one is about a woman searching for answers about her sister. The final story is about a man who's convinced his mentally ill son is actually possessed by a demon, which made me more sad than scared. Right now I'm not motivated to read the next volume, but maybe I'll change my mind.
May 31, 2022
As a horror anthology comic, Hotell is clearly trying to recapture the fire of books like Ice Cream Man that use shortened story lengths as a way of maintaining the shock and surprise of the comic format. Horror comics are difficult, in part, because the literal nature of visual art can betray the suspense of the reader, and anthologies allow for the story to change so frequently that you may be able to reclaim the audience’s sense of surprise. Hotell, however, is not among the best examples of this, and while two of the four stories have their moments, they too often fall into homage to EC Comics’ moral parables, something that has been attempted dozens of times in the past with better results.
November 24, 2022
Normalito.
No es el cómic más original del mundo pero me gusta el concepto, el desarrollo de la historia y, además, el arte tampoco está nada mal.
Son cuatro historias, una por cada habitación del motel, contadas en cuatro capítulos. Conectadas, las unas con las otras.
Este cómic es muy gráfico (🤣) tanto con la violencia como los desnudos. Muy gore. No es que me apasione este detalle pero en este formato lo aguanto mejor que en otros.
No es el cómic más original del mundo pero me gusta el concepto, el desarrollo de la historia y, además, el arte tampoco está nada mal.
Son cuatro historias, una por cada habitación del motel, contadas en cuatro capítulos. Conectadas, las unas con las otras.
Este cómic es muy gráfico (🤣) tanto con la violencia como los desnudos. Muy gore. No es que me apasione este detalle pero en este formato lo aguanto mejor que en otros.
October 19, 2020
Well executed story that revolves around a hotel that only appears when you most need it to. Once there though, good luck leaving 😬
It’s creepy as all hell and a great pick for October. I’m new to John Lees but based on this I’d say he’s a great horror writer.
The art was serviceable, not ugly but it won’t exactly leave a lasting impression.
Overall I’d recommend this read all day.
It’s creepy as all hell and a great pick for October. I’m new to John Lees but based on this I’d say he’s a great horror writer.
The art was serviceable, not ugly but it won’t exactly leave a lasting impression.
Overall I’d recommend this read all day.
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