It Eats What Feeds It

by Max Hoven, Aaron Crow, Gabriel Iumazark (Illustrator)

In this grimy horror romp, Francois, a stunning middle-aged woman, has developed a worsening affliction and seeks a young caretaker to upkeep her lavish creole mansion deep in the mystic bayou of Louisiana. Kenny, a teenage halfwit looking for a summer job, stumbles right to her doorstep. Free rent, free meals, high pay, easy work, and a provocative boss... what's there for Kenny to refuse? Well, there's the blood-covered kitchen spilling over with raw meat and the bolt-locked steel-plated attic door he's restricted access to.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Horror, Comics, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics, Romance, Fiction

80 pages, Paperback

First published February 10, 2021

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, gothic romance about a young man who goes to work for an older woman with some large skeletons in the closet at a southern mansion and enjoys some unsaid benefits. It's mostly told through the minimalist art and muted colors with some bloody horror scenes. It could have been fleshed out more as this is maybe more of a sketch of what should have been a longer horror story but it gets the point across.

[Jenny Lawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, easy horror graphic novel. Great illustrations. Good story. I wish it was more fleshed out though.

[Etienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this was fantastic! I really like the style of the illustrations and of the story. Some sort of gothic romance, Beauty and the beast going horribly wrong! Original and very fun to read. I’m unsure if this is it, some consider it volume one, other doesn’t, and the ending look like an ending not a cliff-hanger to make us way until the next one, so I think this was all and I’m find with it, the story seems complete to me, even if I would have like to read much more!

[Amy Imogene Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another very beautifully designed and artistically rendered volume… even if the story itself fell flat. Come to this one for the art and just enjoy the beautiful drawings!

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel is about Kenny, a young man who gets seduced by a beautiful, wealthy older woman with a lot of skeletons in her closet. This is a very short and bloody adventure that uses imagery more than actual words to set the tone. Iumazark’s art perfectly captures the bayou, with a haze lingering on each page and a muted color scheme that really makes the bloody scenes pop. The pages are uncluttered, using simple clean lines in a minimalist art style to enhance the story. The story is truly haunting, especially that ending scene. Highly recommend for anyone that enjoys a good horror comic.

[Ashlee Null · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Beautiful art. Wish the story was more developed. It was a little vague.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ein unerfahrener, einfach gestrickter junger Mann findet eine Anstellung als Junge für Alles (und das ist wörtlich zu nehmen) bei einer attraktiven Südstaatenschönheit. Das alles könnte gar zu traumhaft sein, wenn die Belle nicht ein blaubartmäßiges Geheimnis hätte.
IT EATS ist eine klassische Horrorstory mit einer Portion Erotik, die vor allem durch die stimmungsvoll kolorierte Artwork punktet. Die Story allerdings könnte ein wenig mehr Komplexität vertragen; nach einem sehr starken Auftakt (Heft 1) fällt der Druck auf dem Kessel und sie hätte zu EC-Zeiten oder in den Warren-Magazinen auch als vierseite Geschichte erzählt werden können, ohne maßgeblich an Substanz einzubüßen. Gleichwohl ein netter Zeitvertreib für zwischendurch.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

"With great wealth and youthful beauty... came a beast with an endless hunger."

This small but very mighty and gory graphic novel gave off some very gothic vibes. Even though the story was short, it doesn't mess around! You don't know where this story is going to take you until it slaps you in the face and you're covered in blood. It was fantastic. Between the gothic vibes, the art, and the quick story made this an amazing piece to read and enjoy.

[Emi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.5/5

This was a nice quick read! I love the themes and the art style gave the story a nice atmosphere. I just wish it was a bit longer and offered a little more context to fully explain everything.

[Terry Mcginnis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very beautiful, haunting horror-gothic tale set in the bayous of Louisiana. Though short, the visuals demand multiple revisits. Hoping for a continuation at some point...

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 3 out of 5]

An oddly mysterious young adult horror story with a strong romance touch exploring a sinister mansion with its stunning hostess and her deep dark secrets. While it feels like it rushes through its world-building, it has an intriguing premise to work it and only additional volumes could steer this in the right direction.

Yours truly,

Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/

[Athena · Rating 3 out of 5]

i wish this was more fleshed out

[Johnea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obviously I loved it, but I am giving it 4 stars because of the graphics. A short and sweet story, but it was hard to understand what was going on when the graphics were blurry? Read on Hoopla.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the horror parts, but I wanted more suspense and a more drawn out plot. It feels a bit unfinished.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is potential here, but unfortunately, it ends too quickly.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A familiar horror premise, but told in a compelling, atmospheric way with quality art.

[J.R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best independent comics to come out recently "It Eats What Feeds It" makes the reader feel unsure about the world again. I haven't had shivers while reading a comic in a while, and this one definitely gave them to me. The writers definitely have caught lightning in a bottle and it will be interesting to see what they do next!

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing all that special here but plenty of subversions to a usual formula. Unlucky, well-meaning guy gets a good job; his boss with benefits might be a killer, a secret revealed that changes the tempo. The muted color really gives a bit of dreary atmosphere. But it's always good to use the color red to display the elements that drive the story forward. It's one of those subtleties that made Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell make a good impression. If anything, this is more like a short film for a concept than anything else.

[bookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short and easy read. Loved the art, soooo beautiful and delicate, a nice contrast to the bloody horror that soon takes place. Would have enjoyed a longer version with more plot and character development, I enjoyed it so I really wanted to read more!

[Harriet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was beautiful and atmospheric, with some strikingly delicate and haunting panels. The story was simple enough but well told and entertaining. The characters surprised me by being more likeable than I'd expected. The trade also includes a cover gallery for all the various prints of the three issues that make it up, which I always enjoy, especially when the covers are as gorgeous as these are.

My only complaint is with the quality of the print - mine was too tightly bound, leading to the glue cracking, and some of the pages doing that wavy thing that happens when a book doesn't have room to breathe.

Well worth the generously low price tag. A real Southern gothic treat.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Milf points

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

IT EATS WHAT FEEDS IT is a thin volume of southern gothic horror, freckled with the cryptic and the unusual and thirsting for the dangers that typically lurk in longer narratives. The comic is a quick read and snaps shut its closing chapter a little too quickly. However, the premise is simple and effective and would serve as an inventive use case for amateur writers of the genre compelled to learn precisely how one crafts a larger, more compelling narrative out of a seemingly ordinary story prompt.

Kenny is a stringy twentysomething looking for a job. He roams the bayou, classified ads in hand, and stumbles upon a massive mansion holed somewhere in the backwater. Whether the young man can actually fulfill he duties of a handyman, as the ad requests, is irrelevant by the time he arrives at the appointed address. Irrelevant because the proprietress, Miss Francois, is an older woman with an allure. Sure, her house is spooky. Sure, there are some very strange locks on some very strange doors. Sure, there are some dismembered body parts in the kitchen. But all in all, Miss Francois is one sexy woman. So, nothing to fear. Right?

The straightforward and linear descent of IT EATS WHAT FEEDS IT is familiar and won't yield too many surprises. Short story shorter, the young guy gets in over his head and all hell breaks loose. Still, the comic does a lot with a little, sending curious Kenny into and out of awkward situations, some desired and others not, always hinting but never quite revealing which of Miss Francois' secrets will unfold next. And while the notion of feeding an otherworldly creature to sustain one's own otherworldly existence is nowhere near new, it's worth noting IT EATS WHAT FEEDS IT treats the ridiculous nature of acceding to the whims of uncontrollable hunger with modest glibness.

Visually, the comic sports a heavy, humid, fuzzy assortment of gray-greens, not unlike Spanish moss dangling overhead or the algae-filled creeks lurking beyond each hidden ridge. Simple lines and simple shading techniques occupy much of the visual aesthetic, but occasional spot colors of red (e.g., Miss Francois' clothing, blood) and orange (e.g, Kenny's hair) give the title flair. IT EATS WHAT FEEDS IT isn't the type of comic that'll pop or surprise, but its austerity is what makes it work. The story is uncomplicated, but paired with uncomplicated characters who often perceive complexity where it doesn't exist, what often appears easy to comprehend quickly metastasizes into something quite different.

[Crawford Pederson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holy pacing issues Batman. I felt like I just started reading as the story was wrapping up, and now I’m left sorta shrugging my shoulders over here. The art is beautiful and the world developing in the pages feels grimy and creepy but I needed something, anything really, from the characters. Dumb, aimless teenager and mysterious, attractive older women might be fun starting points, but the characterization starts and ends there. The story is carried by the art, which is gorgeous, and it’s probably worth the price of admission on the art alone.

[Emmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A chilling tale with a great sense of atmosphere, It Eats What Feeds It was really, really hard to put down. I spent most of the book thinking poor Kenny was going to get himself eaten or something, and that this kid needed to start thinking with his head, not his...well, you know what I mean. As other readers have commented, the ending wrapped up somewhat quickly, and while my questions were pretty much all answered, I think it would have greatly benefitted from not being quite so rushed.

Still, it was some great storytelling.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hunh - not really sure how I feel about this one. The art is beautiful and atmospheric and the plot is interesting, but I hated the casual misogyny of the protagonist. He's annoying as hell too - I didn't like him at all.

Francois was interesting though - and she was written like she too was a cryptid, which made her cool and part of the atmosphere. I wish we'd had a better protagonist to play off of her though - it felt like a slapdash self-insert for the most basic annoying guy we all know, and it killed the vibe.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the vibe of this comic. The colors and the style of art meshed well together to create a truly spooky feel. The addition of the southern old world manor with a swamp really cemented this.
The story is quite brief, but it appears to be the first comic in the series. I am interested to follow the story and see where it goes. It could have easily ended in the first book and be considered a short story but I absolutely want to see more from it.

(Thanks to Scout Comics and Edelweiss for the ARC)

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not enough build up for story tension or to get a sense of the characters, and some of the panel's dialogue bubbles were laid out weird for reading flow, but the art was nice and the colour palette was lovely. I really wish it had been fleshed out just a little longer bc I wanted to like this story. For me, it was meh bc of pacing and lack of development. The premise was great though and combined with the art, it's still worth picking up.

[coffee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the visuals for this comic. From the start, it really creates that spooky atmosphere you get from the cover, through the use of color and perspective but also just the style of the characters and even part of the script. Still, the story did fall flat for me. It's very short, the characters not very developed, and the story (tbh) cliche in a way that isn't gut-punching. Still, I was surprised by the turn of events at the end, but not enough to rate higher. It's an ok read.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun quick read. Really clean art style that feels grimy, dirty, but also organized at the same time. I really like this because it hit on some really classic nostalgic themes, like the graduate but with blood, swamps, and grime. As far as I'm concerned, Kenny found the perfect relationship, this story is basically a tragedy. Closing parts of this could have been expanded a bit.. I felt like the end was a little rushed.

[Benjamin Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Has all the trappings of an interesting story of an innocent accidentally stumbling into the dark corners of the world where things go bump in the night, but too short to really do it justice. The art was also a little too dark a lot of the time. It definitely set a tone with the foggy, shadowy vibes, but it obscured a lot of the details that would have added to the overall story.