Empty Eyes

by Diego Agrimbau

Somewhere on the Eastern Front in 1917, between Poland and Russia. Behind the gates of the Nurk Orphanage, there is a scene of utter devastation: the building lies in ruins, and decomposing bodies are scattered around the place. Only three children have survived, by taking the most extreme measures… But one of the orphans can no longer bear this harsh way of living. Luckily, he discovers new friends—the only ones?—in the beautiful Victorian dolls lining the shelves, with empty eyes…

Genres: Horror, Graphic Novels, Comics, Bande Dessinée, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult

80 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 27, 2022

Reviews

[mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and creepy graphic novel. Set in 1917, in the middle of the first world war, somewhere in Europe, in a Nurk Orphanage. Only three children survived the typhus outbreak. And now they have to survive the extreme conditions.

The illustrations are excellent, nicely colored, but also very creepy. Expect some gore.

Thanks to Europe Comics for the ARC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review, and all opinions are my own.

[By Book and Bone (Sally) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy. Shit.
Empty Eyes is incredible. I didn't realise how hard it'd go on the gore and horror, I thought it'd be a bit more metaphorical, but it does not pull punches.
I had a ton of fun reading it but it's not just fun. It's heartbreaking to think about how people have to survive in the worst conditions. The artwork is perfect for the tone and story, though I do wish Maurice's design was a little different but visually, he's great.

I'm going to get a physical copy when I can.

[Vittoria's Readings · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Thanks NetGalley and the author for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This graphic novel surprised me positively!
It was set up during the First World War on the front between Russia and Poland.
Some children living in an orphanage are forced to find food on their own and they do it in a very particular way (I don't want to spoil it).
In my opinion the author has hit the mark, the story is very disturbing and some drawings have remained with me for how raw and violent they are.
The art style is stunning!

[Gabriele | QueerBookdom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Representation: Slavic primary, secondary and tertiary characters.

Content Warning: war, death, violence, gore, blood, cannibalism.

Review to come...

[Maude · Rating 4 out of 5]

une bd d’horreur glauque qui fait un peu peur mais qui surtout donne le haut le cœur. dans le genre c’est franchement réussi. 👁️

[Bibliomaniaque · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5
J'ai aimé l'horreur, le côté sanglant très graphique, les personnages... Cela dit, on a l'impression que c'est un premier tome (ce qui ne semble pas être le cas). J'aurais aimé en savoir plus sur les personnages.

La fin est excellente.

[Bogdan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art was very interesting and attractive. The story...mmmm...

[Patrícia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This graphic novel tells the story of three children who survived war and are trying to survive in an orphanage. It's very creepy and interesting and the art style does an amazing job at setting the mood for this. Would recommend for the art alone but I also believe the story has interesting developments.

[Marcelo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Empty (Bizarre) Eyes

É a primeira vez que leio uma obra de Diego Agrimbau.

Apesar de traduzida, do francês para o inglês, creio que não se perdeu em nada.

Temos aqui uma baita história de terror, salpicada de drama. Afinal, se trata de orfãos de guerra, em meio a guerra.

No plot o pequeno e rechonchudo Maurice (sobre)vive no orfanato abandonado, fundado por seus pais.

Logo no início, a gente descobre como ele se mantem rechonchudo, mesmo em meio a escassez e desolação da guerra.

A pegada lúdica da arte de Juan Manuel Tumburús, ajuda a dar, ao mesmo tempo, este tom lúdico, ao mesmo tempo que deixa todas os detalhes mais, digamos, bizarros, da história, ainda mais incômodos, devido ao contraste gerado entre o traço e os temas aqui tratados.

Gostei demais da leitura.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Une de mes meilleures découverte de l’année.🧸

J’suis tombé sur ce livre à ma bibliothèque municipale et il m’a tout suite accroché l’œil. J’avais aucune idée si c’était une bande dessinée destinée pour enfants ou pour adultes, mais je me suis dit; « Pourquoi pas me lancer les yeux fermés en ne feuilletant pas l’intérieur et en ne lisant pas la 4e de couverture. »

WOW.
C’est original.
C’est glauque.
Et c’est définitivement pas pour enfants.🫣

Et c’est ça que j’ai aimé ! Le fait qu’on utilise des enfants comme protagonistes, quand l’histoire est dérangeante et que l’on suit leur désespoir à survivre en ces temps de guerre, est tout simplement quelque chose que je consomme rarement et que j’ai adoré.

C’est fou à quel point on s’attache super rapidement aux personnages malgré le nombre de pages du livre et la fin ne m’a pas déçu.🥸

Une histoire parfaite pour l’Halloween qui approche !!

[Khansa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a haunting and very graphic story, which I really enjoyed. It was really dark and twisted which I honestly wasn't expecting.

The story follows a pair of siblings who are living in an orphanage during WWI. They are tasked with finding meat aka recently deceased soldiers. I was not expecting cannibalism, especially not committed by young children so it was pretty horrifying to watch the kids go out and look for dead soldiers to eat for survival. This book was definitely an experience.

The book was not hard to follow and the art was absolutely gorgeous, and definitely captured the unease and horror of the plot.

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for a copy of an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know anything about this graphic novel going into it, and boy was that a shock. I'm not normally one for horror/gore but this felt just the appropriate amount.

In Empty Eyes we are following a young pair of siblings who live at an orphanage during WWI. It is revealed that their job is to find "fresh meat" for them to survive on - often found in the form of soldiers.

There was a lot going on in this book, but I never found any of it too hard to follow. Overall I was just really creeped out by what I was reading - so it definitely nailed that.

The art style is beautiful (if that can be said of cannibalistic children) and fills out the story perfectly.

[kris ୨ৎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ☆ for Empty Eyes.

The story is set during the war and about three orphans that do what they can to survive their harsh hunger. Unfortunately, one of them can't take their monstrous ways anymore. The death and pain are too much. However, when he discovers new friends - victorian dolls, everything is about to change.

This was a fun read that reminded me of Goosebumps. The art was interesting but the story a bit less. I enjoyed the concept but the execution was just fine.

[Charlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Free copy received from Netgalley (thank you!) - review freely given.

Set in world war I, we follow a set of orphans left abandoned to their own devices. Struggling to find food, one savvy orphan has an idea to keep them going - and as the saying goes, life finds a way. Haunting and sad, the story itself never strayed far from these overtones, and added in a dash of horror and supernatural which was blended and was not a juxtaposition at all to the story.

The art style is hauntingly beautiful too. The colour pallette changes with the environments was really well done. I would recommend this to anyone who is a horror, sci fi, historical with a dash of horror or supernatural story fan - or anyone who loves a beautifully done graphic novel that doesn't mind the horror elements.

CW (I consider these spoilers to the story to read at your own risk) - body horror, gore, cannibalism, eyeball horror (if you're squeamish), murder,

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short and creepy graphic novel about 3 kids left alive and alone in a orphanage after a typhus outbreak during World War I. The ends these kids are willing to go to to stay alive is pretty horrific. They are in Europe with only the occasional soldier coming through. This is gross at times but enthralling.

[Erika Sarutobi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was direct enough, but I am somewhat confused by the whole point. I guess it's mostly for shock factor and a creepy story for the sake of being creepy. The illustrations and the colouring were amazing, though.

Thank you, Netgalley, for providing me with the digital copy for an honest review.

[Jess Twibey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute and creative horror graphic novel, set in the time of war and following orphans left to fend for themselves with the orphanage owners son reigning over them in ways worse than being a solider in the war. The artwork is superb, it’s what really sells the story, everything is clear and beautifully portrayed which contrasts with the horrific plot and makes for a great quick read.

[Aude · Rating 4 out of 5]

Je vais t’avouer que je ne m’attendais pas à une lecture aussi intense, barbare et sanglante. L’histoire est vraiment creepy et elle est addictive. Les illustrations sont très graphiques et font frissonner. J’ai eu un faible pour la touche d’horreur avec les poupées et les yeux. C’est macabre. C’est bon. Ça se lit d’un trait !!

J’aimerais vraiment que cette histoire puisse se retrouver un jour sous forme de roman. Le personnage de Maurice est complexe, horrible mais terriblement intéressant. Sa folie mérite d’être approfondie !!

À lire si tu aimes les trucs d’horreur ou si tu as envie de sortir de ta zone de confort.

[Miss Pageturner · Rating 5 out of 5]

🇬🇧 English review below ⬇
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Dieser Horror Einteiler fiel mir sofort beim Durchsehen des Splitter Programms ins Auge und wanderte sofort auf meine Must-Have Liste. Als der Comic mich erreichte, war ich überrascht, dass sogar ein fetter roter “ab 18” Sticker drauf prangte, was mich nur noch neugieriger werden ließ und dazu führte, dass ich den Comic sofort nach auspacken zu lesen begann.

Sie haben Hunger…
Die Handlung dieses Horrorcomics ist schnell erzählt: In einem Waisenhaus zur Zeit des 1. Weltkrieges sind die drei Kinder Maurice, Ofelia und Otto die letzten Überlebenden. Auf sich allein gestellt, finden sie nur eine grausige Nahrungsquelle: Menschenfleisch. Während Maurice, dessen Idee das war, sich immer mehr an das dadurch erhaltene Machtgefühl berauscht und Ofelia zur innerlich abgestumpften Mitläuferin geworden ist, kann der jüngste, Otto, dieses Leben nicht mehr lange ertragen. Zuflucht findet er bei den alten, gesprungenen Porzellanpuppen, die ihm Angst machen und trösten zugleich. Was Otto noch nicht weiß: Auch die Puppen haben einen Plan…

Worüber ich bei diesem Comic zuerst reden möchte, ist der eindrucksvolle Zeichenstil von Juan Manuel Tumburu. Der Künstler arbeitet rein digital, das erkennt man an den weichen Verläufen in den Gesichtern und Hintergründen, die man so mit realen Pinseln oder Stifte nicht erreichen kann, aber das sei jetzt nur als Anmerkung, keine Kritik. Ich finde es völlig legitim und genauso künstlerisch, wenn man sich für ein digitales Medium entscheidet, wie für Tusche, Öl oder Aquarell. Was zählt, ist das Ergebnis und hier braucht sich Juan Manuel Tumburu wahrlich nicht zu verstecken. Seine Linien sind weich, fast zart, ein Stil, den man bei Kinderbüchern schon häufiger gesehen hat, was einen interessanten Kontrast zu dem Horror/Gore-Motiv des Comics schafft (ein Eindruck, der durch das florale Vorsatzpapier nur verstärkt wird). In der Kolorierung hingegen fährt der Künstler dann alles auf, was die Farbpalette an Tristesse, Melancholie, Dreck und Blut herzugeben hat, sodass man trotz weicher Linienführung immer die passende Atmosphäre für die grausame Handlung hat.

In Bezug auf die Handlung finden wir hier klassische Horrorelemente: Gruslige Kinder, noch grausigere Puppen und eine Fokussierung auf Augen. Auch die Handlung folgt genretypischen Muster, mit zunächst ruhigerem Start, unterbrochen von einzelnen Schockmomenten, die in eine Eskalation gipfeln. Doch nur weil etwas althergebracht ist, muss es ja nicht schlecht sein. Es hat ja seine Gründe, warum sowas seit Ewigkeiten funktioniert und so mag Mit leeren Augen zwar nicht das Rad neu erfinden, macht aber dafür ziemlich Spaß zu lesen. Und völlig ohne eigene Ideen ist das Duo ja auch nicht. Besonders die Puppen fand ich gut gelungen, da sie sich nicht dem typischen Chucky/Anabelle Muster entsprechend verhalten. Was genau sie von diesen unterscheidet, verrate ich euch aber nicht. Auch das Weltkrieg-Setting hebt den Comic von anderen ab, denn die übernatürlichen Aspekte mal beiseite gestellt, fällt es einem nicht schwer zu glauben, dass eine so ähnliche Geschichte tatsächlich stattgefunden haben könnte (dass es aufgrund der Notlage, sowohl im Ersten, als auch im Zweiten Weltkrieg zu Kannibalismus kam, ist belegt). Das führt dazu, dass auch nach dem Lesen ein beklemmendes Gefühl bleibt und einen die kurze Geschichte nicht so schnell wieder loslässt.

Fazit:
Mit leeren Augen beeindruckt visuell mit tristester Farbpalette und einem ansprechenden Kontrast zwischen weichen Zeichnungen und der dargestellten Brutalität, während die Handlung bewährte Horrorelemente gelungen verknüpft. Ein rundum unterhaltsamer Horrorcomic.

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❗Important note: English is not my first language. So that English-speaking community members can still read my review, my review has been translated with the help of a translation program (since I don't have the time to translate it myself every time). I therefore apologize for any mistakes and strange phrasing.

This horror one-piece immediately caught my eye while browsing the Splitter programme and went straight onto my must-have list. When the comic reached me, I was surprised to see that it even had a bold red "18+" sticker on it, which only made me more curious and led me to start reading the comic as soon as I unpacked it.

They are hungry...
The plot of this horror comic is quickly told: In an orphanage at the time of World War 1, the three children Maurice, Ofelia and Otto are the last survivors. Left to their own devices, they find only one gruesome source of food: human flesh. While Maurice, whose idea this was, becomes more and more intoxicated with the feeling of power it gives him, and Ofelia has become an inwardly jaded follower, the youngest, Otto, cannot bear this life much longer. He finds refuge with the old, cracked porcelain dolls, who frighten and comfort him at the same time. What Otto doesn't know yet: the dolls also have a plan of their own...

What I would like to talk about first with this comic is the impressive drawing style of Juan Manuel Tumburu. The artist works purely digitally, which you can see in the soft gradients in the faces and backgrounds that you can't achieve with real brushes or pencils, but that's just a comment, not a criticism. I think it's perfectly legitimate and just as artistic to choose a digital medium as ink, oil or watercolour. What counts is the result, and here Juan Manuel Tumburu truly has no need to hide. His lines are soft, almost delicate, a style seen more often in children's books, which creates an interesting contrast to the horror/gore motif of the comic (an impression only reinforced by the floral endpapers). In the colouring, on the other hand, the artist offers everything the colour palette has to offer in terms of dreariness, melancholy, dirt and blood, so that despite the soft lines there is always the right atmosphere for the gruesome action.

In terms of plot, we find classic horror elements here: creepy children, even creepier dolls and a focus on eyes. The plot also follows genre-typical patterns, with an initially calm start, interrupted by individual shock moments that culminate in an escalation. But just because something is old-fashioned doesn't mean it's bad. There are reasons why something like this has worked for ages, and so the comic may not reinvent the wheel, but it's a lot of fun to read. And the duo is not completely without its own ideas. I especially liked the puppets because they don't behave according to the typical Chucky/Anabelle pattern. But I won't tell you what exactly makes them different. The World War I setting also sets the comic apart from others, because putting the supernatural aspects aside, it's not hard to believe that such a similar story could have actually taken place (there is evidence that cannibalism occurred in both the First and Second World Wars due to the emergency situation). This leads to the fact that even after reading, an oppressive feeling remains and the short story does not let go of you so quickly.

Conclusion:
Empty Eyes impresses visually with the dreariest colour palette and an appealing contrast between soft drawings and the brutality depicted, while the plot successfully combines tried and tested horror elements. An all-round entertaining horror comic.

[Sassenach · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25/5.
Quelque part en Europe, pendant la première guerre mondiale, en 1917. Les combats ont dévasté la région et un soldat polonais blessé erre, perdu en forêt, quand il rencontre deux enfants, Ofelia et son jeune frère Otto, équipés de masques à gaz et d’une brouette, probablement à la recherche de nourriture et de bois. Les deux gamins proposent au soldat de l’héberger temporairement à l’institution où ils vivent. A leur arrivée, ils sont accueillis par Maurice, le fils du directeur de cet orphelinat, qui offre à son tour le gite et le couvert au soldat et l’invite à passer à table car c’est déjà l’heure du diner …
S’il n’avait pas été dans les nouveautés de la médiathèque, je ne suis pas sûre que j’aurais repéré ce titre de deux auteurs argentins alors que j’ai pourtant déjà lu un autre album du scénariste (L’humain) et un du dessinateur mais qui n’avait alors œuvré que comme coloriste (Scénario catastrophe). Je dois dire que dans les deux cas, cela n’avait pas été des lectures marquantes ! Par contre, quand j’ai su qu’il s’agissait cette fois d’une histoire d’horreur (l’accord parental pour les moins de 16 ans est d’ailleurs demandé lors de l’emprunt à la médiathèque), j’ai foncé ! J’ai tout de suite bien accroché avec le graphisme tout en finesse avec des personnages aux allures variées, allant des formes rondes aux silhouettes tout en angles et les décors sont magnifiques. On sent un lieu qui a dû être riche et plutôt agréable à vivre mais qui, avec la guerre, a été laissé à l’abandon par manque de moyens et la nature autour est sauvage et peu accueillante. Les aquarelles aux couleurs douces contrastent avec la violence du conflit et la dureté de la vie en temps de guerre. Et puis, il y a l’histoire en elle-même, qui n’est pas tendre ! En fait, cela pourrait en choquer plus d’un mais dès la page deux, j’ai su où le récit allait se diriger car cela me paraissait évident et logique. Le climat d’angoisse s’installe donc très rapidement, avec la peur omniprésente et puis, il y a aussi les poupées qu’on voit sur la couverture et qui ont perdu leurs yeux mais je n’en dirai pas plus à ce sujet car en plus de l’horreur, il y a aussi une dimension fantastique bienvenue et qui s’insère bien dans le récit. En plus, comme je n’ai jamais été très fan de poupées (je trouve que beaucoup font peur !), c’était bien choisi et en rapport avec les enfants. La tension va crescendo au fil des pages jusqu’au dénouement, qui évite le piège de la facilité et du politiquement correct tout en évitant le noir absolu. Un petit régal pour qui aime ce genre d’histoire comme moi ! Anecdote amusante au sujet de l’album depuis ma lecture : je l’ai trouvé dans une enseigne de vente nationale bien connue au rayon …. humour … je crois qu’il y en a qui risquent d’être surpris s’ils s’attendent à se marrer !!!!!!  

[Saveur Littéraire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un conte horrifique argentin prenant ses aises dans un orphelinat en ruines de la Première Guerre Mondiale, tu pensais bien que j’allais débarquer cœur gonflé ! Quand l’horreur graphique côtoie l’horreur plus subtile et dérangeante… Ça tombe bien puisque c’est l’objet de la bande dessinée Les yeux perdus, ou Empty eyes en anglais. Peu importe le titre, tu la sens bien l’ambiance morbide ! Inutile de te les jouer mystère plus longtemps, tu as devant toi mon premier coup de cœur 2023, pile pour accueillir le mois de février.

Ma chronique vidéo est courte, alors ici aussi je fais court. Un coup de cœur pour quelles raisons ? Vois-tu, c’est une bande dessinée somme toute assez simple dans sa construction : un orphelinat paumé au milieu d’une neige meurtrière pendant une Grande Guerre dans un pays de l’Est, la Pologne ou la Russie vraisemblablement. Trois orphelins encore vivants qui se cachent et tentent de survivre au froid et à la famine… ou à se survivre à eux-mêmes. Bigrement simple avec peu de personnages. À vrai dire, la petite fratrie d’Ofelia et Otto reste identifiable, autant que l’héritier des lieux, Maurice. Tous les autres ne font que passer au gré des mésaventures, et chacun garde une partie de ses mystères, y compris à la fin.

Coup de cœur pour l’histoire certes simple mais diablement efficace dans son rythme et dans sa narration. Pas d’ennui et une tension présente à chaque planche malgré les « quelques » 80 pages, soit une petite heure d’occupation à vérifier régulièrement que j’ai encore mes yeux bien en place dans leur orbite – pas de jeu de mot, s’il te plaît. – Un autre coup de cœur pour cette précision de pinceau qui te détaille chaque case avec le même trait habile. Rien n’est laissé au hasard, personnages comme décors. Des couleurs ternes qui te guident : tu sais où te situer, tu sais ce que pensent les orphelins avec les expressions faciales travaillées, tu sais que si tu restes une heure de plus dans ces décombres, tu signeras ta mort tranchante.

Enfin, et pas des moindres, mon cœur aura été conquis par cette fin glaçante, bien qu’inéluctable elle aussi, et logique. Une de ces fins à la Résine d’Ane Riel, qui te convainc que tu es bien dans un coup de cœur. Effectivement, Les yeux perdus n’est pas une bande dessinée à glisser entre toutes les mains, peut-être plus accessible à partir de 13 ans, voire 15 ans ? Si tu aimes les intrigues élaborées, le coup de cœur n’y sera peut-être pas non plus, ici ça aura été un sans faute et une heure délicieuse passée en excellente compagnie, et ça fait du bien ! Je regarde déjà les autres bandes dessinées de ce duo en or. Et toi, te laisseras-tu séduire par cette horreur qui berce chaque page ?

https://saveurlitteraire.wordpress.co...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq5Od...

[Theediscerning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extraordinary and none-more-dark graphic novel, this features two gas-masked siblings discover a Polish soldier somewhere in the snowy winter of WWI. They suggest he have a hot meal and warm bed for the night at the orphanage they live at, whereupon the guy there chops his head off and gets the rest of him into cold storage for future meals. We eventually see the whole place is riddled with corpses, from the siblings' previous room-mates to the lead kid's parents, stuck in the very opposite of a tableau vivant for him to talk to. Oh, and there's a room full of the orphanage's inhabitant's dolls, now damaged and sans eyes, for our guy likes nothing more than removing those…

Now, this isn't excessively gory and blood-filled, but you will find it hard to pitch something blacker than this exploration of the evil and desperation of war. The dead bodies, the robotic, thoughtless meat-hunting, the dolls coming to life – some of it kicks cannibalism right down the pecking order of grimness. This might be riddled with turn-offs for many people, but I thought it was remarkable. We have a wonderful look, with a painterly craft that makes us sure of seeing everything in frame with none of the horror trappings of hiding the truth til the last moment. And we have juvenile characters in the bluntest of situations, but played as human beings and not gormless entities just shoved through the plot by an author solely intent on creeping us out. Indeed, it is not impossible that all three of the kids have our sympathy, at least at some point in this drama.

Pretty it might not be, a joy it remains in search of, but this is masterful stuff.

[Anja von "books and phobia" · Rating 4 out of 5]

Schon als ich das Cover sah, war klar, diesen Band möchte ich lesen. Ein leicht mulmiges Gefühl hatte ich aber trotzdem, denn die Puppen mit ihren leeren Augenhöhlen hatten wirklich etwas Gruseliges.

Ich war sehr gespannt, denn bisher hatte ich noch einen Band gehabt, welcher erst ab 18 freigegeben ist. Aus meiner Sicht trägt der Band diese Kennzeichnung zurecht, denn die Erlebnisse darin sind stellenweise doch verstörend. Trotzdem muss ich gestehen, dass ich tatsächlich noch ein wenig erwartet hatte. Mir persönlich fehlte einfach das Überraschende, etwas, was ich nicht schon etliche Seiten voraus erahnen konnte. Ist die Geschichte deswegen schlecht? Keinesfalls, denn sie wirkt zumindest beim Waisenhaus und den 3 Kindern äußerst glaubhaft. Dies ist auch der wahre Schrecken des Bandes, denn mit seinem realistischen Szenario kommt man nicht nur ins Grübeln.

Die auf dem Cover gezeigten Puppen spielten natürlich auch eine Rolle, jedoch weit weniger als erhofft. Zudem stellten sie etwas Mystisches dar, was für mich einfach nicht so recht passen wollte. Optisch war der Band dafür aber wirklich ein absoluter Hingucker. Selbst wenn ich vieles voraussehen konnte, war es doch immer wieder heftig dies dann auch zu sehen. Der Zeichenstil ist dabei ebenfalls wie auf dem Cover und daher fast schon wie ein Schild, denn das Szenario in realistischeren Bildern wäre glaube wirklich zu heftig. So fand man einen guten Mittelweg.

Fazit:

Ja, ich hatte geschichtlich etwas mehr Spannung erwartet, komplett enttäuscht wurde ich aber auch nicht. Dafür sorgten neben den tollen Zeichnungen, gerade die etwas realeren Ereignisse.

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short, creepy graphic novel. It has a somewhat rushed, confused storyline which struck me a little as throwing a lot into the mix all at once. I mean, count them -- orphans, eyeballs, cannibalism, typhus, WWI and (for some reason) creepy dolls.

I did enjoy this; it is a pretty quick read but in a short time it achieves most of what it sets out to do. It is evocative, creepy, and interesting. It made me cringe and grossed me out effectively, which is something you want from a horror work, so no complaints from me on that front.

I wasn't wholly impressed by the design or backstory of the main creepy kid antagonist, and the desire to add a not so unpredictable twist to the creepy doll horror is somewhat undercut by the sheer level of how much else is going on, and muddies what I think could be a much more powerful story about desperation, poverty and the depth of human depravity.

That being said -- this is a graphic novel and therefore I can't not give it a whole star for the art alone. It's gross, gory, and absolutely beautiful. The character designs though unimaginative are executed (heh!) well and the art absolutely carries the story. The depictions of rotting bodies and bloody murders are absolutely not for the faint of heart but manage to avoid being truly gratuitous. It's all very well done for what it is.

I recieved a copy of this book for free from NetGalley to review.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wenn man diesen Comic in Händen hält, fällt einem sofort das bunte Artwork auf dem Cover auf, das eigentlich niedlich anmutet mit den Porzellanpuppen und den unschuldigen Kindern in der Mitte... wäre da nicht der Sticker auf der Folie mit dem Hinweis „ab 18 Jahren“.
Und ja, dieser Comic ist definitiv nichts für Kinder. Was in dem Kinderheim passiert, ist erschreckend, beängstigend und gruselig zugleich, besonders vor der Kulisse des ersten Weltkrieges, der an und für sich schon schlimm genug ist. Es ist herzzerreißend, unter welchen Umständen die Menschen damals überlebten bzw. versuchten, zu überleben, koste es was es wolle.

„Mit leeren Augen“ ist durchaus ein sehr gelungenes Schreckensszenario. Der Grusel funktioniert meiner Meinung nach hervorragend gut und sehr angenehm für mich war, dass der Comic in sich abgeschlossen ist. Nur die Puppen kamen weniger oft vor, als das Cover vermuten ließ.
Herr Scharrenbroich von der Comic-Couch meint ja, dass wer mit dem Horror-Genre nicht zwangsläufig auf Du und Du ist, der mag vom Inhalt angewidert oder sogar schockiert sein oder kämmt sich morgens schon mit der Splatter-Keule die Haare so wie ich. Bei mir ruft „Mit leeren Augen“ tatsächlich nur ein kleines Zucken im Augenlid hervor.
Ich empfand den vorliegenden Band nicht als Horror, aber als wirklich gut gemachten Grusel, der das gemacht hat was er soll, mich nämlich fürstlich unterhalten.

[Lislemoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je suis encore une fois agréablement surprise par une BD, les choix que proposent les éditions sont vraiment top et Dargaud rejoint officiellement une de mes M-E au niveau des BD.

Nous nous retrouvons entre la Russie et la Pologne en pleine Guerre Mondiale.
Non loin de là, il y a un orphelinat où la majorité des pensionnaires sont morts du typhus. Il reste seulement 3 enfants : Maurice proclamé chef, Otto et Ofélia.
Otto et Ofélia doivent aller chercher des hommes, vivants de préférence, pour les amener à Maurice.
Ils n'ont pas le droit de regarder Maurice (beau petit trouble le petit) qui même après la mort de ses parents cherchent à les "satisfaire". Cet étrange enfant retire les yeux de chaque personne morte et les mets dans un bocal, mais pour faire quoi? Quelles sont les raisons?
Tout va être chamboulé et Otto va devoir se fier aux poupées qui l'ont toujours terriblement fait peur.

J'ai beaucoup aimé. Déjà parce que la première de couverture était très bien, les couleurs bien choisies et surtout les illustrations. Bref point de vue visuel : tout claque.

Pour l'histoire, c'était hyper creepy ! Je savais que j'allais faire face à ce genre d'histoire que je ne lis que trop peu... mais j'ai adoré! C'était glauque à souhait du début à la fin. Les corps étaient 😱 et les yeux pouuuuua!
Si vous aimez ce qui fait peur et glauque, foncez!

[teagan · Rating 2 out of 5]

“You’ll never be alone, Otto.”

I recieved a copy on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, this story conflicted me a lot, I can’t tell if I enjoyed it or not. There is was certainly aspects I enjoyed like the art-style which was really realistic and gave the whole story such a unique flare. I also really enjoyed the concept of this I just feel as though it could’ve been executed a lot better.

This was a surprising dark story. Which I sort of expected because its set during war time but it got a lot creepier than I originally expected. That isn’t exactly a bad thing though. I feel like anyone who enjoyed books like Goosebumps or Coraline would adore this book too. The spooky/supernatural vibes are very similar to those.

The general plot was interesting but it just felt as though something was lacking. Whether it be how rushed it came across or something to do with the dialogue (that can be put down to the fact it was translated), it just felt incomplete somehow. I also wasnt really attached to these characters, we didn’t know enough about them for me to route for them so there was no opportunity for me to connect with this story.

This wasn’t a bad book by any metric, it just wasn’t for me. I can completely see why other people in the reviews seem to love it though.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

War itself is horror. Abandoned children in an orphanage full of dead bodies is horror. Make one of these children kind of crazy and a cannibal, and the stakes are increased. But luckily, they are two children who don’t want to be cannibals and don’t want to live this life. However, it is World War II, and the children must find a way to survive. It turns out that the dead children of the orphanage aren’t really dead. Their spirits have been moved into the dolls with which they used to play. These dolls have empty eye sockets and once full the dolls come back to life. Their doll life is meant to help the children escape and punish the cannibal child whose parents owned the orphanage. This book is spooky, freaky, and horror laden. The illustrations are fantastic. They perfectly fit the mood. They range from being the gray browns that you would expect when speaking of World War II to the bright vivid colors of a children’s playroom overrun in blood. There are lots of trigger warnings in this book, the main one being cannibalism, but there’s also abandonment, death, destruction, a little bit of everything. Wow, it’s sad to think about in broad terms (as I discovered while telling a friend about the story) but it’s a fantastic study in horror that I will be recommending for years to come.

[Stacey Gomez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of art illustrated book comic book. 3 1/2 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Otto and his sister Ophelia are out searching, searching for what we don’t know. Until they see a wounded soldier, they offer him shelter and something to eat. Him thinking they have food he goes thinking nothing of it, oh no, there we meet Maurice the surviving son of the owners of the orphanage. But he had ideas of his own to survive the war and hunger. He kills the adults and makes Ophelia cook and they eat them like cannibals except Otto. Otto is a caring young boy who doesn’t want to eat the people they kill. He is afraid of Maurice. Rightful so, he going mad. He kept the bodies of his families along with their eyes and all of the ones he killed or died. But Otto goes to he room where all the childrens dolls were, the dolls asked for the eyes that were collected. He gives the dolls back their eyes from all the containers he found, which give the dolls their spirits back and they want revenge. Omg this comic is great for the Halloween time to read. This is a bit distrubing with the graphic nature of the killing and the removal of eyes, Why the eyes, which I though, wasn’t it once said the eyes are the windows to the soul?

[Bayan · Rating 4 out of 5]

September 16th 2022
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Empty eyes is a graphic novel set in the time of world war I, where three kids, two of which are siblings, do the unbelievable to survive amidst the war, but actions have always had consequences, and the consequences of these kids' actions, come in the form of dolls without eyes.

The art of this graphic novel was absolutely exquisite, and I read the eversion, I think I would have even loved it more if I'd read the physical version. The storyline is super creative, and I read the whole thing in one sitting, I was very intrigued to know the reason behind the kids actions, but that was not revealed.

The characters did not have a lot of time to evolve or develop, so at some point you feel like things are just happening to lead, but you still enjoy it nevertheless, and you can't put the book down until you know what happens.

And the ending, although may seem normal, was very leading. With that ending, you can write up a million imaginations as to how the story ends, some of which may not be happy endings.

The art style was new to me, but I was a little concerned to let my kids see the drawings, so I would not recommend it to people who are easily scared or disgusted by blood.