Haunthology

by Jeremy Haun (Author, Illustrator)

From creatures of the night…to even more terrifying creatures of the day, Haunthology is an anxiety-inducing collection of 28 short stories and vignettes from the mind of JEREMY HAUN, the writer and artist behind THE BEAUTY, THE REALM, The Red Mother, The Approach and other nightmarish mindscapes. Whether exploring a claustrophobic old house full of nefarious entities or exploring the heavy thoughts one has during the pending end of the world, this very personal project was completely written and drawn during the COVID shutdowns.

Features an introduction from horror writer Nathan Ballingrud.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Horror, Comics, Short Stories, Anthologies, Graphic Novels Manga, Graphic Novels Comics

152 pages, Paperback

First published May 9, 2023

About the author

Jeremy Haun is a freelance comic book artist. Beginning in 2002, Haun worked for Image Comics, IDW Publishing, Oni Press, Devil's Due Publishing, Top Cow, and Marvel Comics. Since 2008, he has worked for DC Comics. He is best known for his work on Berserker and Battle Hymn.
External links

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ohhhh...kay?
Not much to it, sadly.
I started reading and then stopped after a few pages (stories) to go back and read the foreword from the author, Jeremy Haun. Was there an explanation for these undercooked ideas?



Kinda.
So he wrote this during the height of covid when everyone was stuck inside and freaking out. Pondering the meaning of life, worried that this was the end of everything, and basically just thinking thoughts of Chuthulu and pandemics.
I had a much different experience than many people during that time because everyone in my house kept working, so pretty much nothing changed for us in that sense. But I had friends who hunkered down in their homes, got really depressed, had all the dark thoughts, and maybe never really got over all the fear that it caused. I get it.
If I hadn't read the behind the scenes thing for this, I would have hated it.



To be honest, I still thought this was pretty half-baked. And I wouldn't pay money for this unless Haun was a relative of mine and I was trying to support him through a hard time.
Because while I think he's a talented writer, this just ain't it.
Put this up on a website for your fans or something. Yes.
But to ask people to pay cash for something like this? No.



So what he's done is just capture a snapshot of something that might have become a full-blown story with a lot of thought, but all the reader gets is that initial creative POP! and then he moves on to the next story.
There will be people who dig this style.
Just not me.



This review sounds assy, but I liked a lot of The Red Mother Vol. 1, and I think this kid has promise. There are excellent ideas in here, I'd just like to see them come out fully formed.

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 1 out of 5]

Haun's art is beautiful. Really beautiful. It's his writing I have a problem with.

Haunthology is a collection of unfinished thoughts, half-baked ideas. I mean, not every story has to end with a punchline, so to speak, but most of the stories here aren't stories at all. They're unexamined thoughts.

It all reminds me of his earlier work The Red Mother, which is maybe the worst horror fiction I've read in years. The Red Mother looks like a horror thriller, it quacks like a horror thriller, but it's fundamentally empty at its core. I was hoping the short form would work better with his writing, and there are occassions it does, but I can count those on one hand.

The book has two full two-page introductions. What is this thing with comic writers wanting to write long introductions to their own work? Who is this for?

But yeah. The art is fantastic. The stories are mostly duds.

(Picked up an ARC through Edelweiss)

[mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

28 short stories, some very short (1-2 pages). Most are merely fragments, like flash fiction stories. They are quite creepy despite being so short.

Excellent BW illustrations. Highly recommended for horror fans that appreciate short stories.

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

[Alyson Walton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a clever idea well executed, in my opinion.

Written in covid times, our author sets to write/illustrate flash fiction, which shows how being left with too much time to think isn't necessarily a good idea! Mix that with some lovecraftian imagery, and you have a very enjoyable bit of flash fiction.

But I do understand that this isn't for everyone. A good few of these short tales left me wanting for a longer story, but that isn't what the author wanted.

Can we just have a bloody high five for these illustrations, though? It's just perfect for the style of writing herein.

[Corrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really liked the art, but wasn't a fan of the stories

[Bibliophileverse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haunthology is an absolute entertainer with its terrifying tales. After a long time, I have read a horror graphic novel which gives a new definition of horror. The plus point is that each story is only 2 or 3 pages long with beautiful graphics. Some of the tales are so creepy and hair raising and, maintains a thorough interest in the book. Definitely, 4 stars for the book. Thanks to Edelweiss for providing me an opportunity to read and review the book.

Read more on https://www.instagram.com/p/CnzMqSOrxxY/

[Amber Grissom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I politely disagree with the other reviewers here, I think Haun delivered what I expected from this book (thanks Edelweiss for the ARC). Set with the pandemic in mind, Haun does an excellent job of doing what he set out to do: engage readers in the idea of the horrors hiding in our minds. Not everything is meant to be spelled out completely, the mind is meant to wander and play with the concept of fear. As a collection of graphic short stories, to fully dive into the world of each story would result in several books. These brief glimpses make the reader think about the horrific reveal to come, or the last third of a horror tale, referenced in the introduction. The illustrations were beautiful, but the font selection on “The Class of 1894” was a little difficult to read.

[Alex Sarll]

Two days in a row where I've bounced off authors with homophonous names; most unusual for me to consistently not get the Horn like that. Jeremy Haun's introduction here talks about how we've all had a tough few years, and I'm certainly not arguing. But set against that, it was quite handy that he should be called Jeremy Haun, and find himself with the time to work on a series of short horror stories such as might one day be collected in an anthology, at a time when the word 'hauntology' had emerged from the wastelands of theory into general consciousness, such as to leave him with the perfect punning title. Beyond that...well. The other foreword, by Nathan Ballingrud, talks about how often horror is just a support system for one mesmerising image or mood, and how there's a lot to be said for sacking off the difficult third act, maybe even the first as well, and just giving us vignettes of that key moment. Which, again, I'm not arguing with. But where we part ways is that he (along with a who's who of horror comics luminaries, who provide blurbs) reckons Haun has nailed this here. Whereas for me, though the establishing panels of eerie landscapes and deserted graveyards can sometimes be the good stuff, the subsequent incidents tend to feel a little too clearly-drawn and definite to unnerve me without a bit more superstructure. Equally, many of the moments felt like endings more than turning points. Of course, at that point we're deeply into the instinctual and subjective, and at the very least horror reduced to its skeleton was an experiment well worth attempting, and maybe learning from.

(Edelweiss ARC)

[Kerry]

Since I don’t have enough to be anxious about in my day-to-day life (haha), I picked up a copy of the graphic novel Haunthology by Jeremy Haun. It includes 28 pen-and-ink illustrated super-short stories and vignettes plus an introduction by award-winning author Nathan Ballingrud, presented in about 150 pages. Written and illustrated during the uncertainty of the Covid 19 lockdown, Haun shares quick glimpses into a world filled with anxiety and dark gods, apocalypse, hauntings, madness, and murder, all designed to keep readers’ nerves on edge. The stunning illustrations stole the show, though I enjoyed the play on the author’s name to create the clever title!

[Nathaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haunthology is a flash fiction horror comic collection that, at its core, is about the emotions and experiences we all had during the pandemic. As with all good flash fiction, the stories lean on the reader to fill in the gaps around the stories' edges. These are all very tightly written and well illustrated. Highly recommended.

[Chaunceton Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flash horror with ghosts, gore, and more. This is just a good time. Many vignettes, some no more than a page or two long, exploring "what ifs" and dark musings of the author. Any fan of the genre will enjoy these punchy scary snacks.

I received an ARC in exchange for a potential review. Since I really dig it, here's my review.

[Matthew Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Beautifully illustrated very short horror stories. Some of these were better than others, as with any anthology book. But for the most part, I enjoyed them a lot and really tried to guess what angle of horror that Jeremy Hahn was coming at with each story. Also, bonus points for a horror short comic that teaches you to make an Old Fashioned (and features Weller Red)!

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

To begin, the opening mini essays from Haun and Nathan Ballingrud are worth reading in their own right.

As for the collection itself, it's fascinating. Stories stripped down to their barest components--horror images and moments snatched from larger narratives. Some have arcs and degrees of explanation. Others are flashes, glimpses into situations and ideas coupled with imagery that primed to linger. Delving into isolation, fear, strangeness--it's a collection of experiences more than it is of stories. For those who want developed narratives, this may well prove unfulfilling. But for excellent art and a widespread trek through the things that haunt the edges of our vision and the rough landscapes of imagination, there's a fascinating range of vignettes here worth taking the time to experience.

[Theediscerning · Rating 2 out of 5]

Evidence that, for me at least, the short short horror story just doesn't work. This tries to do quirky things with script – a repetitive, chant-like beginning to a piece about someone who is being watched by a bloke in a giraffe mask – that just don't really have the space to get far at all. You can be Usain Bolt all you like, but in a ten metre hurdle race you ain't gonna build up any speed. And when we do hit the finish line, too often it's weak. Somebody gets up before his husband and goes to his master, which is a melange of cloak, skeleton and sub-Cthulhu tentacles. The sting of a single dad and the reason why he drinks his days indeterminately away? A mahoosive sub-Cthulhu vagina monster fighting a second kaiju.

And when a story is allowed to expand, ie be more wordy and to explore its circumstance more, it's in the world's worst cursive. Go figure.

Now, a lot of this is aimed at forcing us to do the leg-work – when a hack author is adamant the haunted places he attends for ambience and from habit are empty, we're left with conjuring up what happens to prove him very, very wrong. And that's fine, but it's not just the fact the author is supposed to be the specialist in this and we're not that makes me feel short-changed.

Artwise these are mighty fine works indeed, but like a holiday postcard it's designed to look pretty and yet you won't manage to string more than a few sentences together filling it out. Our author too seldom sees the need for more, more's the pity. Yes, they may well be a lot more excusable when they're added extras or cut scenes regarding a mythology from others of his volumes (and ten pages justifying all of this were cropped from my review copy), but this stand-alone is nothing like the calling card he must have intended. Oh, and females are sorely under-represented.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. I'm usually not a huge fan of flash fiction, but I think it worked for me in comic form because of the visual aspect. These are very shot stories that are jut a snapshot of a tale, rather than a complete story. You get just enough to creep you out, and you have to figure out the rest on your own. Maybe because I'm a writer myself I enjoyed that part of it. It comes across like horror manga in many cases, because Japanese horror doesn't always have an explanation. It's just scary and weird, and you never know the reason why.

Overall this was very different than really anything I've read before. Horror comic fans should invest the time to read this one.

[Redbearreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easily digestible, not very scary though🐸

The foward was a bit of an overkill, I think it was too hyped up. But still enjoyed it overall for a horror comic and quick escapism.

The comparison to Junji Ito was a bit out of pocket though.

My favorite part was the authors preface in relation to fear as a child and what it looks like now as a fear seeker, just wanting to feel something, would of just enjoyed a story focused on that truly.

[Therese Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

….

Even if you only have a little imagination…. it won’t take very much to vault you into the horror of what is to come or what has transpired in these tiny and graphically superb tales of terror.

I’m going to be haunted by by so many in this collection, but By the Sea. From the Sea. Oh man!

….

….

[Valéria. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I seriously do not understand what’s other people’s problem. This is how I imagine the great book with several short horror/creepy stories. Each of them was great. Nicely drawn. Mysterious. Creepy. Just great. Loved every page of it.

[Austin Plourde · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like horror short stories you need to pick this graphic novel up

[Keith Bowden · Rating 3 out of 5]

The coronavirus pandemic cut us off from anything resembling our normal lives, but also for too many it disastrously impacted work. Left to his own devices, Jeremy Haun turned to writing and illustrating short horror pieces, threading various ideas with coming to terms with the quarantine, etc.
The art is absolutely superb and creepy in all the best places.
This book has 28 vignettes, some of which I would not call stories but set ups for stories; cool scenes with great visuals, but like watching a 15 second cut from a trailer without further context for the 2 hour film.
Many are excellent stories in that the vignette is all you need to be disturbed, horrified, or amused.
A couple of them fell completely flat for me, but the excellent stories far outweigh the lesser works. I'll be looking for future installments.

[Daniel Stitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re a fan of eerie, unsettling stories told in bite-sized chunks, Hauntology by Jeremy Haun is an experience worth diving into. This graphic novel is a collection of about 20 short vignettes, each beautifully illustrated in a hyper-realistic black-and-white style that you don’t often see in the genre. Haun’s artwork captures real-life characters in gritty, lived-in environments, making the horror feel all the more tangible.

What really impressed me was how each vignette started with something seemingly mundane—waking up, walking into a room, staying over at someone’s house—before taking a sharp, menacing turn. Some stories were outright horrifying, while others left just enough unease to linger in the back of your mind. It reminded me of flash fiction but in comic form—concise, evocative, and expertly paced. Despite their brevity, these stories packed an incredible amount of suspense and dread into just a few panels.

That said, the same quality that makes Hauntology so effective also limits it. Some stories were so short—just a single page—that they didn’t leave much room for character development or a deeper exploration of the horror. It felt like glimpsing fragments of larger nightmares rather than fully realized tales. But given that Haun created this as a passion project during the COVID-19 pandemic, I can appreciate it for what it is: a collection of experimental horror shorts rather than a traditional, standalone graphic novel.

While it might not offer a singular, cohesive narrative, Hauntology is a striking portfolio of Haun’s artistic and storytelling abilities. If you enjoy quick bursts of horror that get under your skin, this is definitely worth checking out.

[BEAU BOOKS · Rating 3 out of 5]

“So now, after all this time—all these years-what scares me? Not telling stories. What scares you?”

Straight to the point, no glamour, bare bones horror. These are *snapshots* of flash fiction. Brief scenes of larger stories. A big undertaking in 2-4 pages each, sometimes less. The real power in this collection is the art. Haun’s talent as an illustrator knows no bounds, but unfortunately there is something to be said for substance. There were a few cosmic horror stories sprinkled in here, and a few connected pieces, that I would have adored to read fleshed out. But, that wasn’t the point of this collection.

I do understand the concept of the work and the “removal of the third act” idea. Falling into a story like dropping out of the sky to land and bear witness to whatever atrocities are occurring in your surroundings is horrifying! But, the brief blips of context, story after story, became derivative and flat, and not punchy and impactful like the author intended.

3/5 I’m not sure that the kind of emotions the creator was trying to pull from the audience was consistent in this format. Art was sublime though!

[Mariano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un día internet se murió.

FIN

Esta es una de las historias de este TPB de historias cortas. Real, es una historia de una página que es eso (con un poco más de texto). Si sentís que es lo mismo que nada entonces captas mas o menos la sensación de leer esto.

Es una colección de "ideas", porque llamarle "historias" a esto es ser muy generoso, que apenas llegan a ser el planteo de algo que jamás se desarrolla. Eso no es malo en sí mismo, pero si me vendés "28 historias cortas" espero encontrar eso. El dibujo es espectacular y algunas podríamos decir que se la bancan como "mini historia", pero apenas.

Rescato que algunas usan recursos formales del comic para narrar, algo que al mismo tiempo frustra al pensar por qué no desarrolla más la cosa. Vale por el experimento.

Si buscás leer una historia con desarrollo y un desenlace medianamente satisfactorio, alejate de esto.

[Ben Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection of short horror/sci-fi vignettes, all penned and illustrated by Jeremy Haun during the height of the Covid pandemic. I think if I just started these stories blindly I would have been less infatuated - most of glimpses of scenes in-medias-res rather than complete/coherent narratives. However after reading the foreword by Nathan Ballingrud and the introduction by Haun himself, I gained a greater appreciation for Haun's headspace when he was creating these works and what he was trying to achieve. Most of glimpses of larger stories where we dip in briefly in their third act or climactic moment, which is an intriguing way to structure an anthology. They still don't all land for me, but the majority are compelling. I appreciated too how Haun is able to fit moments of humor and true hard-hitting emotion into just a few pages.

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Haunthology" by Jeremy Haun is this wicked collection of short horror comics, all decked out in black and white.

Let me spill the tea on a couple of standout stories:

"Kingdom of Dust and Bone":
This one-pager with a rhyme hit different – the artwork has this eerie etching vibe, like a creepy nursery rhyme brought to life.

"One Summer Night":
Ew, brace yourself for this creepfest. The thought of being alone outside with a man in a giraffe mask? No thanks.

"The Importance of Making Lists":
Now, this one's a smart take on a mini horror story. It got me rethinking my list-making habits. Maybe not the same way as this one, though! 😅

Overall, Haunthology dishes out some seriously cool stories, playing with various themes that could spook anyone. Plus, I can totally imagine many of the pages and scenes turning into some seriously cool artwork. 🎨👻

[Genevieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this collection of horror short stories rendered in stark black and white, author Jeremy Haun creates a loosely-related world of terror. Some stories are more thought experiments than stories per se--one where the internet goes down permanently, one where a cat threatens ro do evil, etc. There are a few instances where the stories cross over each other in obvious ways, but it's also interesting to speculate how the stories relate to each other.

Would I get this book for my 9th grade English classroom? No. It contains one instance of (in my mind gratuitous) female nudity, as well as a couple instances of suicide and a few graphic images and language throughout. I think one or two stories could be used in isolation as examples of flash fiction or even as writing prompts.

[Danielle Geiger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Image Comics and Edelweiss for providing a DRC for review!

I believe this is my first short story anthology in comic book form and it was an interesting read! This collection won't be for everyone, especially if you don't like stories without satisfying endings or ones that are just ~vibes~. I do recommend at least skimming the foreword to understand the headspace Haun was in while creating Haunthology and to decide if COVID quarantine-influenced horror won't be too depressing to you. As with any anthology, some stories worked better for me than others, but overall this was a creepy and unique reading experience!

[Artur Coelho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Por vezes cedo à tentação e compro um livro por puro impulso, porque algo me atraiu nele. Arrisca-se, e por vezes sai um bom petisco. Caso deste discreto livro, cuja ilustração me seduziu ao folheá-lo na banca da Dr. Kartoon no Fórum Fantástico 2023. Um traço realista mas expressivo, seguro e evocativo numa linha a preto e branco. As histórias são de um horror leve, mas bem urdidas, numa técnica em que o final de cada uma é sempre surpreendente. Terror clássico, laivos de zombies, toques de ficção noir e muitas vénias narrativas e gráficas a Lovecraft fazem deste livro de assombrações uma boa surpresa.

[Zachary · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for stories with a deep mythology, or even a passing explanation, this might not be the book for you. If you like dipping your toe in unsettling, weird, and unexplained scenarios, then Haunthology might be a good fit.

The art is detailed and well-crafted, and some of the stories are decently clever, even if there's no satisfying follow-through to any of them.

My main critique is that some of the stories don't feel worthy of even the 2-3 pages they occupy. If you were to ask a random person to come up with a brief horror story on the spot, you'd get a lot of ideas that are just as clever as many of the ones in Hanthology, if not more so.

[Michael Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haunthology is a series of sequential art vignettes written and illustrated by Jeremy Haun. I have been a fan of his work for a long time, and he continues to improve especially with scenarios of his own design. Many of these supernatural shorts are the sparks to larger narratives and are powerful despite the lack of immediate resolution. Each one is the fiction of the fantastic and Haun’s detailed depictions ground each and every panel in a reality that only adds to the horror. Excellent production of the hardcover right down to the black creepy paper it was wrapped in.