The acclaimed necromantic horror series reaches its final chapter as the gang war blows wide open on the streets of New Orleans.
Every high has its comedown, and the Winters family is in for a rude awakening. Once the innovator and sole dealer of the new necromantic drug that’s all the rage on the streets of New Orleans, they have since come under siege by rivals on all sides trying to steal the market for themselves. And while the family has suffered heavy losses to this point, there’s more to come before in the harsh light of morning...
Eisner Award-nominated author Cullen Bunn (Harrow County, The Empty Man) and illustrator Jonas Scharf (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) conclude their critically-acclaimed horror series in Bone Parish Volume Three, as the Winters fight off reckonings both personal and professional to preserve their family empire.
Cullen grew up in rural North Carolina, but now lives in the St. Louis area with his wife Cindy and his son Jackson. His noir/horror comic (and first collaboration with Brian Hurtt), The Damned, was published in 2007 by Oni Press. The follow-up, The Damned: Prodigal Sons, was released in 2008. In addition to The Sixth Gun, his current projects include Crooked Hills, a middle reader horror prose series from Evileye Books; The Tooth, an original graphic novel from Oni Press; and various work for Marvel and DC. Somewhere along the way, Cullen founded Undaunted Press and edited the critically acclaimed small press horror magazine, Whispers from the Shattered Forum.
All writers must pay their dues, and Cullen has worked various odd jobs, including Alien Autopsy Specialist, Rodeo Clown, Professional Wrestler Manager, and Sasquatch Wrangler.
And, yes, he has fought for his life against mountain lions and he did perform on stage as the World's Youngest Hypnotist. Buy him a drink sometime, and he'll tell you all about it.
Damn. This last volume was so incredibly rushed that I can't help but feel very let down. Not sure why this was the last volume, because it would've honestly made a great ongoing series. And so many plot threads were left dangling!
I honestly didn't realize this was the end until the wholesale slaughter started in earnest. And even then, I kept thinking it must be a dream sequence or something because nothing was resolved enough to even begin to wrap this up.
This was an interesting, well-written, wonderfully drawn comic, and that just makes it even sadder that the story was so hastily wrapped up.
For all the build up and world building in this series, Bunn and Scharf strangely burn it all to the ground very quickly. There's so much material here that didn't get explored. I could have easily seen this going another 20 issues easily. The one thing I thought was odd is that it is graphically violent but curse words were censored. The book is clearly for adults. Put the goddamn words on the page. That being said, it's a great read. The art and coloring are top notch as is the writing. I put the series up there with Cullen Bunn's best work IMO, Harrow County and The Sixth Gun.
Seriously lost interest in this series as it went and I didn't care about any of the characters. Too much back and forth between the different families/factions. Too much infighting as well and I kind of forgot who was on which side. It's a shame because it's such an interesting idea.
I think this is the end of the series and my last thought is basically: meh.
The thing is, when you begin to get involved with people there's always a angle. Especially with someone trying to break into the family. And that's where our heroes (if you can call them that) fucked up and from the inside everything goes sour. This kill or be killed like ending will leave most if not all the characters dead and for what? TO see the dead? Well guess what...that's where you're all heading.
This was extremely entertaining. The bloody kills and awesome character moments really worked well. The art was also easy to follow here and lead for some great set pieces. It did feel a bit rushed though at times, and I couldn't help but feel this could have been even better as a bit more slow burn. But overall still extremely entertaining murder gang drama story. A 4 out of 5.
Booo!!! I have psychic whiplash. This 3rd volume wasn't a real conclusion - I mean the world burned down and all BUT WHAT THE HECK??!!! So many unanswered questions, so rushed, so many cool characters... and it all just melted into a bloody fever dream. I'm honestly upset. This is why I tend to prefer finished series, so I can let myself get invested. I WAS INVESTED, DAMMIT!! This feels like the plug got pulled halfway through, and this was the best the artists could do to "finish" the series. Monstrously unfair 😿
I could be persuaded to pick this back up if they chose to write the next arc, but I couldn't find any plans for that.
How the heck do I rate this??? I'm tempted to give it a one star grudge rating...
***
GR Personal Rating System: ★★★★★ 5 Stars ~ LOVED ★★★★☆ 4 Stars ~ ENJOYED ★★★☆☆ 3 Stars ~ LIKED ★★☆☆☆ 2 Stars ~ MEH ★☆☆☆☆ 1 Star ~ NOPE
[This review covers all three volumes of Bone Parish]
A new drug sweeps the streets of New Orleans; Ash, made from the bones of the deceased, which allows you to experience their life as if it was your own. The Winters family are riding high with their new discovery, but it isn't long before competition starts calling, and their downfall begins.
Bone Parish could, on the surface, be your standard crime family story. But the edge of the supernatural that creeps into it thanks to the twist on the premise keeps things interesting all the way through. It very rarely forgets that there's this strange plot device involved, and Bunn keeps the Ash and its effects woven into not just the framework of the book but the reveals and secrets that are kept between the cast.
There are more characters involved than I'd expected for a twelve issue series, and they all reach some kind of conclusion (be they satisfying or deadly). From the Winters family of five to the many rival gangs they recruit or battle for power, there are a lot of moving parts involved that I thought would get lost in the shuffle, but pretty much everyone gets something to do. It's clear that Brae and Grace are the main characters, but everyone else plays an active role in getting the plot to where it needs to be at the end.
Jonas Scharf's artwork does the job well; most of his scenes are well rendered and easy to follow, but it's when things get trippy that he really shines. The story beats set when someone is on Ash, or that depict the effects of the fake variant that causes people to mutate, stand out not just because they're equal parts psychadelic and disgusting, but because they're such a contrast to the relatively mundane main story.
With themes of family, the fragility of life and death, and what happens when you just can't let go of the past, Bone Parish grabbed me from the word 'go' and didn't let me off until I'd finished the final issue. It could have turned out a little basic, but Bunn's plot and Scharf's art elevate your typical crime drama into something far darker, and far more meaningful, than you'd ever expect it to be.
Alliances and betrayals between the Winter family and their rivals continue to evolve, with Brea unknowingly getting seduced by a bloodthirsty killer intent on getting revenge for her brother being killed earlier by the Winters. Leon begins to make some power moves, and he and his sister Brigitte experiment with how to tap into other people’s memories to look for clues. Leon barely survives the experience and his visions are suspect, although he views them as true. While I had considered him the most moral of the family, he then sacrifices someone during the gang wars.
We get a flashback to Brigitte introducing the idea of marketing the ash to her parents and I was shocked to realize it hadn’t been too far in the past. The Winters had lived in modest circumstances up until then, so the mansion and opulent surroundings that they lived in now were but recent acquisitions. But knowing that family members were already paying the price, was it worth it? She is literally playing God, trying to use her scientific knowledge with the mysticism she learned from a dead lover to cheat death. Things are spinning out of control with each family member operating separately and not uniting as their father had wanted them to. It all comes to a head, with a tragic conclusion, and fittingly, not everyone survives.
Jonas Scharf’s art was fantastic start to finish, with Leon’s visions being especially well-done. I have to say colorist Alex Guimarães’ work is the best I have ever seen. His vibrant pinks and purples to signify the hallucinogenic effect and the color palette that he uses throughout the narrative are second to none. I hope to see a lot more from this artistic team.
I was very impressed with the three-volume series, in fact, I wish it lasted longer, as I’m sad to be saying goodbye to the enigmatic Winters family. This necromantic horror story had it all- it was a riveting crime thriller and it had a thought-provoking moral debate about drug culture and the sanctity of life and for the body after death. A must-read for all graphic novel readers!
Was this planned? This was an interesting series, but this last volume felt so rushed. There are storylines conveniently wrapped up, threads left hanging, and characters that could've given so much more (why even have the detective if you do nothing with her?).
This was an incredible close to a series that I've enjoyed immensely and recommend so highly to horror graphic novel lovers. There's a lot of loss in this finale and the stakes are immensely high, but I loved that, because this is exactly what things were building up to: anything else would have been a shallow disappointment. I liked the touch of openness to the ending and, if Cullen Bunn were to ever write a spin-off series, I would be first in line to read it, too.
✨ Representation: multiple Black, Black/white biracial, and Latinx characters
Wow, what a finish. This turned out to be a really good series. For me, it was a bit of a slow burn, but once it caught fire, it exploded. This would make a great TV series ala True Blood.
If you like crime and horror, you should try this out because it's a great mix of both.
(Zero spoiler review for the series as a whole) Boy, I wasn't quite expecting that, and I must say, I'm a little relieved. This is the second series from Cullen Bunn I've read. the first being Dark Arc which I was really looking forward to, only to feel like the book shat in my cornflakes. I've got a review for it if you want to check it out and see just how disappointed I was in that story. But Mr. Bunn has gone and redeemed himself, and I am actually looking forward to Harrow County again, now. How much I enjoyed this came as quite a shock. I remarked to a friend that the artwork and story had a very Brubaker/Philips-esque feel to it. High praise indeed, although very much warranted. The artwork and colouring is amazing. It elevates an already strong story to the next level, and had me staring long and hard at panel after panel. Absorbing the rich, gothic architecture of its Louisiana setting, which is an absolutely perfect place to set the book. The colours being the near flawless coup de grace for the visual side of the book. Seriously, look at the layouts, the characters, the dark goriness of it all. I couldn't get enough of it. As stated, Mr Bunn acquits himself more than admirably here. Whilst the artwork is the real star, Bunn's story and dialogue aren't far behind. Occasionally I would look at a dialogue choice or unnecessary character exposition and re write it in my head, but for the most part, the writing was of a consistently high standard. The first issue pulled me in, and I binged this entire 12 issue story during a wonderfully grey and stormy summer day. Couldn't have asked for more appropriate accompaniment. The final issue was probably the weakest, and it could easily have gone at least one more to fully flesh out the conclusion, but these are relatively small gripes for what was an overwhelmingly positive read. If all of Mr. Bunn's stories entrance me as much as this one did. then Dark Arc will soon fade from my memory, along with the bad taste it left in my mouth.
The story is more of a crime noir thriller than a straight up tale of horror, although there is more than enough gory and creepy scenes to excite even the most de sensitized of horror aficionado's. I'm really glad I picked this one up, and can't wait to see what all three of these guys have in store for me next. 4.5/5
No! It can't be over! I am stunned that this is ending this soon. The action, the violence, the horror element, it was all so good! Bunn did a good job wrapping it up, and some doors are still open, but man do I want more.
This finale really left me wanting more. It felt rushed and incomplete. This series as a whole had so much potential but it ended up not feeling like anything special. The innovative idea was there, but the execution was lacking.
Final volume concludes most of the story lines in fast crazy pace. It's now more about settling the debts among all participants of the conflict.
Which is probably main problem of whole series. It switched from cool voodoo witchery, to more common theme of gang war. Is still pretty good, but potential was kind of wasted. At the end you got that feeling that you didn't waste your time completely by reading this, but you forget it pretty soon probably...
Quite a shame as it had big potential about playing with dead, their lives and skills, but instead of it, the concept is used mostly as some crutch when story needs to move quickly... On the other hand there were some cool scenes related to that, that made art really stick out.
This follows a family who has made a drug from the dead and how it allows the user to experience things from the person's life. After it gains popularity two other drug factions tie to either take over or replicate it. It's insane and I want more. I was pleasantly surprised with it and Am ashamed to say while the ending is somewhat satisfying I think the series was canceled.
As the end of a volume, it was 5*. As the end of a series? I have to lower the mark, because there is no way this is a proper ending to a story. There are still so many unanswered questions.
I've loved Cullen Bunn since I read The Damned Vol. 1 and I've never rated his work under 5* until now. But this one kind of felt like someone had grown bored of the story, didn't know what else to do with it, and gave up with a quick and easy ending that didn't entirely make sense. Where did that "But now we can be together, Brae?" part come from? That was totally out of character. Why, when it's been such a constant throughout, does "the ash doesn't lie" suddenly become untrue? I can buy it being a curse, but not a lie, considering how much emphasis was given to it. And I don't like the idea of the story being over just because everyone - bar the only person who can actually keep making the stuff - is dead. And there's no resolution for the policewoman.
I'm pretty sure I know who the masked guy is, but I also have 2 theories and it seems I'll never know if I was right or not. I hate ending a series without answers.
Three criminal organisations, one "dust" drug from dead people and a lot of intrigues. Killing, torturing, betraying, scheming and all that crime stuff we usually like. The second book is about building the final storm. I enjoyed that, though it's nothing I'm excited about.
The conclusion of the Bone Parish is here. I believe I'm not spoiling anything by saying it's "last man standing" type of story finale. It's thrilling and ruthless and it has a fast tempo. I enjoyed it. I did. But I'm lucky to read Bone Parish as a whole. I generally try to avoid reading by issues. And if I would read Bone Parish from issue to issue, I would never enjoy or finish it. As a whole, I enjoyed it. I expected something deeper, more complex, but it's just simple gang war with paranormal touch story accompanied by neat art. But it was (eventually) fun.
A rushed, explosive conclusion to the very good Bone Parish series. As with any tale of drug kingpins, affairs end poorly for pretty much everyone. Kind of remarkably poorly, actually - I really expected someone to come out on top. A little disappointing, maybe?
At least the battles are brutal and the revenge is sweet. And the art for the series overall is exceptional. The Ash is essentially forgotten at this point, aggressively underexplained and underexplored. Oh well, the Bone Parish series was still a rollicking read, even if it left a key plot element in the dust.
Reprints Issues #9-12. The big finale. When the illicit family drug business mixes it up with organized crime and the Mexican cartel things get bloody. Retaliation after retaliation. A fitting end to the story, a clever blend of horror and crime with an inventive premise: snort the dead's ashes and relive their memories. I loved this saga. Sorry to see it end, although the final issue does leave an opening for a new story.
An intense, brutal conclusion to the story, with some doors left open if Cullen wanted to return to this title in the future. I won't say I was entirely satisfied, I wish the Ash was more integral to these last four issues, but still enjoyable.