DRIFTING CLASSROOM HC VOL 01

One of our Gosh! Best of 2019 titles! Not technically a new book, having originally been released in 1972, but this beautiful new hardcover release from Viz of the Umezz (sometimes Umezu) manga classic is the perfect excuse to check out one of the great horror comics, complete with a great new translation. The set-up? A middle-grade school is mysteriously transported into a wasteland of ash and must survive against the monsters without and, as the societal norms break down, the monsters within. If you've never read Umezu before, he is considered the grand master of Japanese horror comics, an essential influence on the likes of Junji Ito, and this is one of his masterpieces. Unflinching, blackly comedic and brimming with alarming amounts of energy as horrible things happen to unlikeable children and their teachers, it's a must read whether you're familiar with manga or not.