Ivan Velez Jr.

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

It took me a few pages to even figure out what DEAD HIGH YEARBOOK was about, but once I did, I was hooked. Call me sick, call me gruesome, call me whatever you like, but this is Stephen King mixed with Kill Bill with a dash of Twilight Zone thrown in for good luck. It's definitely not intended for anyone under the age of fourteen, but for older teens who enjoy their comics with a dash of gory horror, this book will surely do the trick.

DEAD HIGH YEARBOOK is set up like an actual high school yearbook, except for one main difference - the yearbook staff are all dead, and they're the actual subjects of the book. Several authors and illustrators have worked together to create the book, with individual stories that give the background into each staff member's sad demise.

GORE-IENTATION: WELCOME TO DEAD HIGH by Ivan Velez, art by Shawn Martinbrough - Learn just what you're in for.

FEAR PRESSURE by John Rozum, art by Wilfred Santiago - The bullied skinny geek and the taunted fat girl get some unwelcome help.

WHAT'S GOT INTO GRANDMA? by Ho Che Anderson, art by Brian Hurtt - Grandma's not taking death so well.

DEVIL DOG OF THE DAMNED by Jennifer Camper, art by ChrisCross - The spoiled princess wanted a dog for her birthday, and got a little more than she bargained for.

FANG YOU SO VERY MUCH by Wilfred Santiago, art by Nicola Scott - Petty theft just turned into a very sticky situation.

HAVE A NICEY ICEE LAST DAY by Mark McVeigh, art by Pop Mhan - The popular kids get caught up in a nasty love triangle.

WHO ARE YOU HAVING FOR DINNER? by Papo Martin, art by Wilfred Santiago - Befriending the new kid just might get you killed.

HEAD OF THE CLASS by Jacqueline Ching & Papo Martin, art by Ho Che Anderson - Why let taking the SATs go to your head?

GOOD-BYE AND GOOD LUCK by Ivan Velez, art by Shawn Martinbrough - The staff departs in preparation for another year.

All in all, I have to say that this was an entertaining (if bloody) way to spend an hour.… (mais)

This and Gaimen's "Creatures of the Night" were my first forays into graphic novels. Incidentally, both of these had a distinct horror bent and were done in short story format. Though I feel that I will have to read much more into this genre to do reviewing any justice, I'm gonna give it a go.

Dead High Yearbook is a supernatural journey through the lives of high school students and their unfortunate encounters with death. Sometimes funny, often sad, and always dark, these stories make social commentary on peer pressure, popularity, and bigotry. In one story a lonely boy neglects his ailing grandmother for one measly hour to make a friend and returns to find her dead. But she certainly doesn't stay that way and she wants his cat for nourishment. He returns in a later story when it turns out the friend he so desperately wanted and her family are zombies. And they have invited him... to dinner...

I really enjoyed this collection better than Gaimen/Zulli's for some reason. I thought the illustrations were campy in a fabulous way and the stories were really very clever. I had to stop thinking about this as a novel though and almost more like a children's picture book, paying attention to layout and text placement as well as the story. This book integrates the two well with only a few blocks seeming confusing or out of order to me. Perhaps its just my newness with the genre. But I would recommend this as a good jumping off point to anyone starting their first foray into graphic novels.… (mais)

I had to read this book for a YA lit class, and it was my first foray into the graphic novel (but not my last)...Dead high tells the story of a high school yearbook club where the students featured in the yearbook are all dead. From the young boy who is killed by his zombie neighbors to the teenage girl who takes a “magic pill” to lose weight, the entire staff of the yearbook has all met some sort of horrible death, usually brought on by themselves...this book would be entertaining to teens - once, but I doubt that it would be read over and over again. To save money, I'd check it out of the library.… (mais)