Mirror Mirror 2

Mirror Mirror #2

by Julia Gfrörer (Editor), Sean T. Collins (Editor), Dame Darcy

For volume two of 2dcloud's annual anthology, editors Julia Gfrörer & Sean T. Collins have amassed some of the darkest talents within as well as outside of comics to create a wholly singular reading and visual experience. From masters of horror like Clive Barker to leading figures in altcomics such as Simon Hanselmann, this collection transcends the expectations of what a comics anthology can do.

In addition to Barker and Hanselmann, this volume will showcase work by: Lala Albert, Heather Benjamin, Apolo Cacho, Sean Christensen, Nicole Claveloux, Al Columbia, Dame Darcy, Noel Freibert, Renee French, Meaghan Garvey, Julia Gfrörer (with Claude Paradin), Aidan Koch, Laura Lannes, Céline Loup, Uno Moralez, Mou, Jonny Negron, Chloe Piene, Josh Simmons, Carol Swain, and Trungles.

Julia Gfrörer was born in 1982 in Concord, New Hampshire. Her work has appeared in Thickness, Arthur Magazine, Study Group Magazine, Black Eye, Kramers Ergot, and multiple volumes of Best American Comics. Her debut graphic novel, Black is the Color, was published by Fantagraphics Books.

Sean T. Collins has written for Rolling Stone, Wired, Vulture, Esquire, BuzzFeed, and The Comics Journal. His comics have been published by Marvel, DC, Top Shelf, Study Group, and Youth in Decline. He lives with his daughter on Long Island.

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

200 pages, Paperback

First published May 16, 2017

About the author

Julia Gfrörer is an American cartoonist, graphic novelist, illustrator, and author. Her work is often transgressive, invoking occult themes within an ambience of subtly observed historicist concerns.

Reviews

[Nate D]

Good October viewing -- horror and erotic threads blending through a mix of narrative, art, and abstraction. Notable for coming out the other side of diy comics with a broader vision -- this must be Baltimore-based because I recognize several old Closed Caption Comics faces, but the reach cuts across place and era to bring in new work from the likes of Nicole Claveloux (!), Al Columbia, Clive Barker, along with more commonly anthologized highlights like Simon Hanselmann, Adian Koch, and Uno Moralez.

[MariNaomi]

This anthology is sexy and creepy and grotesque and horrific and porny and just absolutely wonderful.

[Bill Hsu]

Love the book design, though there are some odd choices. Al Columbia of course (mostly in his Pim and Francie style), Julia Gfrörer, Apolo Cacho, and a couple of the Clive Barker drawings.

[John Reynolds]

Depressingly bad and way overpriced. I love Julia Gfrörer's work (as well as most of the others in this collection), but this was a misfire.

Almost every cartoonist in this collection looks guilty of phoning it in. Normally talented and hard working cartoonists like Simon Hanselmann and Julia herself seem to do the bare minimum. Even Al Columbia whose work is the only stand out looks like he's just publishing reprints.

There are so many great cartoonists in this book that I will sometimes pull it off the bookshelf and open it again hoping it will somehow be good this time. Because there is no way they could all drop the ball like this. But I'm disappointed every time.

This review is a warning: if you must get this, get it used and as cheap as you can.

[Robert]

Fab to see new work here from Dame Darcy (didn't realize how much I miss regularly reading her work), Josh Simmons, Trungles, Noel Friebert, and others. Overall this is a solid, well-curated anthology of straight up horror-y comics, semi-opaque mood pieces, and macabre art, including several pages by Clive Barker.

[Aaron]

I was really disappointed with this anthology. I looked forward to it for months, and finally getting my hands on it, I'm left wanting. It has a consistent aesthetic and works in that regard, but the storytelling was lacking. Few of the stories and pieces felt complete. The best review I can give is "interesting."

[Rick Ray]

Mirror Mirror II is a horror anthology that lives up to the heights of the great ones like Taboo or Death Rattle. Collected in this volume are works from major talents like Julia Gfrörer, Aidan Koch, Al Columbia, Clive Barker, Noel Friebert, Josh Simmons, Simon Hanselmann and more. It's so stacked with great work that one might even forget to mention the series of lurid paintings from the legendary Nicole Claveloux are collected in here.

My favorite piece in here is the Mou story entitled "Empty Handed" and Josh Simmons' "The Cave". Al Columbia's Pim & Francie strips are always a delight as well, as was Meghan Garvey's "Everytime". There's a lot of lurid, terrifying and erotic pieces in here to make the thematic connection of highlighting the darker reflection of humanity all that more potent. Great stuff in this anthology, with more pieces than not connecting with me.

[Dave Schaafsma]

I somehow missed this several years ago, an annual collection by 2Cloud of alt comix, with a theme of horror/erotica, though not limited to that. The huge highlights include rare work from Al Columbia, one of the real comics horror masters of all time (though some here appears to be Pim & Gracie reprints, but I don't care, its worth it to be that creeped out by his twisting of early twentieth century comix into nightmares). Other faves include work from editor-of-this-volume Julia Gfrorer, Dame Darcy, Nicole Claveloux, Renee French, Aidan Koch, Céline Loup, and there's some work here from probably the most famous horror person in the volume, none other than Clive Barker, though I like his stuff less well than many others.

[clouders]

i leanded this to my roommate anna and its sitting on their bookshelf now, I need to remember to ask for it back so I can re-read it and come up with a 'proper' review -- laura lannes' story is what sticks out in my memory for me, the book started out with a bang. xo

[Jeff Lewonczyk]

Wonderful, weird, funny, disturbing comics anthology focusing on the intersection of the erotic and the horrific.

[el]

An ok series of erotic short graphic stories.

[Rob McMonigal]

Simply amazing collection of dark, erotic-tinged horror. One of my favorite comics of 2017.

[Moon Captain]

spooOOooooky strips..!
best parts imo: Nicole Clavilou, the megahex one sorry I always forget the authors name argh, Al Columbia (it's not new material though), Josh Simmons

[Aditya]

Lame, not even creepy

[Brian O'Connell]

An exemplar collection of erotic weird/horror fiction, gorgeously illustrated. Highlights include Laura Lannes' twisted, violent "Love"; Nicole Claveloux's unsettling series of sexual demons and landscapes; Sean Christensen's uneasy and haunting yet undeniably and palpably erotic "Images Intimately"; Renee French's nightmarish "Sunday Night"; Julia Gfrörer's "Heroic Devices" (one of the book's most fascinating pieces); Trungles' sensual, folktale-esque "Shifts"; Al Columbia's disturbing cartoonish vignettes; and Josh Simmons' typically morally uncomfortable "The Cave". Layered and complicated and definitely worth revisiting; probably a classic. Highly recommended.

[꧍꧍-2 Integrated history-horizon Second]

I didn't like most of the novels, but some panels are mindblowing. Fairly short due to being a graphical novel, I recommend you try for yourself.