BAD MEDICINE

Realities of Indigenous life delivered via ghastly campfire stories.

Author and illustrator Twin, a member of the Swan River First Nation, a Cree community in Alberta, plays with light, shadow, and genre in his debut graphic novel. With the flick of a lighter, readers are transported to a dark riverside where a group of Cree teens, illuminated only by the flames of a campfire, start telling stories. There are the usual suspects—mischievous spirits, a ghost, shapeshifters, and demons. By paying special attention to water and the weather, Twin ensures that readers are reminded of the vastness of nature and the consequences of disrespecting it. Drawing from Cree folklore, he helps readers recognize that the monsters of the Indigenous world are often rooted in reality. With enough ghastly supernatural images to appease true horror fans, the book also takes a journey into the real-life issues haunting Indigenous people, with its nods to breaking the cycles of intergenerational trauma and highlighting the underrepresentation of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in public awareness. This graphic novel is the rare sort of work that can be read and digested easily but that also provides the cautionary tales and allegory that elevate horror to something that remains long after one has finished reading. The visually appealing and atmospheric artwork sustains the narrative through many spreads that feature little or no text.

Blood and gore, sure—but also a lot of emotional substance.