THE TERRIFYING TALES OF VIVIAN VANCE

A young would-be sleuth faces supposedly mythical monsters who turn out to be not just real, but shockingly familiar.

Vivian has long dismissed the tales she and other Pensmouth kids have always heard from their parents about shape-shifting Flesh-Takers roaming the streets at night. Then she actually witnesses one eating a man who’s down on his luck in a seedy neighborhood. As an ambitious high school sophomore, she seizes on the chance of qualifying for the town’s Greater Achiever Program by finding the creature’s lair. Ulrich pitches his intrepid protagonist into situations of extreme peril as well as developing friendships with street orphans Leon, Zack, and Jacob, whom she initially strongarms into helping out. He spins an investigative yarn as thrilling as it is edifying, complete with clever sleuthing, shocking revelations, and a disquieting closing twist. Along with having a knack for crafting fantastically nightmarish monsters, the author/illustrator also shows a rare talent for artfully using reaction shots, wordless sequences, page turns, and changes of body language and facial expression both to ratchet up the suspense and to fill in his characters’ nuances and backstories. Fans of gory horror in general (and the Buffy the Vampire Slayer aesthetic in particular) will be well pleased by the violent plot and acerbic teen banter. Leon and Jacob have brown skin; the other major cast members, including Vivian and her disabled single dad, present white.

A fizzy mix of courageous exploits and really creepy creatures.