Behind every great fortune there’s a great crime.
Creative Staff:
Story: Anthony Bourdain, Joel Rose
Art: Alberto Ponticelli, Vanessa Del Rey
Colors: Jose Villarrubia
Letterer: Sal Cipriano
What They Say:
On a dark, haunted night, a Russian oligarch dares a circle of international chefs to play the samurai game of 100 Candles–where each storyteller spins a terrifying tale of ghosts, demons and unspeakable beings–and prays to survive the challenge.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The return of Karen Berger to editing comics is something that warms my heart considering what Vertigo meant to me (and a great many others) and I’ve been anticipating the first round of books under her guidance. Hungry Ghosts from Anthony Bourdain and Joel Rose is something that plays well as we get one of the Japanese games from ages ago with 100 Candles at the forefront. This allows for some strong creativity as we get a range of stories each issue as standalone tales that are connected to something bigger. It also allows for a rotating group of artists to tell the tales with Alberto Ponticelli setting things up and telling the first story while Vanessa Del Rey takes us through a savage second story. It’s familiar enough for those that delve into Japanese culture but is told with tales beyond that which opens it up even more.
The general setting is one that lets Bourdain’s own views shine through in fun ways as we get a wealthy Russian billionaire that has paid for a group of high end chefs to cook for an event with hanger-ons and friends. It’s all for charity so there’s some good to it which even the chef’s agree with but they’re talking outside of the party in the kitchen about the Russian and his wealth as well as just how terrible jobs like this are because it’s clearly not the reasons they got into this profession. But it’s something that can go a long way toward bigger things but also because charity is something that a good number of them believe it. When the meal winds down it takes us into the stage where the chefs are all invited to the table as the Russian opens everything to them with a very old drink while beginning the tale. You know there must be a darker angle to this but it’s the setup right now.
The two tales are pretty good with Ponticelli telling the first one that’s far too familiar to me about a homeless man that goes to a restaurant begging for food but is turned away as it’s after hours. There’s that lack of humanity there in helping the man in need and the reveal that he’s something far darker is no surprise as I’ve seen this one told many times in manga and anime. It’s the second one that I liked a lot more as the woman of the chef group takes up the tale of a woman rescued by pirates back in the day that finds herself about to be used by all of them. Her acquiescence throws them off but she has a darker goal in mind and a whole lot of balls being gobbled up along the way. Del Rey’s artwork is gorgeous here as it fits the time period well and has a certain curviness and rawness to it that just leaps off the page, making you feel every bite and every bit of pain but also just the feel and smell of what it must have been like there. The twist on it is also a bit familiar but the tale being told when and where it is gives it a bit of a fresher feeling and the style of it is a good contrast to that first one.
In Summary:
While there is a lot of familiar here for me as I’ve watched full series and read full manga works that basically tell this tale, I’m enjoying this opening take on it from a Western perspective. The first story is a little too familiar for my tastes but Ponticelli’s artwork and the framing of the larger setting is spot on and engaging. The second story with Vanessa Del Rey’s artwork is the highlight for me as it serves up the cruelty all around and the blindness of many. With this being just four issues it should be a solid little anthology style series with some good stories and great artwork based on the lineup so far. I’m eager to see more even if there is that air of familiarity about a lot of it.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 17+
Released By: Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: January 31st, 2018
MSRP: $3.99
