As a child, Berger took on an unpleasant challenge that gave rise to his nickname. It also changes him forever, and as an adult he is very alone, apart from what’s in his head.
Writer Ben Canny and artist Gorkrom, the creators of Burger, have created a deeply disturbing tale of body horror. By the end of this first issue, we go to some incredibly surreal and downright gruesome places.
Berger’s story is told from his perspective. Given his unstable mental state (to say the least), we end up going through a very varied journey with Golcrom in terms of the different styles he adopts. Creepy, depictions of children with gaping grins, page borders made up of intestines, and extreme close-ups of intimate acts, to name just a few, are truly impressive if you have the stomach for it. This is a work. Shadows and distortion are used well throughout, reflecting Berger’s increasingly troubled (and troubling) mental state.
Certainly, this is not a story for the faint of heart. Junji Ito’s influence is clear from the cover, but there are many others the creator names, including David Cronenberg, David Lynch, and William S. Burroughs. Sure, the vivid, nightmarish, dreamlike surrealism and gruesome body horror are familiar to fans of these artists, but Berger still manages to capture the altered mind of a severely disabled individual. It feels like a uniquely nightmarish descent into the body.
If you’re a fan of Ito, or of the work of Cronenberg, Lynch, or Burroughs, you’ll definitely find these pages full of fascinating images and happenings. “Enjoying” might not be the right word, but I was impressed by the boldness of the story, the darkest of black humor, and how it was all beautifully presented visually.
The story will be told over six issues, with the second issue currently being crowdfunded through Kickstarter. If you haven’t yet boarded this horrifying nightmare train, we have a catch-up bundle for you. If you’re a fan of particularly graphic body horror with substance, given the underlying themes around toxic masculinity and the growing danger of the alt-right, Burger is almost certainly right up your bloody street. Dew.
Thank you to Running Ground Studios for providing me with a copy of Burger #1 for review. I don’t need to pre-emptively thank them for the nightmare that will definitely come from reading this.
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