Review: Bunny Mask Is a Compelling Mix Of The Horrifying And Bizarre

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Bunny Mask #1!

AfterShock’s Bunny Mask is terrifying enough to satiate veteran horror buffs and so utterly bizarre that the series keeps even the most perceptive readers guessing as to what’s actually happening and why.

The first issue of AfterShock’s Bunny Mask by writer Paul Tobin and artist Andrea Mutti introduces a young girl named Bee Foster who falls victim to the twisted and abusive tendencies of her father, Leo. Bee doesn’t suffer alone, however, as she is soon accompanied by child safety nurse Tyler Severin when his wellness checkup takes an unfortunate turn. Leo kills Tyler’s partner and forces him to dig in an underground area called the Snitch’s Cave. They must dig because of what the Snitch tells Leo who fervently believes they will find the truth as long as they continue chipping away at the lies.

During his month-long imprisonment, Bee disappears, causing Tyler to believe Leo killed her and that he’ll meet the same fate until he stumbles upon a much larger cave filled with ancient markings on its walls. This discovery only excites Leo in the worst possible way, unfortunately, which Tyler pays for. It’s quite likely that Tyler would have died soon afterward had a strange girl wearing the eponymous bunny mask not appeared. Not only is her appearance and movements oddly unsettling, but the fact that she continually asks if there is a sickness doesn’t sit well with Tyler. The only time the girl stops her incessant questioning is when Tyler says that Leo is sick, to which she responds by killing him. All of this is weird and utterly bizarre on its own, but things get even stranger in the AfterShock series when the mask-wearing girl starts licking his wounds.

The abundance of questions, paired with the absolute strangeness of the entire situation is enough to keep readers waiting with bated breath for AfterShock’s next issue. Is Bee really dead? If so, who is the artist? And who in the world is the girl in the bunny mask? Even without these burning questions, it’s impossible for readers who are even just slightly intrigued by the macabre and the bizarre to not, at the very least, entertain the idea of reading more.

Those who suffer from Schizophrenia and other mental maladies rarely commit crimes, let alone violent ones, and are far more likely to be victims than perpetrators, which makes the rare cases like Leo all the more fascinating. It’s one reason why characters like DC’s Joker resonates with so many people. Then there’s the titular Bunny Mask that creates an unnerving contrast. Bunnies are usually adorable little creatures but here that symbol of innocence is morbid and disturbing. Bunny Mask is a perfect blend of horror and the bizarre.

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