Beware the Teen Plague! Black Hole by Charles Burns is Great Body Horror 

Black Hole is one of my favorites. It's still one of the most affecting comics I've ever read in terms of how visceral it is, both emotionally and physically. It's a really potent depiction of adolescent anxieties about burgeoning physicality and social ostracization, accentuated by Charles Burns' phenomenal art, which really evokes the style of classic EC horror comics. Thanks for bringing it to more attention, it really deserves it.

For those interested, There was a short film (possibly proof of concept) of Black Hole. It is the part in the comic book where Keith goes to his drug dealer's house and meets Eliza. I won't put the link here, but if you search RU-vid for Charles Burns Teen Horror - BLACK HOLE (hosted on Xurxo Avila's channel) you should find it.

Thanks for the video Chris. Black Hole is definitely horror. I always pictured someone like Cronenberg directing an adaptation to screen because of the gnarly body horror it deals with. I haven't read it in a while, but it makes every major publication's top horror comics must read lists.

Black Hole was a instant classic when it first came out and still is :P

One of the best comic titles hands down. The art is stunning and it’s such a creepy read. Burns lived in the same city as me and his wife taught painting at my university. He’ll go into super tiny shops and sell his comics on consignment too. Great dude.

Oh yes! One of the first collected editions I bought. So happy you gave it an episode, more people should read this masterpiece.

Good stuff. Extremely fascinating. I read it while I was stoned and I listened to "Midnight in A Perfect World" by DJ Shadow as I did. A great experience over all. I love the '70s era setting, and I love how clean and precise the inks are.

i got this book when i was 16 , 14 years later , stil amazed! i can remember the vibe it gave and how much more sense in makes to me now, such an amazing little peace of work needs more attention and how amazing if there was a screen play to these of a series of tv, or film , can see the art design departments going ham on this one , very insprising little bit of work and like a warm hug ive come back to it , thanks for this little break down of the book lovely to see such love for this graphic noval xo

My intro to Charles Burns was the Dog Boy shorts on Mtv's Liquid Television back in the 90's, although I wouldn't actually read the source comic until many years later in the Burns anthology, Skin Deep. I love how retro and weird his art is.

Black Hole is a good one for people who don't care for comic books. It's contained, no need to know decades of lore, great art, and a page turner. Another great episode!!

Black Hole might be my #1 comic book. I will never forget the mood it creates and feelings it evokes. Never had anything close in this medium. Amazing art and script.

Is there a video on Charles Burns’s Last Look trilogy?

Very interesting, it's certainly something that I wouldn't discover on my own. Horror comics feel much more intense than movies or tv for me, like the greater use of imagination and involvement with the story and art make it deeply moving so I approach them with some caution. Great episode as always

Black Hole was one of the first comics I read that absolutely disturbed me

One of the greatest horror comics.

I know him from stuff he published in Heavy Metal mag, like Hard boiled and El Borbah. I like his woodcut style graphics! He is unique.

Nice to see all the Charles Burns fans here. I got this 12 issue run in flawless near mint 9.8's, unread, and first prints. Very rare! I would sell my left nut before I sold these books! 11 year's of perfection, NOBODY IN COMICS has the finesse and style of letting the black invade the white on the pages like Burns does. He is is truly a genius, i have damn collected everything he has touched. He also a fan of the band, The Residents, which flows into Tear Garden that then flows into Skinny Puppy! Long live Charles Burns. A master at the black and white flow shadow.

‘Black Hole’ will become a movie one day. I look forward to that. Charles Burns’ ‘Xd Out’ is pretty good too, if you wanted to consider covering that.

I started Black Hole when it came out but, over the course of the decade that it took to finish, a lot of life happened and I just wasn't able to keep up. Maybe one day! Love Burns and feel like "no easy answers" is just his style. El Borbah was my entry to his work (yes, I'm old as dirt) and that stuff was as oblique as Black Hole or more recent works, as X'ed Out. Great episode and, hey, really dig that new COMIC TROPES logo! Very cool!

This was one of the first Indy comics I bought way back in the day. Loved these comics.

Still have a lingering daydream of Davids Lynch or Cronenberg adapting Black Hole someday.

That's a superb breakdown, Chris. Thanks for covering one of Charles Burns' best works.

I read about this as a kid in an issue of Wizard World and finally got around to actually reading it a few years ago. One of my favorite comic series. Amazingly rendered art and a complex, unflinching, heartfelt story.

I love that you show me an Comic i never heard of every while Thank you!

Thanks for your knowledge. I gain new info on comics from this page. Here's a deep dive; will you ever cover the underground comic "Ralph Snart". In the late 80s, I used to buy them from the High's gas stations with my allowance.

One of my favourite comics. Artwork is beautiful and disturbing in equal measure. Its cool to see it covered all these years later.

I read this a couple years ago. I was first interested in it after reading about in an article and checking out some of the art. But when I read it I was not ready for the sensual yet grotesque directions the story would go. A truly exquisite book that I recommend to everybody. In addition to body horror, it also reminds me of a contemporary French horror film by the name of Raw (2016) which tackles similar themes. I would love to see that director tackle this material for the screen

First time reading it I was disturbed but also found it understandable to my youth.

Great video, Chris! Thanks for the mini Japanese lesson about the gaikoku no manga(gaiman) award.

Got to read this in my Graphic Novel class in college. Glad I did!

I just read this last month, a stellar read! Glad to have finally tackled it.

Reread this a few months ago. Regardless of genres this is one of the best of all time.

Thank you!!! Hopefully Black Hole and Charles Burns will get more recognition thanks to your video

I just have issue 4 of this. I’ve always wanted to read more but this was the only issue I ever found in the wild. Thanks for the synopsis. I think I’ll start to look a little harder for the rest of the story

Just want to shout out the small details like changing his backgrounds to match the theme of the episode!

I just finished reading it. It'll throw you threw a loop, man. It's really good and the art was beautiful. Very mature book.

I picked this one up a couple years ago, when I kept seeing it on "best horror comics" lists. Happy to hear your thoughts on it. Excellent analysis as always!

I've eyed this a few times. I'll definitely have to check it out.

When is someone gonna make a movie of this book. Also Clowes’s A Velvet Glove Cast in Iron.

*_The single issues of this book are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED over the paperback, as the pages in the single issues are 100% pure black and 100% white and the pages have a shine to them. The paperback is charcoal and off-white and matte paper._* Edit for grammer.

Thanks! This is now on my reading list.

An Absolute Favorite, Great Comic. Nice presentation and analysis.

I just got #12 and finished the hunt for these issues. It's one of my favorites in my collection. Those issues look so good, especially in the thick clear backing boards!

Great video! This may be random, but I would love to see you cover all of Jim Starlins Thanos books! Thanos Quest, Thanos(2003), Thanos Infinity Finale, Thanos Infinity Ending, etc.

Time to re-read this! First time I liked it, but it was repulsive and I wasn't sure how I felt; definitely good, but middling. Then it grew on me the more I thought of it. Decidedly loved it. So now I need to get back at it!

Great review, as always. It's been over 10 years since I read Black Hole, now I really want to reread it.

I have several of the original kitchen sink comics issues of Black Hole just sitting there. I have yet to open them. I think I'll read them soon.

8:06 The infected teen just spit in that guy's mouth and his silhouette is definitely phallic in that frame. It's like a bizarre and bad gay sexual assault experience. Yikes

Great comic-it definitely stuck with me. Love the video!

I absolutely loved Curse of The Mole Men and Blood Club by Charles Burns!

thats somehow similar to the horrors of junji ito

the way the art is drawn and angles makes me wonder if he was inspired by junji ito

Great as ever, Chris.

This was the first comic I read, definitely a strange jumping off point!

I WAS LITERALLY DISCUSSING THIS ON FRIDAY LOL, IT'S LIKE CHRIS READ MY MIND

I have never read this and will be looking into it.

I remember finding this in the CHILDREN's section of the library (because comics are for kids?)

Hell yes!!! This is one of my favorites. NOW PLEASE DO ALFIE!

We love ya Chris!!

Black Hole is amazing, I was buying it when was originally being released. Not sure I ever finished it tho, and I gave all my comics away long ago. I should buy the collected edition and re-read it just in case I never finished it.

Really cool! Got a good gift idea for my wife now :-)

Another great episode, thanks so much!

I'd love to hear your take on Chester Brown's Ed the Happy Clown

For some goddamn reason (probably Angouleme) this american indy comic was one of the first one localized in Russia, at least when it was still new to us. It blew my mind back then. Amazing art with heavy inks, amazing creepy story. It showed me that comic books can be so much more than just superhero stuff.

Please do BlackLung. That pirate comic. It was a super disturbing read.

Sounds insteresting, I'll check it out sometime. not all that related outside of body horror themes, but have you read FACE by Milligan and Fegredo?

Man, I had chills just by watching this video. What would happen if I read the actual comic?

I will have to recommend this to the graphic novel book club I belong to. Creepiest classic I can think of offhand. Happy (?) Halloween 🎃 🤪

A Pretty Good One! Hounting and DEEP!

Please do a video on Amar Chitra Katha and Tinkle

Love the Halloween videos!

Apparently David Fincher wanted to adapt this book at one point

Just some thoughts on possible future golden and silver age character vids. 1. We all know of Wife Beating Hank Pym but what about super manipulative Janet Van Dyne? Her first appearance is strange as all get out if you really read it. And her manipulation to get to Hank to actually marry her. Actually, she seemed to be constantly manipulating Hank in the 60s appearances. 2. Quality's Miss America, her costume changed every episode. and her origin ...? 3. Quality's Neon the Unknown - his origin is out there! 4. Captain Flag's origin. Rival Black Condor is weird bird origins. 5. Compare MLJ's The Fox with Spider-Man. Spooky job similarities. 6. Timely's Blue Diamond's origin. 7. Quality's non-origin of Joe Hercules. 8. Actually almost every Timely characters' appearances since so many of them only appeared 1-6 times and their origins and stories are really out there. 9. Fatman, the Human Flying Saucer.

Cool episode! Frightfully original series from an imaginative creator. Could've used a little more background and bio on Mr Burns especially on what he's doing now.✨

Thanks Chris

Ohh gosh I just love ur videos

I can definitely see Junji Ito being influenced by Burns. This comic came out so infrequently it was a shock when it was on the shelf. 10 years for 12 issues. I still haven't read it as one complete story. Just as 12 seperate chapters over a decade of my life. I'm still a big fan of Charles Burns and I hope he's working on a new book.

Ill have to pick this up. I'm familiar with Eightball.

Huh. That this kind of story came out of the same environment that birthed grunge really makes sense. Very visceral and uncomfortably disturbing.

Am glad you reviewed this. Great insight. I personally didn't like the book as much. To me it started real strong but didn't care much for the ending.

Are you planning to do something on the Ed Gein graphic novel

I'm sold!

I get some Jim Woodring out of Burns' art.

Great video! Just one question : why is it called "Black Hole"?

If the creator of this video wants any ideas, I am interested in learning about the comic series from the 2000s called Bi-Polar. I was only able to buy 3 issues of it back in 2003 and after that I don't know what happened to it.

Ah wish the video had been three times as long!

It's a good thing that this comic is nebulous with its meaning and message. Because that's what your teenage years are. Nebulous. You have no idea what you're doing, your brain and your body are taking turns bashing you over the back of the head and the best you can do is try your best to survive. At least a mutating STD you can see, maybe you can theoretically do something about it. Most other parts of being a teenager aren't that nice.

Oh, horror! He said horror... I thought this episode was going to go in a completely different direction.

Oh Yeah!

Another banger!

Cool video.

Fun Fact: It was also featured in the film: Dawn of The Planet of The Apes.

Man this comic was kind of a pain to get through. I take it it might be finished now... don't really feel like finishing though haha.

Can you do a video on dan slott

I read Black Hole as a teen. I’m asexual so I could never fully relate to that teenage aspect of the story but it definitely made me think quite a lot. And very effecting art too! I love his style.

Cool video

Wow

Hey Chris, thanks so much for putting such care and effort into your content. I have loved watching your videos as I’ve developed a passion for comics since lockdown. I just wrote a song called Gwen Stacy - the idea behind the song is confessing feeling for your drug dealer through the lens of a Spider-Man comic. Would be really cool if you checked it out! All the best 🙌🏼

oh hi, you caught me awkwardly teaching you the facts of life!

Ooh.