Lenore: Cooties HC Review
Writer, Artist, Colorist & Letterer:
Publisher: Titan Comics
Price: $17.99 US/£12.99 UK/$22.00 CAN
Included In:
Boxed Set: 336 pages, FC, $59.99
ISBN: 9781787748507
Release Date: November 11, 2025
Lenore was a little girl who died but mysteriously awakened
on the embalming table. Her parents neither understood this miracle nor how it
changed her personality. So, Lenore lives alone in the family home until she
mends a doll and awakens the spirit trapped within. Like Lenore, Ragamuffin
once had a life. But the vampire lacks fangs, cannot drink blood, and is a
cuddly keepsake stuffed with cotton.
Lenore and Ragamuffin had many adventures. The stuffed doll
cared for her, even if she didn’t always treat it nicely. But then Lenore got a
second chance at death. How will Ragamuffin and her friends cope in her
absence? And will they travel to the afterlife to rejoin her? Let’s leap into
Lenore: Cooties HC and see!
Story
Everyone assesses their relationships differently. Even
though Lenore disliked Mr. Gosh, he remained devoted to her. He marks the
second anniversary of her passing with a visit to her grave. But while her
unrequited lover prefers to sit around and discuss his feelings, Ragamuffin
exhumes Lenore’s grave and revives her. She’s happy to be unalive again. Still,
Lenore dislikes it when Ragamuffin disrespects the worm slowly eating her
brain.
In Lenore: Cooties HC, the Dark Overlord of Heck hates souls
escaping his domain. So, he commissions the bounty hunter Pooty to retrieve
Lenore. But when Pooty reaches the surface and finds Lenore, he finds her
better company than the Dark Overlord and his fellow demons. So Pooty decides
to stick around and play Parcheesi.
Roman Dirge packed the early issues collected in Lenore:
Noogies HC with one and two-page stories. Then, he gradually increased the
length of the later stories collected in Lenore: Wedgies HC. Each of the four
issues collected in this third volume features one long story and a couple of
shorter tales. These stories speak to each other as they build the
relationships between Lenore, Ragamuffin, and Pooty.
While establishing Lenore, Ragamuffin, and Pooty as a trio
to rival Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and Dr. McCoy, Roman's stories portray Lenore
as a girl caught between two worlds. As Ragamuffin and Pooty recognize that
Lenore has made their lives better, other friends also value her presence in
their lives. And the Dark Overlord tries to drag her back to Heck, Lenore's
friends risk their lives to protect the walking dead girl in Lenore: Cooties
HC.
Art
When Ragamuffin digs her up, Lenore's dazzled eyes and smile
disturb him. Then the little blond girl with skull barrettes and a black dress
removes her death mask. Ragamuffin shares Lenore’s black and white coloring and
big eyes. But Pooty proves that opposites attract, as the demon has cutouts in
his bucket head where eyes and his mouth should be. While Taxidermy makes a
return, readers also meet Lenore’s long-lost sister. The spitting image of
Lenore, Ouchi Boo Boo wears a nurse's uniform and wields hypodermic needles
like a ninja.
Roman Dirge provides some touchstones for his franchise that
will echo through later stories. Familiar elements, such as the mice in "A
Nice, Cozy, Lazy Summer" and "Hickory Dickory Dock," recall
Lenore's earlier adventures. The coloring in these collected issues is less
vibrant than in Lenore: The Time War HC, evoking restrained coloring on toned
paper. Yet the girl’s Addams Family-style house and the Well of Souls return in
Lenore: Curse of the Beebee Yaga #1.
Roman Dirge places black letters in dialogue balloons and
narrative boxes or writes them into panel backgrounds. Dialogue and exposition
come in a variety of styles and occasionally overtake panels. Sound effects
enhance Lenore’s search for interest and fun, while demonstrating her
impatience with people who irritate her.
Extras
An essay detailing Lenore’s journey
appears halfway through Lenore: Cooties HC. Beautifully colored portraits of
Roman's ever-enlarging cast bolster this volume, while a Dope Ass Tattoo Flash
page appears in each issue. A guest artist gallery also lets other creators
share their love of Lenore. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a physical
copy for review.
Final Thoughts
Amid the stories collected in Lenore: Cooties HC, the
continuing "Things Involving Me" detail Roman Dirge's wilder
adventures and provide glimpses of his upbringing. After Neil Gaiman explains
why he likes Lenore and writes horror in his introduction, these insights into
Roman Dirge's childhood suggest why he continues to craft these darkly comedic
tales in Lenore: Cooties HC.
Rating 9.4/10
To look inside see my preview of Lenore: Slipcase Set.
