For Japanese horror manga fans the name Hideshi Hino can stir a variety of responses. Hino's unique style leans toward the grotesque, and his his stories usually lean toward more monsters, pus and disease than ghosts and long-haired schoolgirl demons.

What separates Hino from other legends like guro-king Suehiro Maruo and Tomie-writer Junji Ito is his less realistic and more cartoony art-style. Think Garbage Pail Kids with the gross-factor multiplied 100 times.

But to label Hino as simply gross is ignoring the depravity of not only his art but his stories, and The Art of Hideshi Hino contains both. Anyone can draw blood and guts, but Hino takes it down to another level. Post-apocalyptic visions, disfigured babies, snake men, maggots, the lack of a line makes this full-color hard-cover edition a risk at every turn of the page.

The color artwork come from Hino's diverse collection of titles, and fans will recognize large-size renditions from favorite freak-outs like Lullaby of Terror, The Collection and other "favorites".

Hino's comics are known for being dark from beginning to end, and rays of sunshine are few and far between. That's why I felt like the three Hino stories included in this collection (properly unflipped) were a trio of softballs in terms of the depths of horror Hino can reach. It's great seeing these in color, too, but "Memories of the Mermaid", the first story, is actually almost a hopeful children's story (if you take out the pig-eating and gut-swallowing). The next two stories hint closer to true Hino, but are still on the lighter side of pitch-black.

The Art of Hideshi Hino will appeal to both dedicated fans and newcomers to Japanese horror, and is directed to those that art into the art of horror. Hideshi Hino has established himself as an manga artist worthy of an examination this well put-together.

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