Like the first volume in this series, this is a black and white “American manga” graphic novel by Tokyopop. I’m not sure if it would make all that much sense if you hadn’t read the first volume because the setting and premise are pretty outlandish, so I would suggest starting with the first book in the series.

Note: This review features mild plot spoilers -- read at your own risk.

The premise of Volume 2 is virtually the same as that of the first: it’s Halloween (presumably a year after the first book) and the sociopathic gang of kids is setting out to begin trick or treating. It shares a similar tone with the first volume in the series, though a few characters are missing (e.g., Pig Pig) or not dealt with and there are a few new characters added (including one little fat girl who has the bad luck to be slowly – over the course of the book – eaten by one of her zombified sisters). The setting is the same archetypal small town where the kids live, with one exception: there seems that a horde of zombies have invaded the town, destroying whatever thin veneer of civilization that once ordered the town. Not to worry, the zombies are extremely slow and mindless, and while they are everywhere, the kids aren’t deterred from going trick or treating on Halloween. Never fear, though, as Moochie (Finch’s maniacal little sister) has a hilarious plan to save the town from the zombies that involves a butcher knife and the zombies’ “pootie parts.”

There’s a third volume of I Luv Halloween available, though I haven’t read it. I do plan to pick up the omnibus edition of the three volumes at some point – I Luv Halloween Ultimate Twisted Edition (Cabbage Poot) – because it’s in hardcover, in color, in a larger sized edition than the individual volumes, and it includes an extra ten-page epilogue, so it seems like an all-around great deal.

The story ends with a bang (literally). I’d recommend it if you enjoyed the first volume of the series. If you couldn’t deal with the original mixture of slapstick comedy and Halloween-themed gore, then you definitely don’t want to read this. If anything, it’s even gorier, since almost everyone ends up getting chomped and pulled apart by zombies. It was a lot of fun, but somehow just not quite as charming as the first volume. I give this second volume 4 stars out of 5.

Review copyright 2010 J. Andrew Byers ( )

repulsive. disgusting. offensive. fantastic. ( )