In the wide world of comics some books sometimes different books can fall through the cracks. Paranoid Gardens by Gerard Way, Shaun Simon, and Chris Weston almost fell victim and I am so glad it didn’t. Paranoid Gardens is a unique story that is truly unlike anything on the market from a stellar creative team.

Loo is a nurse at the most bizarre care-center in the universe. The staff are not entirely human, and the cases downright unearthly. Aliens, ghosts, superheroes, and more creatures plague its hallways as both doctors and patients and the hospital itself seems to be somewhat self-aware. Loo believes that despite a recent failure at her job she’s been given some sort of higher calling in this mysterious place, and decides to rise to the challenge. Along the way she must fight her way through corrupt staff members, powerful theme park cults, and her own personal demons and trauma to meet this challenge and discover what secrets the gardens hold.

On the surface Paranoid Gardens feels like a typical story, but the moment we opened up the pages of the debut issue we were transported to a world unlike any other. The character and creature designs are wonderfully mesmerizing, with each new introduction a surprise and delight. From different alien creatures, to ghosts and ever superhero characters, the diversity of beings is both fascinating and a little unsettling.

These creatures and characters are inspired by excellent writing by Gerard Way and Shaun Simon but brought to life by Chris Weston. The attention to detail while not over doing it is apparent on each page. We are given eerie creatures and characters that leaves us in awe.

While we fell in love with the different creatures at the care-center, the real star of the comic series is the protagonist, Loo. As a nurse navigating through this strange world, Loo is a character that readers can truly connect with. This is the debut issue and we have a lot left to uncover, but we found ourselves rooting for Loo and wonder what will happen next.

As I eager await future issues of Paranoid Gardens, I find myself wanting to re-read the first installment over again. The unique tale with amazing characters makes for a stellar first issue that is unlike most comics on the market. Paranoid Gardens by Gerard Way (The Umbrella Academy), Shaun Simon, and Chris Weston is a fresh and intriguing story that left me wanting the next issue immediately.

Paranoid Gardens #1 hits local comic shops on July 17, 2024 from Dark Horse.