In Utero

By Chris Gooch. Published by Top Shelf. 

Softcover, 248 pages, 3-Colour, 2024. 

kira meets Aliens, and Annihilation meets Evangelion, in this coming-of-age monster tale from award-winning graphic novelist Chris Gooch.

Twelve years after a disastrous explosion, young Hailey is dropped off by her mum at a holiday camp in a dilapidated shopping mall. Alienated from the other kids, she connects with an eerie older teen named Jen… but soon dark horrors awaken, and the two new friends are caught up in a cataclysmic battle between two terrifying creatures who have been lying dormant all this time.

One of Australia’s most acclaimed young graphic novelists, Chris Gooch expertly crafts a taut and intimate thriller about mothers and daughters, the monstrous and the mundane, and the power of friendship in the midst of catastrophe. 

“Coming-of-age meets cosmic horror; unforgettably striking, both visually and emotionally.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“In Utero is everything I love about comics. Gripping, heartfelt storytelling and wonderful characters set in a haunting sci-fi world. Chris Gooch might be my new favorite cartoonist!” —Jeff Lemire, author of Sweet Tooth