A reader named Chris S. suggested that I devote October to the scariest comic books of all-time, as suggested by you readers out there! Sounds like a plan to me! So all October-long, I'll be featuring 31 comic book tales of terror, based on YOUR suggestions! So e-mail me at bcronin@comicbookresources.com your scary suggestions! Here is an archive of all the comics featured so far!
My pal Jude Deluca suggested that I feature Rumiko Takahashi's Mermaid Saga. Specifically, I'm spotlighting the Mermaid's Scar, about a sadistic immortal trapped in the form of a young child tormenting others.
Enjoy!
The basic concept behind the Mermaid Saga is that mermaid flesh, if eaten, can give people immortality. However, it can kill you instantly or turn you into a monster. Given those chances - would you still give it a try?
The stories follow a 500-year-old name Yuta as he engages with others like him.
In Mermaid's Scar, we meet a really messed up "mother" and "son."
Check out Takahashi's excellent introduction of the mother/son dynamic...
You see, the boy is actually an 800-year-old immortal. He gives mermaid flesh to women to make them pretend to be his mother. He then, naturally, torments them, as shown above.
His current "mother," though, discovers that the flesh is wearing off quicker and she demands more...
The "boy" then decides to find a new woman to replace his mother, whether she's willing or not...
Dark, dark stuff.
As Jude notes, this "kid" makes Eric Cartman look good.