Bleeding Scars: The Calamity of Canning [Maple Comics, 61 pages] by Chua Kok Yee takes readers to the suburbs of Ipoh, spinning a haunting tale rooted in local urban legend. At the heart of this graphic novella is the story of a chee cheong fan seller, Uncle Chin, on whose life and livelihood the events of the story converge, in darkness and tragedy.

Chua Kok Yee weaves a story that feels grounded in the familiar, both in the sense of its setting, and also the tropes and features commonly found in the scary stories Malaysians love to exchange during social gatherings. The black-and-white artwork adds a moody, almost cinematic layer to the narrative, while providing dramatic contrasts that stress and intensify the rawness of the characters’ experiences.

The chee cheong fan seller’s story is, initially, somewhat of a red herring. The set up alone urges the reader to jump to conclusions about where the story is headed. Mention of the ‘red sauce’ gets one’s imagination working overtime. Does the success of Uncle Chin’s chee cheong fan rely on a ‘special ingredient’ that would make it a popular midnight snack for vampires? Is there a sinister reason for the silky texture of his noodles? As the story unfolds, one is forced to adjust one’s expectations. Who knew that pontianak love chee cheong fun? Do they really? Wait and see …

Chua introduces humour that keeps one guessing before taking his tale down its darkest path, one that reminds the reader that the evil deeds of this world are purely human and do not require the input of the devil or any other supernatural force.   

As the story deepens, the pain and suffering, desperation and violence experienced and enacted by the characters escalate, presented through panels of stark and dark static drawings, images of horror, frozen in time.

The ending, considering the genre, is quite unexpected, but I feel it lacked punch. While its message of hope, redemption and healing is optimistic and is probably satisfying to some, I am unsure if it’s the best way to conclude a story like this. It’s a little flat in my opinion as an editor, but on a purely personal level, I also found that last image extremely moving.

Ultimately, Bleeding Scars is an example of how local legends can be successfully reimagined in contemporary literature. I’ve always thought of Chua Kok Yee as an original and entertaining storyteller. And now it seems he can draw as well as write! I am envious, but I look forward to more graphic stories from him.