Junji Ito is known as a legendary manga artist with stories that don’t hold back on gore or terror. Read this guide to discover his greatest hits and lesser-known masterpieces alike.

Tomie has lived many lives, but has always been a mysterious woman who strikes fear and attraction in the hearts of men around her. Tomie’s immortal life often meets a tragic end, but she always makes sure to get her revenge.

In Junji Ito’s manga-adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, he lends his striking art style to amp up the classic gothic horror story. In Ito’s adaptation, the mental state of Dr. Victor Frankenstein’s monster is brought to life through graphic depictions of his decaying flesh. Also included are six tales of Oshikiri—a high school student who lives in a decaying mansion connected to a haunted parallel world.

Uzumaki, like Tomie, is a story by Junji Ito that has direct panels that have been countlessly visually referenced and adapted into shows and movies. The story starts in a small town where Kirie Goshima and her boyfriend Shuichi Saito are talking about his dad's recent obsession with spirals. As the story goes on, the entire town literally spirals into a maddening descent while being haunted by the spiral pattern.

After reading these top books by Junji Ito, explore the rest of the horror manga master’s catalogue below.