3.5 stars rounded down to 3.

I'm the Grim Reaper is a collected edition for a popular webtoon title about an amnesiac woman who takes the name Scarlet, who is given the choice to spend eternity in the 9th circle of hell, or become a grim reaper, and collect a soul a day for The Devil. While looking for sinners she encounters a former police detective (and sinner marked for death) named Chase, with whom she forms a partnership as he investigates a case related to her death (which also helps serve up a large number of sinners for her scythe).

I'm the Grim Reaper has a strong premise, driven by the mystery of both Scarlet's death, and the reason she was destined for the ninth circle of hell; and what Chase did to get him marked as a sinner and kicked off of the police force. The dystopian future-noir city is as much a character, with skyscrapers rising up as dark towers shadowing everything, and gritty alleyways where bad things inevitably are about to happen. The volume ends on a strong cliffhanger, with the suggestion that Scarlet and Chase's investigation puts them not only in opposition to the human corruption in the city, but supernatural and possibly angelic forces as well. There's some light examination of the subjective nature of sin and relative morality, but this is played off more to develop The Devil's capriciousness than as a serious ethical quandary.

As a webtoon created to be read in an endlessly scrolling format (for phones or tablets) it faces some challenges in adaptation for print, not entirely limited to character rendering and framing that feel flat, and somewhat at odds with the fun overlays and visual effects whenever Scarlet uses her powers or characters' psychosis is visually depicted. Comic timing also suffers a bit from the transition from screen to page, where some of the humor has a harder time landing due to uneven panel transitions or use of too-similar framing (which would have worked much better in the digital scrolling format, where panels read more clearly as moment-to-moment).

However, a bonus story about how Chase acquired his hairless cat shows a lot of growth in framing, comic timing, and character cartooning, clearly having been completed later, as the art and storytelling have matured as the series has continued. I'm the Grim Reaper starts off feeling like an amateur work, but this story especially points towards a lot of growth as the series continues. However, as of this volume, the material fails to gel in an entirely cohesive way that you can tell it will in future volumes.

For anyone doing readers advisory (either as a library staff member or bookseller), this would be a good title to recommend to teens and adults who enjoy cool fights that imply carnage without really depicting it explicitly (like Rooster Teeth's RWBY series), and Death Note or other shinigami related manga and anime, grimdark metropolitan settings but without getting too mired in gore. It seems a lot edgier than it actually is, which depending on your point-of-view, may either be a bonus or a detraction. .

This was a very dark, gritty title about a sinner being put to work by Satan to gather souls or risk being sent to the lowest layer of Hell herself. The use of colors on this title was also extremely interesting.

I'm The Grim Reaper is the most visually striking webtoon I've seen. Most of the art is in a black and red palette, and backgrounds are taken from photographs and turned gray to match the color scheme. I'm very impressed, as most webtoons I've read have felt artistically generic and same-y. The story follows a newly-dead sinner who's made into a grim reaper with the job of collecting m0re sinners for Hell. This will appeal to fans of manga series like Death Note with for the focus on morality and who gets to live or die. This volume is a solid start to the mystery of who Scarlet is and what she did to deserve the ninth circle of Hell.

Readers who enjoy Chainsaw Man will like I'm the Grim Reaper, especially if they enjoy the goofier moments among the serious, often bloody storyline.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

She died, then got offered a second chance at life. As long as she keeps killing. Definitely need a dark sense of humor for this one. It has great moments of levity and my favorite character was the ugly cat. You'll know the minute you spot it.

Has several "F Bombs" but is a good read for older teens and adults, alike.

I'm intrigued, but that blonde haired dude is so weird. Whats his deal? I'd probably read more of it to find out what happens.

I'm the Grim Reaper, Vol. 1 by Graveweaver is a gripping and visually striking manga that hooks readers from the first page. The premise is as dark as it is intriguing: Scarlet, condemned to Hell for unknown sins, is offered a grim deal by Satan himself. Her mission? To become his reaper on Earth, tasked with taking the lives of one marked sinner each day.

The artwork is spectacular, capturing the eerie and somber atmosphere of Hell and the action-packed sequences on Earth. Graveweaver’s illustrations bring Scarlet’s grim journey to life with haunting detail and dynamic scenes that keep readers engaged.

Scarlet's character is compelling. Her struggle with her lost memories and her drive to avoid eternal damnation make her a relatable and complex protagonist. Her interactions with Chase, a disgraced former detective entangled in her mysterious past, add layers of intrigue and suspense to the narrative. Their partnership, fraught with secrets and potential betrayal, propels the story forward, making it hard to put the book down.

The pacing is well-balanced, blending intense action with moments of introspection. Graveweaver deftly explores themes of redemption, guilt, and the nature of sin without slowing down the story’s momentum. This volume sets up a fascinating world with high stakes, leaving readers eager for the next installment.

While the plot can occasionally feel predictable, the execution and character development more than make up for it. Scarlet's evolution as a reaper and her quest for answers keep the narrative fresh and engaging.

Overall, I'm the Grim Reaper, Vol. 1 is a darkly enchanting start to what promises to be a thrilling series. Fans of supernatural manga with strong female leads and moral complexities will find this first volume an absolute treat.

Overall this was a rather sophomoric approach to the topics of death, eternal damnation, murder, morality, love and more. The art feels unrefined and unfinished. If you were reading this for free on the Webtoon app, you may have fewer complaints as there would be less at stake. This did not make the transition to book form as well as other webcomics I have seen adapted. There are more nuanced books out there that better understand the audience they are looking for. This is dark enough that it is rated Teen+ for older readers, but the dialogue and art style seems aimed at younger teen readers. It is a weird dichotomy that never really worked for me over the 240 pages. This didn't need to be formatted like manga, yet here we are.

This was interesting. I really liked the concept of someone being a reluctant Grimm Reaper and there is the whole mystery surrounding Scarlet's past and death. But there was something off about the tone. It bounced from a cop drama to a cute romance(?) and horror. I feel like the story would have been more impactful if it leaned into the horror of the situation instead of trying to dabble in the cuteness. Also the characters were a little one note until the end when things started to be revealed.
Overall it was ok, but like a lot of manga, you need to give the story more than one volume.

2.5/3 Stars (rounded up to 3). So the cover of this is impressive, that’s what immediately drew me to this manga! However, I’m not sure this webtoon turned manga lives up to its cover art. I liked the intentional style shifts of art as the story progressed through POVs and flashbacks. The juxtaposition of light and dark colors is paired really well with the narrative too. But for me, the story as a whole was a little clumsy. The pacing was sporadic and I had a hard time sticking with this narrative. Thank you VIZ Media, GRAVEWEAVER, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for review!

VIZ Media provided an early galley for review.

This volume collects the first six chapters of this Webtoon along with additional bonus content. Once again, an striking cover and an interesting concept is often enough for me to check out a new collection of a manga.

First impressions, the use of color, or lack thereof in some places, really raises the level on the artwork (which I can easily envision as an anime series) and story-telling. I like too that the art style shifts a bit when we are given flashbacks on characters. This subtle nuance makes for a varied read.

The story itself, naturally, has a violent angle to it. After all, we are dealing with the work of a grim reaper. The author does infuse the story with a bit of mystery and intrigue revolving around Scarlet and Chase's pasts, which should be explored further in future volumes. The reader is also provided with some moral themes to consider. What constitutes a sin? When are these actions justifiable?

If you're looking for a comic read that is a bit out of the ordinary, this one might be for you.

I'm the Grim Reaper is an excellent read. The artwork is very good, and the story is fun. I've requested not only Volume 1 for my library, but 2 and 3 as well.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC for early review.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

Wow, what a great little start. A concept that's not super unique, but it's held up by a nice art style, some REALLY good character chemistry, and an intriguing plot filled with mystery.

Who is/was Scarlet? What did she do to get sentenced to the ninth level of hell, where only the worst people end up? What's the deal with Detective Chase and Case X, and the dead woman who looks just like Scarlet? And who the hell are the Red Spades?

Each person that Scarlet sets out to reap is a sinner, but she isn't able to sweep them all under that one blanket label. A mother trying to save her son from suffering in a terrible, misguided attempt of love, a serial killer apathetic towards the terrible world, a woman who loves snails...

This little volume has comedy in spades as well, with Satan being a truly awful little fuckboy type, and Chase's utter nerd identity mixing with his love of his (admittedly rather cute) ugly cat. Scarlet's a no-nonsense type of woman--- but she's in such a sticky situation, teaming up with a detective when she's literally killing sinners once a day, every day.

I really enjoyed some of the "horror" panels in this, I can't wait to see what might develop out of this. Looking forward to a volume 2.

Thank you for this ARC.
The colors are nice. The story itself feels short. Super easy to read. A connection to Dante and the levels of hell. Satan making you a Grim Reaper? But why? If there is no reward in the underworld. I hope future novels get better in the story and development of the main character.

This is the type of manga that is right up my alley. I love dark story telling. Scarlet has died and ends up in hell but she has had no idea how or why she died. She is offered an opportunity to become a Grim Reaper for the devil or spend eternity in oblivion on the ninth circle of Hell. Given the choice, I would be a Grim Reaper as well. The only catch is she has to reap one soul a day and her new body is not impervious to damage. She starts to find clues regarding her death but what was the reason she ended up in the worst place in hell to begin with. She enlists the help of a disgraced detective to help her find the answer.

I look forward to future volumes and it would be interesting to see this series developed into an anime.

First off, I love that Viz Media is getting into the Webtoon scene. I loved that this particular one was in full colour and the flashback scenes were done in grey, with hints of colour to set the scene. The story however in this one fell flat and didn't entirely engage me, with it being based off of a webtoon, I may give it another go, as I have seen previous ones get better as the story finally sets the scene/narrative.

Loved this! I haven’t spent much time on WEBTOON but I can say that everything I’ve read from there so far has been great.

This is an excellent blend of humor and a crisis of morality as “Scarlet” buys her relative freedom from purgatory by becoming the Grim Reaper and delivering the souls of sinners to Satan. She teams up with a detective who seems good on the outside, yet bears the mark of a sinner. All goes well until Scarlet questions why some people are labeled as sinners and what she did in her human life to put her in this position.

I received an eARC of this title through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This was a cool start to a graphic novel. I like the idea that the main character does not remember how they got to be such a bad person to where they were sent to hell in the first place, but it seems like you will slowly learn about that as you go. This volume also ends in a big cliffhanger, which is good for publication purposes, but bad for a reader who just want to know the answers!

The characters were interesting, a grim reaper teaming up with someone who has sinned. Wanting to know what both of them have done to get where they are is intriguing. The art is well done and there are comic relief moments amidst the darkness of the plot and story.

This was a pretty quick read and I'm definitely interested in the premise. I'm not sure how I feel about the pacing yet. It was faster, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it felt like it didn't work completely for the flow of the story/world building. I do plan to read future volumes, so that could change as the story develops.

A great mystery story; girl arrives in hell with no memory and is given the job of Grim Reaper. Back on Earth she finds that the job is more difficult than she thought and with a quota of one sinner to reap per day, she doesn’t have time to investigate just how awful their sins were. She meets ex-cop Chase, also a sinner and they strike up an uneasy partnership solving crime.