Desensitized

by Christian Pomponio
2026, Self-published
Paperback, 120 pages, $28.00 CAD

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

The only word I could use to describe Desensitized is juvenile. It feels like a high schooler’s take on westernized manga, with tropey characters and deformed, cartoonish expressions which work in some anime, but don’t really translate here to the page. It’s clear that Christian Pomponio was inspired by mangaka such as Tite Kubo, his urban art style taking notes from Bleach and related works. While his art style is dynamic and fun, it’s also incredibly unrefined, and he often goes off model and draws characters with weird proportions, taking away from the grungy, urban feel Pomponio seems to be going for. He does an amazing job with backgrounds and environments, but I don’t think it’s enough to save the book. At least the accompanying soundtrack is a banger.