Review: Tender by Beth Hetland.
Fantagraphics, March 2024. 162 p. ill. ISBN 978-68396-935-8 (hardcover), $19.99.
Reviewed July 2025
By: Elizabeth Brown, Instruction & Outreach Librarian, Kraemer Family Library, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
Tender by Beth Hetland is a horror graphic novel that delves into themes of domesticity and self-destruction. It focuses on Carolanne, a woman with quotidian and seemingly achievable desires to get married and settle down to domestic bliss. The comic opens with glimpses into moments when Carolanne achieved these goals but unfolds in a non-linear structure as these moments slip away to reveal the dark side of Carolanne’s machinations in pursuit of her dreams.
The comic portrays common themes within the genre of body horror, including pregnancy and cannibalism, through a feminist lens. The most horrific elements come from Carolanne’s psyche, rather than the state of pregnancy or her experiences with miscarriage. Hetland contrasts the facade of normalcy Carolanne performs for her friends with unsettling scenes that reveal what is going on behind her smiling mask. Unlike the actions of many other horror protagonists, Carolanne’s actions have a limited effect on those around her. Ultimately, it is she herself (and her unfortunate cat) who are most victimized by her actions. The mask of contentedness that Carolanne attempts to maintain until the very end of the graphic novel serves to create a looming sense of disquietude. As readers delve deeper and deeper into Carolanne’s memories, they are left questioning how much they truly know and understand their own friends and acquaintances.
The plot progresses at a measured pace, using motifs such as the manipulation of Carolanne’s reflection in different surfaces and unusual points of perspective to foreshadow her downfall. The comic contains a detailed visual structure, about nine panels per page, with meticulous line work and textured shading that captures nuance and provides atmosphere without getting muddied. Primarily printed in monochromatic blue-black, a more varied color palette interrupts the established structure of the comic to depict dream sequences which recall Hetland’s earlier, self-published comic series Half-Asleep as well as to highlight moments of intense emotion.
Tender will grip fans of Charles Burns’ Black Hole and Ari Aster’s Heredity. It is recommended for mature readership as it contains some nudity and gore. This title is suitable for any library collecting graphic novels for literary merit and entertainment, including but not limited to public and academic institutions. Due to its complex visuals, it is recommended for readers already familiar with comics or graphic novels.
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