Bitter Playmate

In Bitter Playmate, a 2024 German series from Carlsen Comics, a young woman’s seemingly perfect life begins to unravel when her childhood imaginary friend—a sinister, living doll—returns with a twisted agenda. Over just two issues, this taut psychological horror story explores the blurred lines between nostalgia and nightmare, anchored by the unsettling art of its core creative team. While brief, the series makes a sharp, memorable impact for its concise, emotionally charged take on repressed trauma and the monsters we outgrow—or don’t.