Review- KILL OR BE KILLED VOL. 1

KILL OR BE KILLED VOL. 1 (Image, First Printing, 2017; Softcover)

Collects Kill Or Be Killed #1-4 (cover dates August- November, 2016)

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artist: Sean Phillips

Colorist: Elizabeth Breitweiser

I borrowed this book from my local library.

Dylan is a loser. Dylan is a 28-year old grad student and suicidal failure. Dylan lives with his friend who ended up in a relationship with his longtime female friend that he's had a thing for. Nothing in Dylan's life is very worthwhile, at least in his mind, so he does what any self-absorbed loser would do. He kills himself by jumping off of the roof of a building.

Being a loser means that Dylan can't even kill himself right, as he gets caught up on a blanket on a clothesline, breaking his fall of six flights as he is further cushioned by a pile of snow. Dylan thinks he's really lucky until woken during his sleep by a demon. The demon tells him that he owes him a life every month since he gave Dylan a second chance. Someone who deserves to be killed, like a childhood friend's older brother whom he remembers molesting his friend due to the conversations they had during childhood which made sense later on. Or Russian mobsters who run some kind of stripper human trafficking thing.

As Dylan starts killing people he discovers some truths about himself, and we discover a few truths about him that he doesn't realize. The last page of the book is a real jaw dropper which turns the whole thing on its head.

Brubaker and Phillips have continually refined their craft. Criminal was better than Sleeper, and Incognito was better than Criminal. All of those were buried by Fatale. Every time that I think they have peaked they top their previous peak. Elizabeth Breitweiser is one of the top colorists in the biz today. She's their secret weapon, adding layers and mood to the artwork. I'm so blown away by this book that I am going to buy it and add yet another book to my collection.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- This is the part where I go into tactile sensations and materials used in physical media. Those with heart conditions, high blood pressure, or women who are pregnant should exit my blog at their earliest convenience, as their safety cannot be guaranteed beyond this point.

This is a copy that I borrowed from the library. Library copies are fascinating studies in workmanship and durability.

The covers are collected in the back of the book, a major pet peeve of mine. While there is a blank red page which serves as a chapter marker for each issue, I dislike it when the covers aren't placed before the issues.

Paper stock: Matte coated stock with minimal sheen. This is some fantastic paper. Readers of digital comics scoff at collected edition snobs like myself, but I am like a vinyl and CD music fan. The tangible physical object makes it more real to me. I love paper.

Binding: Perfect bound paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Matte coating on the cardstock which is remarkably resistant to scuffing. Image makes quality books these days, and I'm not just referring to the content.