Review- KILL OR BE KILLED VOL. 4

KILL OR BE KILLED VOL. 4 (Image, First Printing, 2018; Softcover)

Collects Kill Or Be Killed #15-20 (cover dates January- June, 2018)

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artist: Sean Phillips

Colorist: Elizabeth Breitweiser

Damn! I don't really know what else to say about this series and its ending other than...damn. Things aren't always as black and white as they seem, but maybe sometimes they are. Or maybe not. Either way, this is now my favorite Brubaker/Phillips collaboration. Elizabeth Breitweiser is one of the best colorists in the business, adding texture and mood to every scene.

This series is timely and timeless. Mass shooters are a seemingly daily occurrence, and Dylan fits the mold. History of mental illness, injudiciously prescribed psychotropic drugs, illegally obtained firearms...this is a nightmare story for any parent in the 21^st century. Put the crime/noir/occult overtones in and you have a series worth reading.

I would like to thank my local library for carrying the first two trades. I am extremely choosy with my purchases these days but had to buy this series after reading those two books. I regret nothing.

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.

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. Your mileage may vary.

Paper stock: Matte coated stock with minimal sheen. This is some fantastic 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.

Review- KILL OR BE KILLED VOL. 3

KILL OR BE KILLED VOL. 3 (Image, First Printing, 2018; Softcover)

Collects Kill Or Be Killed #11-14 (cover dates August- November, 2017)

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artist: Sean Phillips

Colorist: Elizabeth Breitweiser

It's difficult to talk about this series without spoilers, but I will try to keep them to a minimum. Dylan supposedly imagined the whole thing, with the demon being the result of him being off of his psychotropic meds. With this realization (or his perception of it?) he decides to stop killing “people who deserve it” cold turkey, and you know what? Nothing happens. No demon. He doesn't die all of a sudden. Life goes on.

Dylan takes this opportunity to reevaluate his life and work on things that are important to him. Things like his female friend/ love interest Kira. This is where his recent past catches up to him, when the Russian mobsters have traced him to her place of employment. This spurs Dylan back into action as the masked vigilante and brings us to the end where we see...

...Sorry folks, I try to avoid spoilers. Let's just say that Brubaker likes turning things on end over and over.

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.

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. Your mileage may vary.

Paper stock: Matte coated stock with minimal sheen. This is some fantastic 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.

Review- KILL OR BE KILLED VOL. 2

KILL OR BE KILLED VOL. 2 (Image, First Printing, 2017; Softcover)

Collects Kill Or Be Killed #5-10 (cover dates January- July, 2017)

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artist: Sean Phillips

Colorist: Elizabeth Breitweiser

I borrowed this book from my local library.

Things have begun to spiral out of control for Dylan. First, the demon that he is serving by killing one person per month is mocking him. Then we see the entrance of Lily Sharpe, a rookie detective who is the only one to accurately piece together the puzzle. And then we have his personal relationships going from good to bad and bad to worse, respectively.

Without getting too spoilerish, this is being played right down the middle. Is it a demon driving Dylan or is Dylan just a nut who is off of his psychotropic meds? I have an idea but I am not saying. I need to read Volume 3 stat.

Brubaker's writing is top notch, Phillips is doing the best artwork of his career, and Breitweiser is one of the greatest colorists that I have ever seen. These are some great comic books from the “middlebrow” segment of the medium.

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.

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.