Kill or Be Killed

Welcome to another review by yours truly and since I had no time to catch up with my gaming, I figured it's time for a change of topics and mediums, this time with comics. When I'm exhausted from games, I usually fill my time with comics. I've been religiously reading comics for about 2 years now and there isn't anything more engaging to me than the Noir genre. I've went through many writers and little to none of them perfect the feel and narrative in a Noir comic. If you've read The Killing Joke or V for Vendetta you'd know exactly what I mean. Thankfully we have underground writers like Ed Brubaker who work really hard and well on bringing amazing ideas to life.

Ed always manages to bring the most human protagonists that have relatable qualities and turn them into this unstoppable force that makes them no different than a vigilante or a superhero we've grown to like over the years, the only difference here is the magic happens in a few pages. Take Kill or Be Killed for example, the way I see it is that it is Batman with a twist. Our protagonist, Dylan is depressed and conflicted about his emotions with his best friend, Kira. Unable to confront himself and her with his feelings for her, he attempts suicide but after failing to do so, gets a visit from the devil himself. The devil gives him an offer he can't refuse, otherwise he'd die and he'd have to sacrifice an evil soul to the devil in order to stay alive. Kinda sounds fucked up, but the character progression on Kill or Be Killed is impeccable as always. Sean Phillips works so well as an artist and an illustrator with Ed, that I can't imagine Ed having another artist for his work and I'd be very angry if they were to be separated.

It's true that Ed and Sean said their newest work, Kill or Be Killed would be unlike anything we've ever seen but if I were to recall his other work, I've always seen them as Original. See, Ed is extremely proficient at delving into the human psyche not to mention exploiting to the reader the character transformation from good to evil. What I love about his comics is his realistic view and gritty outlook on life. It may be exaggerated because Noir comics are monotonous in their own sense, however each book to me is an in depth character study. His previous work like Fatale for example might have gone out of his loop but there are always underlying themes of criminals. In Kill or Be Killed, our protagonist slowly realizes how angry he is at the world, and the subject matter feels strongly opinionated at today's society.

Dylan's predicament, although caused by a demon could be argued philosophically that he is fighting his own demons to deliver his own justice. He suddenly recalls a child molester from his childhood and when he tracks him, finds him deep in his own sick and twisted mind and kills him on the spot. Reading this, I was reminded by similar ideas like Dexter, the TV show or even an extremely mental Batman that can actually kill. There is definitely a morality fight going on here and being the reader, I couldn't feel offended seeing these violent images of mentally disturbed individuals being killed on the spot by another mentally disturbed protagonist. Ed delivers a specific mood and I can safely say only those that actually crave it will appreciate it. Characters often go on ranting in their own heads sharing their ideals with the reader and their sick and twisted mindsets seem to intrigue and fascinate me.

Unlike Brian K. Vaughn's writing, I can at least tolerate Ed's volumes and issues. They serve their purpose, are quite satisfying and I am not left angry and frustrated over a cliffhanger. That's not to say Ed brubaker is less engaging of a writer but each volume's climax resolves itself and the reader is satisfied by the ideas shared in the issues until the next one comes out. Like I said before, I can't imagine Sean Phillips abandoning Ed's precious writing because they complement each other well as much as the colors and backgrounds complement the characters'art so well. The lighting and shadows are incredible as well, I won't be able to feel the gloomy atmosphere of Ed's writing if it weren't for Sean's art. For a first volume, I've already settled in and felt right back at home. I was worried Ed would be on a hiatus but he never takes a break and I've always been a fan of his work. Check Kill or Be Killed if you're looking for a worthwile Noir comic. I've been Ahmed Jadaa, see you on my next review.