Mark Allen reviews Kill Or Be Killed #2…
The second chapter in Brubaker, Phillips and Breitweiser’s new hit book! Every killer has to have his first kill, and they’re never easy.
Never ones to shy away from the grim practicalities of committing violence, the Kill Or Be Killed dedicate most of their second issue to the protagonist’s search for a gun and his first victim. The journey takes him to the local drug dealer – not as hard as you might expect – and his mother’s house in Westchester, where he rifles through his artist father’s old erotic pulp magazines to find his first weapon.
Throughout the issue we’re reminded again and again that our hero is desperately isolated, from panel compositions distancing Dylan from other people to his near-constant inner monologue being recited in the captions. As he journeys out of New York City, he also journeys inward, to sad memories of his pessimistic father and abused friend. These moments are made all the more poignant by Dylan’s neglect of his mother’s desire to have him stay for dinner and spend some quality time together, but his single focus on being able to kill – and thus stay alive – appears to make all other concerns irrelevant.
Brubaker & co. tread a fine line in this issue by making Dylan’s descent into violence and murder by making his first act one of warped justice. The killing itself isn’t overplayed or glamorised, but the build-up is agonising, especially considering that it happens twice in the issue. What chills most about this series is how close to reality Dylan’s actions are (other than doing the bidding of a terrifying shadow-demon to avoid being dragged to hell, of course). If an ordinary person were to decide to commit murder, this might well be the path they’d take. And, as our hero admits towards the end of the issue, it’s as much a slippery slope as it would likely be for anyone; his confession of enjoying the act while feeling sick to his stomach chimes an unsettling note.
We’re going to hear a lot more of those, I fear.
Rating: 9/10
Mark Allen
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https://youtu.be/b7Ozs5mj5ao?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng
Originally published September 15, 2016. Updated April 14, 2018.
