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‘Killogy:’ Advance TPB Review (The BLT of Horror)

Killogy

 

KillogyWhen I rolled out of bed this afternoon, I was feeling a bit under the weather.  Lesson learned: never try to out drink someone who talks like a pirate.   I staggered to the kitchen and threw together three key ingredients (4 really) on some Wonder Bread, and now I feel almost human.  Human enough to write this review anyway.  I gotta tell you, a Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato (with Mayo) can really take the edge off of an epically bad idea of a night.  It’s like magic food.

Where am I going with this?  Killogy’s trade paperback is coming out, and I’m going to tell you if you should read it or not.  It’s written by Alan Robert.  It’s illustrated by Alan Robert.  It makes comic review writing easier when there is only 1 guy involved in a comic:  thank you, Mr. Robert, for simplifying my painful afternoon.  Also, thank you for your “comfort food comic.”

The Bread: Alan Robert is a strong artist and story teller.  The art is bloody, dark (yet easy to see), and familiar.  Feels a bit like the 1950s Horror Comics, but instead of rated G for everyone, he’s upped it to NC-17.  Actually, as I write this, I guess he could have included some nudity, which would have been nice – but I digress.  I see a little Al Feldstein (Tales from the Crypt from way back in the ‘50s – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Feldstein) in how Alan (Robert) puts together his undead critters.  Familiar and comforting . . . Even though he does dose his art with a gallon of blood per frame.  So, there is that.  Anyway, it’s good stuff.  Wonder Bread.

Lettuce:  Let’s be honest – if you had to dump one part of the BLT, it would totally be the “L.”  I mean, it’s great and refreshing, but expected, you know?  Plus, does it add all that much flavor?  No, but it’s 100% necessary.  Killogy’s ‘lettuce’ is made up of 2 of the main characters . . . they’re violent criminals.  I like my BLTs to taste the way Mom made ‘em (familiar!). I know that horror stories that feature criminals as protagonists tend to have a certain flavor, certain cadence, and certain formula (Maximum Overdrive, Pitch Black, From Dusk til Dawn, etc).  Killogy’s “good guys” are “bad guys” . . . at least 2 out of 3 of them are anyway.  Although this isn’t new/exciting, it’s comforting.  I knew what to expect.

The Bacon:  BLTs don’t exist without Bacon, and Killogy doesn’t exist without blood, death, carnage, and destruction.  I could almost end the paragraph here, as not much more needs to be said.  This comic is violent and bloody.  Even the flashbacks – the protagonists’ back-stories – are filled with some pretty hardcore gore.  Oh, and the narrative is also pretty incredible.  If you want over-the-top violence, look no further . . . (This is a good thing; if you disagree, I’m pretty sure one of the other Fanboy bloggers is reviewing My Little Pony. Go there).

The Tomato: The ultimate ingredient to the BLT is (in my humble opinion) critical.  It ties the whole sandwich together.  Alan Robert adds tomato by creating some pretty compelling characters.  All of their stories are fascinating (occasionally funny) and exceptionally well written and well thought out.  The same story could have been written with crappy characters, and the whole thing would suck.  With Robert’s creativity driving the people of this comic, it doesn’t suck.  It’s actually pretty awesome.

Mayo!  Controversial, I know. I like mayo and some people hate it.  What’s the thing about Killogy you might not like?  You might not love the fact that you kinda’ know what’s going to happen next.  I happened to enjoy having an inkling of “what’s next.”  Robert did a great job of creating a world, creating rich characters, and following a clear path from beginning to “end” that fits perfectly and easily within its genre.  Some people might hate the lack of a crazy twist at the end, but those people probably wear skinny jeans and horn rimmed glasses (and I hate them).  For the rest of us, when we’re feeling a little hungover, a good (familiar) BLT is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Read this comic.  It’s good.  Also, Alan Robert is kind of kick a–.  You’ll see more of him . . .

 – Jack

 

 

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