If there’s a talent Laura Harkcom and Chris Leone possess other than an understanding of what makes an entertaining story about monsters, it’s how to keep up the momentum of an unfolding plot. We Kill Monsters #2 delivers all of the goods that were setup in the first issue, while expanding further the human elements of a very monstrous title.
Monsters and madness abound in the second issue. Vanessa, Drew’s bartending ex-girlfriend, opens the book with a poignant moment involving her small-town father, only to have it interrupted by an unexpected visitor. And, of course, the Bashers are back with as much fire in the belly as ever. Drew attempts to keep a level head despite all of the chaos surrounding him and his loved ones. Jake’s arm is still deformed as a grotesque appendage, and his health seems to be failing because of it.
Harkcom and Leone handle the small-town atmosphere of the comic with admirable control; we are given more local color that roots us deeper into the story. There’s some rural skepticism, but instead of the entire plot revolving around Jake and Drew battling both the invading monsters and an unbelieving town, the writers wisely dispel the boy-who-cried-wolf cliché by the second issue. There’s even a scene that reminded me of a moment from Ghostbusters II, in which the NYPD is mobbed by calls from New Yorkers plagued by wicked spooks.
We Kill Monsters is developing into a rich hybrid of horror, comedy, and drama. Think Gremlins, and to a lesser extent, Tremors. There’s a hint of backwoods claustrophobia, as if the town in the story is all alone, completely cut off from the rest of the world. But there are also some slapstick personalities and events at work, keeping everything fresh and lightening the mood when it’s most needed.
The character of Vanessa is given more shape, setting her up to be an interesting addition to the cast. She is, however, involved in an awkward scene where Jake, Drew, and Dennis (Vanessa’s new boyfriend) are caught up in uneasy small talk while completely ignoring Vanessa’s tragedy. Then again, Vanessa doesn’t really need a man to save her time and again—she’s definitely sporting a vibe familiar to that of Tulip from the legendary Preacher series.
There is one glaring inconsistency from the first issue to the second that I couldn’t help but notice: how did Jake and Drew rescue themselves from the cliffhanger ending (literally) of the first installment?
But regardless of one or two narrative potholes, We Kill Monsters is a wild ride that will not disappoint anyone who enjoyed the first issue. The monsters are evolving into cool bestial antagonists, just as the protagonists are evolving into compelling blue-collar heroes. All of this is brought to life with exciting detail by the talented Brian Churilla, whose hand captures the raw fun of comic books.
For anyone reading this series that’s familiar with Clive Barker’s written work, reflect on his short story “The Skins of the Fathers.” It seems that like Barker did in his tale, Harkcom and Leone are using We Kill Monsters to examine the human condition more than the inhuman one.
This comic book review originally appeared on Comic News on 18 August 2009.
