#IReadsYou Review: KILLADELPHIA #2

KILLADELPHIA No. 2
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rodney Barnes
ART: Jason Shawn Alexander
COLORS: Luis Nct
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon
LOGO/GRAPHIC DESIGN: Brent Ashe
EDITOR: Greg Tumbarello
COVER: Jason Shawn Alexander with Luis Nct
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Jim Mahfood
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(January 2020)

Rated “M/ Mature”

“Sins of the Father” Part II: “Death, My Sweet Savior”

Killadelphia is a new comic book series from writer Rodney Barnes and artist Jason Shawn Alexander (Empty Zone).  The series focuses on a police officer who falls into a lurid mystery set in the corrupt and vampire-ridden historical city of Philadelphia.  Colorist Luis Nct and letterer Marshall Dillon complete Killadelphia's creative team.

James “Jim” Sangster, Jr. is a Baltimore Police Department beat cop who comes home to deal with the final affairs of his recently murdered father, revered Philadelphia homicide detective, James Sangster, Sr.  Jimmy hated his father, but now they're working together to stop an apocalypse – son and vampire dad!

Killadelphia #2 (“Death, My Sweet Savior”) finds the Sangster boys and Jose Padilla, the chief medical examiner, plotting to stop the machinations of John Adams... the second President of the United States.  It is a good thing that Jose had been working with Jimmy Sr. before... his untimely demise, because she already had a notion that there were vampires about... even if part of her was in denial.  Now, she and the Sangsters have some dirty, bloody work to do.

Meanwhile, in the Philly “Badlands,” Mr. President continues to shape his revolution.  But one of his soldiers, Tevin Thompkins, once the object of Jimmy Sr.'s search, has his focus on a more personal war.

I had planned on putting more time between my reading the first two issues of Killadelphia.  I liked Killadelphia #1 so much, and I thought if it waited a month or so before reading the second issue, I might be better able to tell if a glorious first issue was just beginners' luck on the part of Misters Barnes and Alexander.  However, once I obtained a digital review copy of Killadelphia #2, it kept calling to me, like Blanche kept calling on Mede in the film, Mandingo (1975).  [In this case, Killadelphia is the Mandingo and I am the desperate bed-wench.]

Seriously, there is no beginner's luck here.  Killadelphia #2 is a glorious read, and it may be even more kick-ass than the first issue, which was damn glorious itself.

Rodney Barnes' writing is the kind of rich, imaginative writing and detailed plotting that readers normally get from the best dark fantasy and horror prose.  Jason Shawn Alexander's graphical storytelling and art is powerful and alluring.  I think that reading it is like staring into the hypnotic gaze of a beautiful vampire (for instance, if Charlize Theron was vampire).

Luis Nct's coloring of Alexander's art is also beautiful, and it conveys the dangerous elements of this story with uncompromising boldness.  Letterer Marshall Dillon doesn't want to be left behind, so he turns his fonts into a thousand cuts – the way lettering should be in a vampire comic book.

If Killadelphia #3 is this good, then, I'll suspect that there is also something supernatural about this creative team...

A+
10 out of 10

Friday, January 24, 2020


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Dynamite Entertainment from Diamond Distributors for November 28, 2018

D. E.

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Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for May 17, 2017

IMAGE COMICS

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IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for March 25, 2015

IDW PUBLISHING

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Li'l Depressed Boy Begins in February from Image Comics

BETWEEN A (LI'L DEPRESSED) BOY AND A GIRL

 

Image Comics collects cult favorite web series this February

 

He found a home first on the Internet. Now, Li'l Depressed Boy comes to print with LI'L DEPRESSED BOY #1, out this February from Image Comics.

LI'L DEPRESSED BOY follows the adventures of a ragdoll as he goes about his ordinary life. In the first issue, Li'l Depressed Boy meets girl, with all the romantic and stylish lovelorn charm that characterizes movies such as (500) Days of Summer.

The cult favorite web series was created in 2005 by S. Steven Struble, a comic colorist (CHEW, Kick Drum Comix) and nationally competing slam poet, who continues to write the series. Early Li'l Depressed Boy strips were drawn by comics luminaries such as Sam Keith (THE MAXX), Jamie McKelvie (PHONOGRAM), Jim Mahfood (MIXTAPE), and more. Sina Grace took over art duties on the acclaimed web comic in 2008. His illustrations can be seen in various publications, most recently in Among the Ghosts, a young adult novel written by Amber Benson (Tara on Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

"The Li'l Depressed Boy comes from so many personal experiences, which I think correlates to why people relate to the story," says Struble. "We've all been that quiet person who can barely muster a smile. With Sina as the regular artist and our first story arc together under the Image 'I,' it's a dream come true."

Adds Grace, "When I started drawing the Li'l Depressed Boy, I was so excited to be collaborating with someone who wanted to tackle comics the same way I did: with earnestness, fun, and a touch of self-deprecation. After all these years, I'm happy to say that the work we are presenting with Image Comics maintains those core values."

LI'L DEPRESSED BOY #1 (diamond code), a 32-page full-color comic book for $2.99, will be in stores February 9, 2011. Meet the Li'l Depressed Boy by visiting www.lildepressedboy.com.


Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit http://www.imagecomics.com/.

Image Comics at New York Comic-Con the Programme

NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

Image Comics heads east for New York Comic-Con, October 8-10, 2010

Image Comics is taking the show on the road this weekend, making its way across the country for New York Comic-Con 2010! Come by booth 1647 to pick up your favorite Image trades and exclusive merchandise for THE WALKING DEAD!

Visit Image Comics at booth 1647 to see your favorite Image creators! ROBERT KIRKMAN (Invincible, The Walking Dead, Haunt) and TODD McFARLANE (Spawn, Haunt) head up an all-star lineup that also includes ERIK LARSEN (Savage Dragon), DAVID HINE (The Bulletproof Coffin), JIM ZUBKAVICH (Skullkickers), ANDY KUHN and PHIL HESTER (Firebreather), BRYAN JL GLASS (The Mice Templar), TOMM COKER (Undying Love), and DAVE ELLIOTT (Benaroya Publishing)!

Line up to get autographs from KIRKMAN, McFARLANE, GREG CAPULLO (Spawn, Haunt), BEN McCOOL and BEN TEMPLESMITH (Choker), NICK SPENCER (Morning Glories), TIM SEELEY (Hack/Slash), MACON BLAIR and JOE FLOOD (Hellcity), RUFUS DAYGLO (Tank Girl), KIERON GILLEN and JAMIE McKELVIE (Phonogram), the creative team behind DAOMU, JOSH WAGNER and CAMILLA D'ERRICO (Sky Pirates of Neo Terra), JOE CASEY (Godland, Officer Downe), JOE KELLY (I Kill Giants), DUNCAN ROULEAU (The Great Unknown), STEVEN T. SEAGLE (The Crusades), and more!

Other Image creators attending NYCC include JIM VALENTINO (ShadowHawk), RON MARZ (Firebreather vs. Dragon Prince), RYAN BODENHEIM (Red Mass for Mars), AMANDA CONNER and JIMMY PALMIOTTI (The Pro), WHILCE PORTACIO (Darkness), CHRIS GIARRUSSO (G-Man), RICK REMENDER (Sea of Red), IVAN BRANDON (Viking), GREG HORN (The Art of Greg Horn), JOSH HOWARD (Dead@17), DAVID MACK (Kabuki), JIM MAHFOOD (Stupid Comics), Michael Broussard (Artifacts, The Darkness), and Nelson Blake II (Magdalena)!

PANELS

Friday
4:30-5:30pm, Room 1A14
Image Comics: The Writers

Some of Image Comics' favorite writers get together to describe the writing process for their books, from inception to publication. Join juggernauts Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead), Nick Spencer (Morning Glories), Ron Marz (Firebreather vs. Dragon Prince), and Steven T. Seagle (The Crusades) for a discussion about writing, followed by Q&A.

Saturday
12:15-1:15pm, Room 1A22
The Image Comics Show

Join Image Comics for exclusive announcements about upcoming projects, updates about ongoing projects, and a Q&A session with some of Image's best creators. Don't miss your chance to find out about what we're up to before anyone else does, get exclusive give-aways, and ask questions of your favorite creators! Panelists include Ron Marz (Firebreather vs. Dragon Prince), Nick Spencer (Morning Glories), Tomm Coker (Undying Love), Joe Kelly (I Kill Giants), Ben McCool (Choker), and James Zhang (Daomu).

Sunday
12:00-1:00pm, Room 1A24
Creating Comics the Image Comics Way

How do Image Creators make the best books in the business? Join us for a roundtable discussion of creator-owned comics, with an insider's perspective on how ownership makes the creative process more fulfilling. Jim Valentino (ShadowHawk), Greg Capullo (Haunt), Marc Guggenheim (Halcyon), Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash), Joe Casey (Officer Downe), and Ben Templesmith (Choker) share their thoughts on publishing with Image Comics.

AUTOGRAPHS

Friday
1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Todd McFarlane and Greg Capullo (Spawn)*
3:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead)*
4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Ben McCool & Ben Templesmith (Choker)
5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash)

Saturday
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Macon Blair and Joe Flood (Hellcity)
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead)*
1:15 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. Rufus Dayglo (Tank Girl)
2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie (Phonogram)
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Greg Capullo
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead)*
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Daomu

Sunday
10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Josh Wagner & Camilla D'Errico (Sky Pirates of Neo Terra)
12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead)*
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Greg Capullo
2:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau, & Steven T. Seagle
3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Rufus Dayglo (Tank Girl)
3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Nick Spencer (Morning Glories)

*Ticketed signings: Tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis at the beginning of each day.

Ziggy Marley Presents "Marijuanaman"

A HERO FOR A NEW GENERATION

Ziggy Marley to join Image Comics for an exclusive signing at Comic-Con International 2010

Grammy Award-winning musician Ziggy Marley is adding another title to his already impressive resume: comic book author.

The first issue of Ziggy's book, MARIJUANAMAN, will hit store shelves across the country on April 20, 2011. In support of his book, Ziggy will be making an exclusive one-day-only appearance at Comic-Con International. On Saturday, July 24, Ziggy will be signing MARIJUANAMAN posters with publisher Image Comics from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at booth #2729. Joining him will be artist Jim Mahfood (MIXED TAPES) and co-writer Joe Casey (GODLAND, OFFICER DOWNE).

Five-time Grammy winner and Reggae icon Ziggy Marley's early immersion in music came at age ten when he sat in on recording sessions with his father Bob Marley. For the next decade, as front man to Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers, Ziggy released eight best-selling albums, garnering three Grammys, with such chart-topping hits as "Tomorrow People" and "Tumbling Down." Ziggy's first solo album, DRAGONFLY, was released in 2003, to much critical acclaim. His second solo release, LOVE IS MY RELIGION, won a Grammy in 2006 for Best Reggae Album. His third solo release, FAMILY TIME, scored him a Grammy in a new category: Best Musical Album For Children.

Now, Ziggy is blazing into the comic world with his latest project, MARIJUANAMAN. Ziggy's new superhero, Marijuanaman, is from a planet that is in desperate need of THC. Marijuanaman seeks to save Earth's marijuana fields from destruction by the drug company PharmeXon, and thus saving his home planet from destruction.

"I have been reading comics since I was a little boy in Jamaica,” Ziggy declares. “I am very excited to be a part of Image Comics, Comic-Con, and the comic book community."

Don’t miss Ziggy Marley's appearance at Comic-Con International 2010, where he will be signing limited edition Marijuanaman posters at Image Comics, booth #2729, on Saturday, July 24, 2010, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The first issue of MARIJUANAMAN will be in stores April 20, 2011. Find out more at http://www.marijuanamancomic.com/.


Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of four major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.