Graphic Content #27: ‘Killadelphia’ Catch Up
Welcome horror comics fans to Haunted MTL’s review column Graphic Content. Hopefully, this is one of the few times I will need to do something like this. You may have noticed it’s been a long time since I did a comic review. I started falling behind, things got in the way, and I would fall further and further behind. Plus, no money to buy comics. That is an issue. No excuses, of course; this is just the reality of the situation.
So, this time, instead of reviewing a single issue, I will give my general impressions of several issues until their latest issues. after this, The goal is to review new issues as they are out from here on out. All good? Let’s catch up with some favorite horror comics.
We start with Killadelphia, picking up from issue #13.
Killadelphia #14 – #20
As it stands, Killadelphia was my favorite horror comic of 2019, 2020, and 2021. How is it doing in 2022? Well, Killadelphia is still an incredible comic that continues to expand a complex world of vampires and now other supernatural beasts. Here are some general impressions spanning issues 14 to 20.
As for the issues, I do not wish to spoil anything, despite these being months old at this point. Tevin continues to be one of the most exciting vessels for exploring the vampire world because he feels so darn apart from it. This is mainly due to all the supernatural shenanigans his enlightened state has him bouncing between. The Sangsters continue their fight but, at this point, feel almost as though their roles, what drove the title initially, are secondary to a much broader and complex interplay of characters and agendas.
The comic is also increasingly driven by social commentary that can sometimes slow the story’s progression down. I take no issue with the messages and find them fascinating. But, the pacing is beginning to falter under the weight of historical analysis stitched into the vampire story.
The title is still very much driven by today’s political realities, which is exciting. However, it presents questions of continuity as to when these events occur. The comic’s events have spanned a short few months, but the comic has been around for around three years so far. How some contemporary events are happening within a title that appears to be rooted in 2019 is a mystery. I am all for the themes within the comic, but when things like this happen, I can’t help but consider the messaging a bit forced.
The art is still good, but it feels progressively looser and more abstract than some earlier issues. That means that some panels, in many ways, feel more minimal and impressionistic than I would be expecting. The usually “messy” inks appropriate for most of the run begin to feel hurried and less focused. Perhaps the looser approach to the art is to keep up with the production schedule.
With that being said, as things get a little trippier, the abstraction is welcome as the mythology expands in various depictions of faiths from around the globe. There is an issue with some characters appearing more derived from the likeness of existing people, meaning their appearances are significantly more detailed than others. It can be distracting at times. Though as the fourth story arc begins, the art heads into a new direction. I’ll cover this when I review issue #21.
If it seems that I am being overly critical, that is just because I adore the comic, but I am not blind to issues when they pop up.
Final Impressions
As a whole, issues 14 through 20 are largely excellent and kept me reading. That is the highest praise I can offer a comic because so much competes for attention these days. If you can grab me for a handful of issues, you have something that works.
(4 / 5)
Killadelphia is written by Rodney Barnes and illustrated by Jason Shawn Alexander. Luis Nct handles colors with Chris Mitten illustrating the backup feature: “Elysium Gardens.” You can find Killadelphia via Image Comics or your local comic shop.
We’ll be catching up with Killadelphia as it releases new issues, starting with issue #21. In the meantime, let me know what you think about the comic if you’ve been reading it. I would love to read what you have to say about it.
We’ll be back next time to finish Sink, and then we’ll finally get back to Swamp Thing, I swear. More horror comics reviews are on the way.
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Well, you won’t get rid of me that easily… Ha ha, I lied about coming to the end and the afterlife in the Creepy Comics Collages segment, it was just an opportunity for rebirth. Besides, it’s World Collage Day! So having come into another comic book to rework, here we go again…
Creepy Comics Story 9: The Voice (of God or Reason or perhaps an homage to my ex)
“Come to me my children, the voice of God awaits!… Don’t let them escape!” Please beam me up out of this weird comic collage alternate reality. “God I am your hand! Lift me… to your place. I commend my spirit!” I want to go back to dreaming about starfish.
The computer programmer behind the scenes turns to face us and smiles. “Guardians! This is a place of God!… Come to the true voice of God!” “I am everything.” “Come to the voice!” And the horrific AI generated creatures abide by his every coded word.
Just like last night in the — signs posted for Nightmare, No Exit. The deer spirit faun screams in surprise, “Eeek!” “No! I defy you!” She returns to the form of a little girl with arms outspread to the open sky. “Y’know, a day like today makes all the stuff that happened last night seem just like a bad dream!” The dream seems so real…
Somewhere in the city, the computer programmer sits up at night in pensive monologue, “You try to make a difference… But it doesn’t really matter.”
Creepy Comics Story 10: The City (Metropolis becomes self-aware)
This segment is brought to you by Dead Artists and Talking Dinosaurs. No really, wait for it…
Woooooo Uhhhh Wooooooo Uhhhh… Wump! Uff! Wump! Uff! “She belongs to The City!” The Glenn Fry 1985 hit single looms ominously overhead as Metropolis becomes self-aware. “The City… will live!… The City… will breathe!” The City gasps for air, “Got to… breathe!… Got to… Breathe!“
Her breath is the wind… Her eyes are windows. Her heart pumps fluid through buried plumbing… “I’m The City!” Her mind is The City!
And we have a celebrity appearance by Rich Koz “Son of Svengoolie” WFLD 1973: “I take a nap for 10,000 years and look what happens… some-body builds a city!” Kerwyn chimes in, “Geez! Somebody’s been busy!” And we cut out to a scene of Svengoolie standing alongside his coffin.
Well, that’s all folks. Or is it? For now, any way… until I get more comic books… Duh duh DUHHHH…
If you want to see more art, check out more of Jennifer Weigel’s work here on Haunted MTL or on her writing, fine art, and conceptual projects websites.
Wow, I can’t believe you’ve stayed the course through four whole strange story posts of these creepy comics collages. But this is the final frontier, the last segment, the standing ovation as it were. So here goes…
Creepy Comics Story 7: The Grave (shallow enough for ya?)
“It should take longer, it seems to all of them. Such holy flesh should not give before a blade so easily.” “His brow is growing so cold.” “Yes it would be. He’s dying.”
“My god… I’m not dead.” Put the shovel down. “Life is a no-win situation. Besides… You’re already dead!”
“I’m not dead. I’m not dead!… Oh, Oh my god… I can’t move… What’s happened to me?” Buried alive. Or maybe not.
“Dead?” Perhaps I am actually dead. I was expecting something… I dunno… different.
“I’m not hungry, I’m dead. I’m not sure what I’m doing here, in fact.” At least I’m not a zombie. That seems a small consolation right now though. “My organs are shutting down. It is a relief.”
“Three days have already passed.” We’re just sitting here, rotting. Like Norman Bates’ Mother. At least someone was kind enough to supply a rocking chair. “Oh, one last thing before I go… You’re doing my fucking head in.”
Creepy Comics Story 8: Adrift Afterlife (why you save the best gold coins for the ferryman)
How’d we get here? “I do not stand alone. I am sat in a boat.” “.. to be millions of miles away from any care in the world.” Was that the Ferryman? “Only liberty I know.”
“He does not remember arriving here, or if he has been here before. It is not the island he grew up on, though it feels so very familiar… He has been waiting for the night tides to come in, for they will bring starfish. He has always liked watching them cling to the beach before the current pulls them back into fathoms.”
“And the ocean brings him starfish… Perhaps his father had nothing to do with this place at all.” The ferryman stands on the far shore. It makes no difference now.
“Beneath the ocean, razor-sharp coral grows and plunges towards the surface, sent by a green place that would not like to burn.” “The sand is soft between his toes and he is not ashamed of anything.” The ghosts are here, contentedly it seems.
Thank you for joining us for these creepy comics collage art stories. But here’s where we have to leave it off. Trust me, it’s best that way. Besides I’m out of creepy comics to collage with.
If you want to see more art, check out more of Jennifer Weigel’s work here on Haunted MTL or on her writing, fine art, and conceptual projects websites.
We’re ba-ack… Are you ready for the next creepy comics collages graphic story overload? After the last time and the intermission I wasn’t sure I’d see you again, but here we are, together again. You’d almost think we put something in the water – wink.
Now where were we? Oh yeah, the world was going to hell… or was it?
Creepy Comics Story 5: Alien Invasion (A Fist Full of Physics!!!)
“Elsewhere… months… earlier…” “It begins as a flicker pin-point of light getting closer ever closer until it takes form.” The sky is falling, damn you Chicken Little.
“…unconfirmed rumors of extraterrestrials have surfaced this evening following reported sightings in upstate New York earlier today.” There’s the news for you. Always blowing things up to increase viewership ratings.
“Then I would suggest a test immediately.” ‘K Doc, we get it; maybe there’s cause for concern. Guessing these aren’t friendlies based on intel, or that the government pissed them off. “Where’s William Shatner when you really need him?”
“Next morning… City Hall…” “A Fist Full of Physics” Blamm-o! “As if that’s some kind of homage.” It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I was feeling fine but now I’m not so sure. “All of this is on your head.” You can thank the world governments with their shoot first, ask questions later policies for that.
“The act was deplorable. It’s ramifications were permanent.” Doc looks unamused. “And the doctor drones on in his cold monotone… ‘Then we all die.’”
Creepy Comics Story 6: Werewolves (Londoners, eat your hearts out)
“Fables Werewolves… no one can hear you howl.” So now we’re elbow-deep in lycanthropy? This story just keeps getting weirder and weirder…
“… I feel so… disoriented… is this vertigo?” No, you wouldn’t be so lucky. Once bitten, twice shy. It’s The Change. Prepare yourself for the transformation.
“Hello dear.”
“What now?” Enough with the damned interruptions already, can’t you see I’m at work?!
“Shall we start a war?”
“No! No! Leave me alone! Leave me alone! No!“
“What now?”
“I know one thing.” “Never will you suffer the indignity of this animal’s touch again.” The wolf seems somewhat offended by that statement. No really. And probably rightly so.
“Maybe it’s just an excuse, a fucking cop-out for when we inevitably fuck-up our lives and hurt people… We’re not cursed, we’re rotten, or mad or…”
“I don’t deserve this!” he howls. Stop blaming the werewolves for your own human indecencies. Teacups get broken and the London werewolves get angry.
Thank you for going all in with us over this series, there’s… one… more… final… huzzah… In the meantime, check out more of Jennifer Weigel’s work here on Haunted MTL or on her writing, fine art, and conceptual projects websites.
