Filed under: Comic Reviews, Indie Comics | Tags: A Comic A Day In May, Chris, ILOVEYOU, Jill, Josh Sherwell, Mike Garley, Mike Stock, The Kill Screen
Issue one of The Kill Screen is a standalone story titled ILOVEYOU which sets up the world created by writer Mike Garley, artist Josh Sherwell and Letterer Mike Stock – and a new world to explore is good for any comic reader……
The premise is fairly simple as we start with a bittersweet break-up full of all the cliched plea’s from Jill but this opening ends with a far more surprising and final ending to their relationship.
Flash forward two years and we’re in the middle of a quest for survival….or that’s how it seems at first. Our central character Jill ventures into an abandoned building and walks straight into the middle of an all out war between the Blues and the Reds……two-sides of a face-off to the death.
It’s here that we meet Chris……a temporary ally as they try to sneak out of the building and to freedom……but even this is where the story develops into something much deeper than I was expecting. The kill screen event that changed the world brought computer errors and viruses into the real world and this merging is a brand new take on the apocalyptic end that the human race could face. Pixels enter the population and those infected have a zombie-like mentality that seems to give them that 8-bit killer stare.
Chris and Jill work their way further into the building and seem to have worked out an escape plan when they end up face to face with both sides of the ongoing battle. Caught in the midst of an attack they both have to be creative in their push to survive and the realization that they only have one bullet remaining brings their options down to virtually nil. Out-thinking the onslaught of their attackers they create a gap from themselves and while they only have to take a final step to freedom…..the rug is pulled from under us in a final twist that again came as a surprise.
Instantly involving as Mike creates characters and situations that suck us in and all while Josh Sherwell slaps us in the face with some smart layouts and interesting artwork. In fact, as I read it there was an air of Bendis/Maleev about the pairing that had me convinced this was more than an indie release but then there has been an ever-increasing quality in the UK indie scene……and the indie scene in general. It’s titles like this that prove that and get an instant recommendation from me with ease as it’s smart, edge of the seat moments mix with brutal but very human moments. BRILLIANT!
This debuts at MCM London on the 24th so checkout this and Mike’s other work over at his website……then GO BUY IT!!
10/10
G-Man
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