#IReadsYou Review: KILLADELPHIA #15

KILLADELPHIA #15
IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Rodney Barnes
ART: Jason Shawn Alexander with Well-Bee (pp 9-10)
COLORS: Luis Nct
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon
EDITOR: Greg Tumbarello
COVER: Jason Shawn Alexander
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Paul Pope
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(July 2021)

Rated “M/ Mature”

Killadelphia and Elysium Gardens created by Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander

“Home is Where the Hatred Is” Part III: “Manifest Destiny”

Killadelphia is an apocalyptic vampire and dark fantasy comic book series from writer Rodney Barnes and artist Jason Shawn Alexander and is published by Image Comics.  At the center of this series is a police officer caught in a lurid conspiracy in which vampires attempt to rule Philadelphia, “the City of Brotherly Love.”  Colorist Luis Nct and letterer Marshall Dillon complete Killadelphia's creative team.

Killadelphia focuses on James “Jim” Sangster, Jr. and his father, revered Philadelphia homicide detective, James Sangster, Sr., thought to be dead.  He is actually a vampire.  Now father and son lead a ragtag team comprised of a medical examiner, a dead president, and a rebellious, but special young vampire (Tevin Thompkins a.k.a. “See Saw”) in a bid to save Philly from an ambitious and murderous former First Lady.

As Killadelphia #15 (“Manifest Destiny”) opens, there is a new vampire player in town, and it's another “Founding Father” and former president.  Meet Tom Jefferson.  He has a tale to tell, philosophically, of course, and he is making a claim on the throne.

Elsewhere, Toppy and the rest of Abigail Adams' inner circle invade the Sangsters' sanctum.  Oh, they also want to know where See Saw has gone, but isn't that his body, all curled up on the floor?  Meanwhile, See Saw is meeting important religious figures like Jesus (who is Black), but he may have to go back to an original god to get the help and the answers he seeks.

THE LOWDOWN:  Killadelphia hits the midway point of its third story arc, “Home is Where the Hatred Is.”  After the pyrotechnics of the previous story arc, “Burn Baby Burn,” this new story line started with a focus on family – damned and otherwise, but now, its pyrotechnics begin.

I find myself endlessly fascinated by writer Rodney Barnes' plots, but sometimes, I really get a chance to admire how he drops history, religion, culture, politics, and philosophy, scattered like drops of enlightening blood throughout his scripts.  That he has brought Thomas Jefferson into play shows that Killadelphia is not growing cold, but will keep surprising and scaring us.

Artist Jason Shawn Alexander and colorist Luis Nct dance through Barnes' script bringing each scene or sequence into life with its own unique look.  From lurid to luminescent, Killadelphia is a comic book of different worlds and different textures and moods and not a place where things are from a melting pot...

Killadelphia #15 is a another great chapter, and you should be reading it, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of vampire comic books and of exceptional dark fantasy will want Killadelphia.

[Killadelphia #15 has a backup feature: “Elysium Gardens” Part 8 “The Power of One” by Rodney Barnes, Chris Mitten, Sherard Jackson, and Marshall Dillon]

A+

10 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://twitter.com/TheRodneyBarnes
https://twitter.com/jasonshawnalex
https://twitter.com/luisnct
https://twitter.com/MarshallDillon
https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/
http://rodneybarnes.com/


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

----------------

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#IReadsYou Review: KILLADELPHIA #14

KILLADELPHIA #14
IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Rodney Barnes
ART: Jason Shawn Alexander
COLORS: Luis Nct
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon
EDITOR: Greg Tumbarello
COVER: Jason Shawn Alexander
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Jonathan Wayshack
36pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(June 2021)

Rated “M/ Mature”

“Home is Where the Hatred Is” Part II: “...And the Sun Washed the Pain Away”

Killadelphia is an apocalyptic vampire and dark fantasy comic book series from writer Rodney Barnes and artist Jason Shawn Alexander and is published by Image Comics.  At the center of this series is a police officer caught in a lurid conspiracy in which vampires attempt to rule Philadelphia, “the City of Brotherly Love.”  Colorist Luis Nct and letterer Marshall Dillon complete Killadelphia's creative team.

Killadelphia focuses on James “Jim” Sangster, Jr., who comes home to Philly to deal with the final affairs of his recently murdered father, revered Philadelphia homicide detective, James Sangster, Sr.  James, Sr. is not dead, but undead – a vampire.  Now father and son lead a ragtag team comprised of a medical examiner, a dead president, and a rebellious, but special young vampire in a bid to save Philly from a vampire doom.

Killadelphia #14 (“...And the Sun Washed the Pain Away”) opens with Abigail Adams in full bloom.  Like her husband, John Adams, the second President of the United States, she is a vampire.  No longer content to be the little wifey, she is determined to be the tyrannical blood queen of Philadelphia.  However, she is displeased that John has not remained … displaced.

Meanwhile, James, Sr. is trying to find a way to change James, Jr. from vampire back into a human.  Young, black and talented vampire, Tevin Thompkins a.k.a. “See Saw,” might be able to do it.  But first, there are complications, and Tevin has to see a man about a resurrection while another vampire man seeks him.

THE LOWDOWN:  Killadelphia is in its third story arc, “Home is Where the Hatred Is.”  After the pyrotechnics of the previous story arc, “Burn Baby Burn,” this new story line looks to focus on family – damned and otherwise – although this arc is also spewing forth the sounds of bloody battle.

I have said in previous reviews that writer Rodney Barnes is writing a comic book in which he is building a universe similar to what Neil Gaiman did with The Sandman.  Initially, The Sandman seemed like one thing, but by the end of its first 12 issues, and certainly by its twentieth issue, The Sandman seemed like an entirely different series.  At the beginning of Killadelphia, Barnes used the concept of the second POTUS being a vampire as a hook.  Now, via Tevin, Barnes is taking us to a new underworld, one beyond the surface vampire conflicts.  Killadelphia is a great vampire comic book because the author isn't just building a new wing in the library of vampire fiction.  He is constructing a new city-state of vampire fiction.

There is a moment in Killadelphia #14 when the art team of illustrator Jason Shawn Alexander and colorist Luis Nct recall the lurid cinema of Hammer Films.  It is in Alexander's dark, but painterly compositions, and in Nct's lurid colors that this series will sometimes recall previous vampire fiction.  However, Alexander often tells the story of Killadelphia by ripping into the neck of vampire fiction and doing new things.  When Alexander conveys the anger of Abigail Adams, it is about more than just her determination to rule.  We can be sympathetic to the fact that she won't be held down anymore by a mediocre (white) man.

Killadelphia #14 is a another great chapter in this fantastic series.  Yes, I am telling you to read it, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of vampire comic books and of exceptional dark fantasy will want Killadelphia.


Killadelphia #14 has a backup feature:
“Elysium Gardens” Part 7 “All Power to the People”

Created by Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander

Story: Rodney Barnes
Art: Chris Mitten
Design: Sherard Jackson
Letters: Marshall Dillon
Edits: Greg Tumbarello

The back-up feature, “Elysium Gardens,” remains in Philadelphia, May 1st, 1985.  Angela/Zubiya and her pack of werewolves arrived in the City of Brotherly Love and found their prey, Stregherian witch, Tituba, among the Black liberation group, M.O.V.E.  Tituba is a descendant of the people who cursed Zubiya and her pack with their … condition.  Now, they are ready to kill the witch, but...

Writer Rodney Barnes makes “Elysium Gardens” both allegorical and metaphorical in the way he uses the brutality, savagery, barbarism, greed, and sin of white supremacy, racism, white colonialism, and white settler violence in the character, setting, and plot of his stories.  The werewolves are the angry Negroes, but as Barnes reveals in a mini prologue of real-world assassinations, sometimes, the oppressed have to direct their energies in other ways.

A+

10 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://twitter.com/TheRodneyBarnes
https://twitter.com/jasonshawnalex
https://twitter.com/luisnct
https://twitter.com/MarshallDillon
https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/
http://rodneybarnes.com/


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

---------------------

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#IReadsYou Review: KILLADELPHIA #13

KILLADELPHIA #13
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

STORY: Rodney Barnes
ART: Jason Shawn Alexander
COLORS: Luis Nct
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon
EDITOR: Greg Tumbarello
COVER: Jason Shawn Alexander
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: David Mack
36pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(May 2021)

Rated “M/ Mature”

“Home is Where the Hatred Is” Part I: “Family First”

Killadelphia is an apocalyptic vampire and dark fantasy comic book series from writer Rodney Barnes and artist Jason Shawn Alexander and is published by Image Comics.  At the center of this series is a police officer caught in a lurid conspiracy in which vampires attempt to rule Philadelphia, “the City of Brotherly Love.”  Colorist Luis Nct and letterer Marshall Dillon complete Killadelphia's creative team.

Killadelphia focuses on James “Jim” Sangster, Jr., who comes home to Philly to deal with the final affairs of his recently murdered father, revered Philadelphia homicide detective, James Sangster, Sr.  Not dead, but undead, the father joins the son, the chief medical examiner (Jose Padilla), and a rebellious vampire to lead the battle that saves Philly from the vampires.  But that was just the first battle, and this is a war.

Killadelphia #13 (“Family First”) opens in Los Angeles, where another undead former President of the United States confesses his sins, announces his plans, and re-introduces his family.  Elsewhere, John Adams, our nation's second president finds that his wife, Abigail Adams, the vampire queen in control of legions, no longer needs him.  Philadelphia will fall at her feet.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the shocking events that closed the last issue, James, Sr. seeks help from Tevin Thompkins a.k.a. “See Saw,” but the young man is busy with his own revolution.  Will he help, or will the help come form an unexpected guest?

THE LOWDOWN:  Killadelphia begins its third story arc, “Home is Where the Hatred Is.”  After the pyrotechnics of the previous story arc, “Burn Baby Burn,” this new story line looks to focus on family – damned and otherwise.

It is not beyond my imagination to see a future where a few [Negroes] who provide quality entertainment could assimilate  …

Good one, Rodney!  Seriously, Killadelphia's scribe, Rodney Barnes, has managed to keep this series extra-fresh for over a year.  Dear readers, I have rarely had a chance to doubt this series, as Barnes' imagination presents vampire fiction that offers layers, subtext, and alternative views of much of the supernatural that defy the bonds and boundaries of vampire fiction.

The art team of illustrator Jason Shawn Alexander and colorist Luis Nct keep this series pumping the warm blood.  Alexander's daring and inventive compositions and Nct's hot coloring spurts hotter arterial fluids even when a vampire isn't biting.

Killadelphia #13 is a welcomed return.  One of the best horror comic books out today is back in black and red, and I highly recommend it.  I think you will like it.  I'd stake a vampire on it.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of vampire comic books and of exceptional dark fantasy will want Killadelphia.


Killadelphia #13 has a backup feature:
“Elysium Gardens” Part 6 “The Wake of the Wind”

Created by Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander

Story: Rodney Barnes
Art: Chris Mitten
Design: Sherard Jackson
Letters: Marshall Dillon
Edits: Greg Tumbarello

The back-up feature, “Elysium Gardens,” opens in Philadelphia, May 1st, 1985.  Angela/Zubiya and her pack of werewolves have arrived, looking for someone.  They have found their prey, Stregherian witch, Tituba, among the Black liberation group, M.O.V.E.  And Tituba has a history, or rather, her story to tell.

As he does with Killadelphia, writer Rodney Barnes makes “Elysium Gardens” both allegorical and metaphorical in the way he uses the brutality, savagery, barbarism, greed, and sin of white supremacy, racism, white colonialism, and white settler violence in the character, setting, and plot of his stories.

It is as if the spirits of the ancestors are guiding Barnes' hands.  Just over a month ago, media reports revealed that the remains of a child of M.O.V.E. were being used in a Princeton-back online forensic anthropology course – reportedly without the permission of her relatives.  Is it a coincidence that Barnes has introduced the organization into this narrative now?  I think not; the ancestors move in mysterious ways.

The art by Chris Mitten is a nice change of pace.  Mitten captures the emotions and the spirit that resides within the characters' eyes.  His graphical storytelling is good for “Elysium Gardens.”

A+
10 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://twitter.com/TheRodneyBarnes
https://twitter.com/jasonshawnalex
https://twitter.com/luisnct
https://twitter.com/MarshallDillon
https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/
http://rodneybarnes.com/


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

-----------------

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#IReadsYou Review: KILLADELPHIA #12

KILLADELPHIA #12
IMAGE COMICS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rodney Barnes
ART: Jason Shawn Alexander
COLORS: Luis Nct
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon
EDITOR: Greg Tumbarello
COVER: Jason Shawn Alexander
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Todd McFarlane with Luis Nct; Bill Sienkiewicz
36pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(January 2021)

Rated “M/ Mature”

“Burn Baby Burn” Part VI: “Endgame”

Killadelphia is an apocalyptic vampire and dark fantasy comic book series from writer Rodney Barnes and artist Jason Shawn Alexander and is published by Image Comics.  At the center of this series is a police officer caught in a lurid conspiracy in which vampires attempt to rule Philadelphia, “the City of Brotherly Love.”  Colorist Luis Nct and letterer Marshall Dillon complete Killadelphia's creative team.

Killadelphia focuses on James “Jim” Sangster, Jr., who comes home to Philly to deal with the final affairs of his recently murdered father, revered Philadelphia homicide detective, James Sangster, Sr.  Not dead, but undead, the father joins the son, the chief medical examiner (Jose Padilla), and a rebellious vampire to lead the battle that saves Philly from the vampires.  But that was just the first battle, and this is a war.

Killadelphia #12 (“Endgame”) opens in one of those neighborhoods (a.k.a. “gated communities”) where the well-to-do and rich white people go to avoid the riff raff.  One such refuge from the refugees, however, can't keep all the … bad things out.

Meanwhile, James, Sr., Jimmy, and Ms. Padilla head out to the center of the vampire revolution.  Now, they will see for themselves just how crazy Abigail Adams is.

Elsewhere, in the afterlife (so to speak). Tevin Thompkins has his own plans for the revolution.  First, he needs to see the boss.  He needs to see “Corson.”

THE LOWDOWN:  The second story arc of Killadelphia, “Burn Baby Burn,” comes to an end, but it ends on a cliffhanger.  This is as it should be, if you think about it.

Writer Rodney Barnes has revealed that what we thought to be a rather straight-forward concept is rather complex.  Like blood splatter, Killadelphia's plots and subplots go all over the place, but it is a narrative with purpose.  This is a world beyond the narrow confines of the world-beating ambitions of would-be vampire gods and monsters.  I don't want to be one of those readers who are always saying, “This is the best issue ever!”  Still, if each issue isn't better than its predecessor, then, each issue certainly expands the “Killa-verse,” making it all the more alluring.  Killadelphia #12 is the best and boy, does it ever expand the undead playing field.

For Killadelphia #12, Jason Shawn Alexander's storytelling is no one thing.  Pages seven and eight show the Sangsters and Padilla in a quiet moment of discussion and planning, but a feeling of intensity infuses the moment.  A short scene between Tevin and is grandmother is sweet, but without a hint of anything extra – neither irony nor weirdness.  However, the opening pages, with their comeuppance of the gated communities, is fun, crazy, and righteous.

Luis Nct's colors are like traffic lights and signals directing our emotions, imaginings, and feelings in specific directions.  Marshall Dillon's lettering is our driver, and he takes us to places where our minds will love the fire.  Killadelphia #12 reveals that “burn, baby, burn” is not necessarily a bad thing, especially when we get a cliffhanger leading to the next arc instead of only ashes.  Killadelphia #12 establishes this series as a top five comic book, without a doubt.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of vampire comic books and of exceptional dark fantasy will want Killadelphia.

10 out of 10

[This comic book includes an “Afterword” by Rodney Barnes.]

Killadelphia #12 has a backup feature:
“Elysium Gardens” Part 5 “Cry Havoc”

Story: Rodney Barnes
Pencils/Gray Tones: Jason Shawn Alexander
Inks: Bill Sienkiewicz
Layouts: Sherard Jackson
Letters: Marshall Dillon
Edits: Greg Tumbarello

The back-up feature, “Elysium Gardens,” has returned to its “present day.”  In the wake of their encounter with Malcolm X, Angela/Zubiya and her pack of werewolves go on the attack, but even they know their limits.  If they want to use their curse as a key to “Black Liberation,” they need to know more about its origins.  Brother Jabir knows where they need to go, and it is a familiar place.

Part 4's appearance of Malcolm X was shocking and an utter delight.  Part 5 offers beloved comic book master artist, Bill Sienkiewicz, as a contributor, as an inker, to this chapter.  It is the right time for a legend to show up, as the flow of this narrative makes its first great change of direction.


https://twitter.com/TheRodneyBarnes
https://twitter.com/jasonshawnalex
https://twitter.com/luisnct
https://twitter.com/MarshallDillon
https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/
http://rodneybarnes.com/


Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

--------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: KILLADELPHIA #11

KILLADELPHIA #11
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rodney Barnes
ART: Jason Shawn Alexander
COLORS: Luis Nct
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon
EDITOR: Greg Tumbarello
COVER: Jason Shawn Alexander with Luis Nct
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Duncan Fegredo
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(December 2020)

Rated “M/ Mature”

“Burn Baby Burn” Part V: “Changing the Story”

Killadelphia is a comic book series from writer Rodney Barnes and artist Jason Shawn Alexander.  At the center of this series is a police officer caught in a lurid conspiracy in which vampires attempt to rule Philadelphia, “the City of Brotherly Love.”  Colorist Luis Nct and letterer Marshall Dillon complete Killadelphia's creative team.

Killadelphia focuses on James “Jim” Sangster, Jr., who comes home to Philly to deal with the final affairs of his recently murdered father, revered Philadelphia homicide detective, James Sangster, Sr.  Not dead, but undead, the father joined the son, the chief medical examiner (Jose Padilla), and a rebellious vampire to lead the battle that saves Philly from the vampires.  But that was just the first battle, and this is an apocalypse.

Killadelphia #11 (“Changing the Story”) opens with the second president of the United States, John Adams, languishing in the … “Afterlife.”  He was the mastermind of a vampire revolution, but he was thwarted by several individuals, one being Tevin Thompkins.  Now, a kind of surrogate son offers a kind of surrogate father a way back.

Elsewhere, the real father-son duo, the Sangster boys, settle into the reality of doing-it-one-more-time.  Meanwhile, there is a change of story for John Adams' queen-of-the-damned-wife when she recounts her love for another damned … wife (so to speak).

Meanwhile, the rebellion born within the rebellion takes a turn.

THE LOWDOWN:  As I first write this review, it is Christmas Week 2020.  Killadelphia #11 hits comic book shops Wednesday, December 23rd, two days before the Christmas … of the apocalypse.  And just as we dread a mutation from across the pond, Killadelphia's story mutates.

Writer Rodney Barnes and artist Jason Shawn Alexander work as if they were a single unit.  The work of each has merged into a single powerful graphical storytelling narrative that has made Killadelphia the best vampire comic book in a long time … if not the best vampire comic book ever published in North America.

Of course, Luis Nct's fiery colors burn stronger than ever, and Marshall Dillon's lettering keeps order in the streets of Killadelphia.  Sometimes, I think that I am running out of ways to praise this wonderful comic book.  Oh, hold on!  Have I said that the final issue of the story arc (issue #12) is 40 pages long?!  If Beale Street could talk, it would tell you to read Killadelphia right away.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of vampire comic books and of exceptional dark fantasy will want Killadelphia.

10 out of 10

Killadelphia #11 has a backup feature:
“Elysium Gardens” Part 4 “By Any Means Necessary”
Story: Rodney Barnes
Art: Jason Shawn Alexander
Layouts: Sherard Jackson
Letters: Marshall Dillon

The back-up feature, “Elysium Gardens,” first opens on the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles, California on April 28, 1962 and then, moves to Sicily, 827 A.D.  Now, the story moves … back to the future or present in L.A.  After hearing a eulogy/speech given by Malcolm X, Angela/Zubiya and her pack decide to use their curse as a key to “Black Liberation.”

Well, I certainly didn't expect an appearance by Malcolm X … even in a comic book that features President John Quincy Adams.  And Jason Shawn Alexander's uncanny depiction of Malcolm captures the soul of this man's public crusade.  I think that is all I can say … at the moment.


https://twitter.com/TheRodneyBarnes
https://twitter.com/jasonshawnalex
https://twitter.com/luisnct
https://twitter.com/MarshallDillon
https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/
http://rodneybarnes.com/

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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

------------------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: KILLADELPHIA #10

KILLADELPHIA #10
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rodney Barnes
ART: Jason Shawn Alexander
COLORS: Luis Nct
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon
EDITOR: Greg Tumbarello
COVER: Jason Shawn Alexander
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: J. Scott Campbell with Sabine Rich
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(November 2020)

Rated “M/ Mature”

“Burn Baby Burn” Part IV: “Kill Them All”

Published by Image Comics, Killadelphia is a comic book series from writer Rodney Barnes and artist Jason Shawn Alexander.  At the center of this series is a police officer caught in a lurid conspiracy in which vampires attempt to rule Philadelphia, “the City of Brotherly Love.”  Colorist Luis Nct and letterer Marshall Dillon complete Killadelphia's creative team.

Killadelphia focuses on James “Jim” Sangster, Jr., who comes home to Philly to deal with the final affairs of his recently murdered father, revered Philadelphia homicide detective, James Sangster, Sr.  Not dead, but undead, the father joined the son, the chief medical examiner (Jose Padilla), and a rebellious vampire to lead the battle that saves Philly from the vampires.  But that was just the first battle, and this is an apocalypse.

Killadelphia #10 (“Kill Them All”) opens in Deadwood, South Dakota, 1876.  And this is the story of Fergus O'Neill.  He is a slave, a slave who is a plantation overseer, and a dead-eye shooter, who eventually becomes the mortician known as “Toppy.”  This is the story of how Toppy becomes a vampire and an ally of Abigail Adams.

Elsewhere, the Sangster boys, Ms. Padilla, and Police Lt. Zimmerman battle a vampire horde, but the battle goes awry when one of the soldiers forgets the weapons of war.  Now, cracks rapidly appear in the foundation of a defense force.

Meanwhile, there is a rebellion being born within the rebellion.

THE LOWDOWN:  As I first write this review, it is Thanksgiving Week 2020.  Killadelphia #10 hits comic book shops Wednesday, November 25th, one day before the Thanksgiving … of the apocalypse.

I am thankful for Killadelphia.  I am thankful for Rodney Barnes' scripts, the writhing dishes of blood pudding that is this narrative.  I am thankful for Jason Shawn Alexander's powerful art and graphical storytelling.  I am thankful for Luis Nct's fiery colors of damnation.  I am thankful for Marshall Dillon keeping peace in the border towns of undead lettering.  For all I know, these creative knuckleheads are also immortals … because Killadelphia can't be this good – unless it is a work of the supernatural.

Every issue, I am surprised, and Killadelphia is still killmatic 10 issues on.  So, dear readers, give yourself a reason to be thankful this year and pick up Killadelphia #10 and also the trade paperback, Killadelphia Vol. 1: Sins of the Father.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of vampire comic books and of exceptional dark fantasy will want Killadelphia.

A+
10 out of 10

Killadelphia #10 has a backup feature:
“Elysium Gardens” Part 3 “The Skin I'm In”
Story: Rodney Barnes
Art: Jason Shawn Alexander
Layouts: Sherard Jackson
Letters: Marshall Dillon

The back-up feature, “Elysium Gardens,” first opened on the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles, California on April 28, 1962 and then, moved to Sicily, 827 A.D.  Now, the story moves … back to the future or present in L.A.  Angela does not want to believe that she is Zubiya or a werewolf, but she may be forced to accept that it is a time of reckoning for her kind.

Previously, I wrote that Rodney Barnes' story and Jason Shawn Alexander's art recalled the black and white horror comics magazines of Warren Publications (like Creepy and Eerie).  However, this is something new, and “Elysium Gardens” looks like it wants to break more than just a little ground.  I'm more sure of that, now.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://twitter.com/TheRodneyBarnes
https://twitter.com/jasonshawnalex
https://twitter.com/luisnct
https://twitter.com/MarshallDillon
https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/
http://rodneybarnes.com/


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

--------------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: KILLADELPHIA #9

KILLADELPHIA #9
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: Francesco Mattina
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(October 2020)

Rated “M/ Mature”

“Burn Baby Burn” Part III: “The Dance of Death”

Published by Image Comics, Killadelphia is a comic book series from writer Rodney Barnes and artist Jason Shawn Alexander.  At the center of this series is a police officer caught in a lurid conspiracy in which vampires attempt to rule Philadelphia, “the City of Brotherly Love.”  Colorist Luis Nct and letterer Marshall Dillon complete Killadelphia's creative team.

Killadelphia focuses on James “Jim” Sangster, Jr., who came home to Philly to deal with the final affairs of his recently murdered father, revered Philadelphia homicide detective, James Sangster, Sr.  Not dead, but undead, the father joined the son, the chief medical examiner (Jose Padilla), and a rebellious vampire to lead the battle that saves “the City of Brotherly Love” from a vampire apocalypse.  But that was just the first battle, and this is a war.

Killadelphia #9 (“The Dance of Death”) opens with family dysfunction as Big (dead) Jim and Li'l (alive) Jim squabble.  Meanwhile, Abigail Adams reveals her plans for Philadelphia, and her leanings are a bit different and bit more aristocratic than that of her late, late husband, John Adams' ambitions.  Plus, the origin of Jupiter Evans, who went from faux-friend and plaything of Thomas Jefferson to put-upon property of a “Founding Father,” is revealed.

THE LOWDOWN:  As I wrote before, Killadelphia's first story line, “Sins of the Father,” was and still is quite fantastic. However, the second and current story line, “Burn Baby Burn” is an even more intense reading experience.  I am shocked by what writer Rodney Barnes is delivering in Killadelphia, probably the most imaginative vampire comic book since Marvel Comics' Tomb of Dracula, which had its bloody heyday back in the 1970s.

I am also impressed at how Barnes has kept the Sangster boys' relationship fresh and vital... and full of vim, vigor, and vinegar.  The complications of old family strife and of assorted cracks in the foundation of a family give this story dramatic heft.

Artist Jason Shawn Alexander's art sets Barnes' passions of his characters aflame.  Alexander's illustrations explode off the page, with the contributions of colorist Luis Nct.  Alexander's graphical storytelling turns Barnes' script into a comic book that will eventually burn the readers' hands and ignite their imaginations.  Plus, Killadelphia #9 offers a suite of Alexander's lovely art as an extra.

As letterer Marshall Dillon scores the vampire apocalypse with his fonts as musical notes, we say goodbye to another issue of Killadelphia... reluctantly.  It is one of the best comic books out today – whether the Eisner and Harvey Awards realize that or not.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of vampire comic books and of exceptional dark fantasy will want Killadelphia.

10 out of 10

[This issue features “Selected Works,” paints by Jason Shawn Alexander.]

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://twitter.com/TheRodneyBarnes
https://twitter.com/jasonshawnalex
https://twitter.com/luisnct
https://twitter.com/MarshallDillon
https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/
http://rodneybarnes.com/


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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#IReadsYou Review: KILLADELPHIA #8

KILLADELPHIA #8
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: Bill Sienkiewicz
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(September 2020)

Rated “M/ Mature”

“Burn Baby Burn” Part II: “Oh So Close...”

Published by Image Comics, Killadelphia is a comic book series from writer Rodney Barnes and artist Jason Shawn Alexander.  At the center of this series is a police officer caught in a lurid conspiracy in which vampires attempt to rule Philadelphia, “the City of Brotherly Love.”  Colorist Luis Nct and letterer Marshall Dillon complete Killadelphia's creative team.

Killadelphia focuses on James “Jim” Sangster, Jr., who came home to Philly to deal with the final affairs of his recently murdered father, revered Philadelphia homicide detective, James Sangster, Sr.  But Senior was not dead; he was of the undead.  It took the son, the vampire father, the chief medical examiner (Jose Padilla), and a rebellious vampire (Tevin “See Saw” Thompkins) to lead the battle to save “the City of Brotherly Love” from a vampire apocalypse.  But that was a battle, and there is a war.

Killadelphia #8 (“Oh So Close...”) opens with Jim, Sr. in his grave and ready to move on with his afterlife, but the vampire revolution still plans on being televised.  Jim, Jr. and Ms. Padilla are digging through the bloody mess found at the Governor's mansion, and what they discover will require help – even if the help doesn't want to be required.  Meanwhile, Abigail Adams and her acolytes make their next move by targeting a big event in an act of violence that cannot be ignored.

THE LOWDOWN:  Killadelphia's first story line, “Sins of the Father,” is quite fantastic. Writer Rodney Barnes seems intent on making “Burn Baby Burn” an even more intense reading experience.  I don't want to spoil this wonderful issue, but Barnes sends one of his characters on a dark fantastic journey that recalls the travels readers experienced in Neil Gaiman's The Sandman (DC Comics).

Did artist Jason Shawn Alexander also sell his soul at the crossroads?  Seriously, in Killadelphia #8, Alexander offers his most imaginative compositions and graphical storytelling.  He introduces new landscapes and dreamscapes into this narrative that takes Killadelphia where no other vampire comic book has gone.

Colorist Luis Nct turns out the fiery hues and neon lights for this excellent issue that transports this narrative to new worlds and also conveys the encroaching horror to its next battlegrounds.  Marshall Dillon's lettering is becoming its own character, especially as this story goes new places.

Damn, I thought this comic book would settle down.  I didn't know that Killadelphia would still be scratching at the window of my imagination by the eighth issue.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of vampire comic books and of exceptional dark fantasy will want Killadelphia.

10 out of 10

Killadelphia #8 has a backup feature:
“Elysium Gardens” Part 2 “Blood Moon”
Story: Rodney Barnes
Art: Jason Shawn Alexander
Layouts: Sherard Jackson
Letters: Marshall Dillon

After opening on the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles, California on April 28, 1962, the back-up story, “Elysium Gardens,” moves to Sicily, 827 A.D.  There, the mystery woman, Zubiya, recounts her dark and mystical past, but it is in the 1960s where she will find some surprising truths.

Rodney Barnes' story and Jason Shawn Alexander's art (with its ethereal and mystical qualities) recalls the black and white horror comics magazines of Warren Publications (like Creepy and Eerie).  But it is also something new, and “Elysium Gardens” looks like it wants to break more than just a little ground.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://twitter.com/TheRodneyBarnes
https://twitter.com/jasonshawnalex
https://twitter.com/luisnct
https://twitter.com/MarshallDillon
https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/
http://rodneybarnes.com/


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

--------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: KILLADELPHIA #7

KILLADELPHIA No. 7
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: Skottie Young
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(August 2020)

Rated “M/ Mature”

“Burn Baby Burn” Part I: “Jupiter Rising”

Launched by Image Comics last year, Killadelphia is a comic book series from writer Rodney Barnes and artist Jason Shawn Alexander.  The series focuses on a police officer caught in a lurid conspiracy, one masterminded by the second president of the United States, John Adams.  A vampire, Adams made the corrupt, but historical city of Philadelphia vampire-ridden.  Colorist Luis Nct and letterer Marshall Dillon complete Killadelphia's creative team.

James “Jim” Sangster, Jr., a Baltimore Police Department, came home to Philly to deal with the final affairs of his recently murdered father, revered Philadelphia homicide detective, James Sangster, Sr.  But Senior was not dead; he was of the undead.  It took the son, the vampire father, the chief medical examiner (Jose Padilla), and a rebellious vampire (Tevin “See Saw” Thompkins) to lead the battle to save “the City of Brotherly Love” from a vampire apocalypse.

Killadelphia #7 (“Jupiter Rising”) opens six months after John Adams brought Philly to its knees, before his ultimate destruction.  Jimmy and Ms. Padilla are part of the front line forces that keep the bloodsuckers in check.  But what of the remnants of John Adams' family, the ones who waited patiently for centuries along with him?  What is Abigail, Adams' “widow,” up to up there on Chestnut Hill?

Plus, it is April 28, 1962 on the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles, California.  Watts is on fire.  And the patrolman in Los Angeles Police Department Car 2713 is about to have a fatal encounter with a “suspicious Negro woman.”

THE LOWDOWN:  Killadelphia's first story line, “Sins of the Father,” was quite fantastic.  In six issues, the Killadelphia creative team established this comic book as maybe the best vampire comic book of the twenty-first century.

What writer Rodney Barnes offers in Killadelphia is what some of us readers wish we could find in Marvel's Blade comic books, but better creator-owned than being owned.  Barnes quickly switches gears and delivers a first chapter of the second story arc that may be as powerful as the opening act of the first story arc.  New readers don't need to have read the first six issues in order to understand Killadelphia #7, but they will want to because it is so... bloody good.

Artist Jason Shawn Alexander offers a little night music that promises to keep this dark fantasy fresh and full of possibilities.  His art goes for the throat, and with colorist Luis Nct throwing red hues after him, Alexander will make you love and be afraid of Killadelphia, as it should be.  After all, this is a horror comic book, but, as read under Marshall Dillon's lettering, the character and the drama will move this comic book and narrative beyond mere genre considerations.

Comic book news sites have been reporting a surge in sales for Killadelphia #7.  These new readers are about to get a treat, and maybe some of them will sock away a few copies in their coffins as an investment.  All the smart immortals are making their way to Killadelphia.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of vampire comic books and of exceptional dark fantasy will find that Killadelphia is an essential read.

10 out of 10

[This comic book includes the extra story, “Elysium Gardens” by Rodney Barnes, Jason Shawn Alexander, and Marshall Dillon

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

https://twitter.com/TheRodneyBarnes
https://twitter.com/jasonshawnalex
https://twitter.com/luisnct
https://twitter.com/MarshallDillon
https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/
http://rodneybarnes.com/


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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#IReadsYou Review: KILLADELPHIA #6

KILLADELPHIA No. 6
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
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Jae Lee with June Chung
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(June 2020)

Rated “M/ Mature”

“Sins of the Father” Part VI: “For God and Country”

Thinking about Breonna Taylor, shot to death in her home, I think it is surreal that the Louisville police said it was the Post Office's error.  I feel like Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander are prophetic.  Talent borrows.  Genius steals.  Prophets go where neither talent nor genius can travel.

Launched by Image Comics last year, Killadelphia is a comic book series from writer Rodney Barnes and artist Jason Shawn Alexander.  The series focuses on a police officer caught in a lurid conspiracy, and its mastermind is the second president of the United States.  John Adams is a vampire, and he has made the corrupt, but historical city of Philadelphia vampire-ridden.  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 Philly to deal with the final affairs of his recently murdered father, revered Philadelphia homicide detective, James Sangster, Sr.  Jimmy hated his father, but daddy is not dead; he is of the undead.  Now, the son, the vampire father, the chief medical examiner (Jose Padilla), and a rebellious vampire (Tevin “See Saw” Thompkins) are working to save “the City of Brotherly Love” from a vampire apocalypse and from its other hellish trials and tribulations.

Killadelphia #6 (“For God and Country”) opens as Jimmy Sr. gathers an army of law enforcement and first responders to ignite a disco inferno – Philly soul style – to stop the vampires from completing their takeover.  But the main event is when Jimmy and Tevin confront the founding father of this vampire nation, and someone will die – for real this time.  Meanwhile, it's “ladies first,” when a new conspiracy begins.

THE LOWDOWN:  In my review of Killadelphia #5, I wrote the following:

I believe that each society, even humanity as a whole, will get the apocalypse it deserves and it earns.  “You reap what you sow” ends up being more than just wisdom and being words from a religious text.  Were America to fall in a vampire, zombie, and monster-driven apocalypse, the nation would finally be harvesting its fated bumper crop, the bountiful yield of its plantation state.

As I write this review of Killadelphia #6, it is the morning that George Floyd will be laid to rest.  If you don't know who George is, I've already shaken off the dust of my feet.  Because George has to rest in peace, a lot of Americans can't be at peace.  Killadelphia #6 deftly and philosophically debates “Black Liberation” and emancipation in all their thematic glories – from oppression and revenge to mercy and uplift.

Rodney Barnes, a hugely imaginative comic book writer (who also writes for television), and Jason Shawn Alexander (Empty Zone), a fiery comic book and graphic artist, already created one of the best vampire comic books ever.  But that wasn't enough for these two muthas.  To say that Killadelphia is timely, while its conception likely began a year before George Floyd's killing, is to also understand that sometimes crafty storytellers are just plugged into something.

So, yeah, we are getting more than just a vampire comic book.  Fries do indeed go with that Killadelphia shake.  And also, I want to shout out, real loud, colorist Luis Nct's superb work on this issue and on this series overall.  His name will soon be synonymous with the phrase “nightmarish colors.”  Marshall Dillon still keeps Dodge City and Philadelphia under control with his lettering.

For your information: the first Killadelphia trade paperback collection (collecting issues #1 to 6), entitled Killadelphia, Volume 1: Sins of the Father, is scheduled to arrive in comic book shops and bookstores July 2020.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of vampire comic books will find that Killadelphia is an essential read.

10 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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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#IReadsYou Review: KILLADELPHIA #5

KILLADELPHIA #5
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rodney Barnes
ART: Jason Shawn Alexander
COLORS: Luis Nct
LETTERS: Marshal1 Dillon
LOGO/GRAPHIC DESIGN: Brent Ashe
EDITOR: Greg Tumbarello
COVER: Jason Shawn Alexander
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Neal Adams and Zeea Adams; Inhyuk Lee
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(March 2020)

Rated “M/ Mature”

“Sins of the Father” Part V: “The Sun Will Rise”

Killadelphia is a new comic book series from writer Rodney Barnes and artist Jason Shawn Alexander.  The series focuses on a police officer caught in a lurid conspiracy, and its mastermind is the second president of the United States.  John Adams is a vampire, and he has made the corrupt, but historical city of Philadelphia vampire-ridden.  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, who is not dead, but is of the undead.  Now, son, vampire dad, the chief medical examiner (Jose Padilla), and a rebellious vampire (Tevin “See Saw” Thompkins) are working to save “the City of Brotherly Love” from a vampire apocalypse.

Killadelphia #5 (“The Sun Will Rise”) opens on the morning after the night of revolution.  Now, Mayor Gaskins and Lieutenant Zimmerman of the police department are in a state of denial, but Zimmerman will soon get the proof he needs in order to believe... in the unbelievable.  Meanwhile, a gospel and a history lesson (sort of) from See Saw.

I believe that each society, even humanity as a whole, will get the apocalypse it deserves and it earns.  “You reap what you sow” ends up being more than just wisdom and being words from a religious text.  Were America to fall in a vampire, zombie, and monster-driven apocalypse, the nation would finally be harvesting its fated bumper crop, the bountiful yield of its plantation state.

The thing about Rodney Barnes' writing in Killadelphia is that it seems less like fantasy or even speculative fiction, for that matter.  It seems like a beautifully composed point of view of an actual reality.  And when he isn't writing killer dialogue, Barnes fills exposition boxes with poetry, which makes the violence and bloody righteousness such a beautiful thing.

Artist Jason Shawn Alexander and colorist Luis Nct produce rich and lavish storytelling.  They are not simply creating pretty comic book art; they are telling a story with passion and poetry.  Still, the pages are resplendent, each a story all its own.  Meanwhile, Marshall Dillon acts as a quiet stenographer, lettering this gorgeous vampire tale with the resoluteness of a reporter chronicling the end of city where liberty was born lying.

Killadelphia #5 is another great entry in a killin'-it comic book series.

[This issue contains bonus art by Jason Shawn Alexander.]

10 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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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#IReadsYou Review: KILLADELPHIA #4

KILLADELPHIA #4
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rodney Barnes
ART: Jason Shawn Alexander
COLORS: Luis Nct
LETTERS: Marshal1 Dillon
LOGO/GRAPHIC DESIGN: Brent Ashe
EDITOR: Greg Tumbarello
COVER: Jason Shawn Alexander
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Eric Canete
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(February 2020)

Rated “M/ Mature”

“Sins of the Father” Part IV: “...Cry Out for Revolution!”

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 is clued onto a lurid secret by his dead father; the corrupt, but historical city of Philadelphia is vampire-ridden.  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, who is not dead, but is of the undead.  Now, son, vampire dad, and the chief medical examiner are working to stop a vampire apocalypse initiated by... the second President of the United States!

Killadelphia #4 (“...Cry Out for Revolution!”) opens on the night of revolution.  John Adams, President turned vampire overlord, sends him vampire horde into the city of Philadelphia – to terrify it, to destroy it, and to drain it of its lifeblood.  This is Adams' revolution to free mankind and to save humanity.  Meanwhile, one of Adams' lieutenants has apparently turned counter-revolutionary, and he wants to meet Jim, Sr.

I tried waiting extended periods of time between reading issues of Killadelphia.  It was my way of putting some distance between each issue and my mad love for this thrilling, modern vampire comic book.  But forget that.  Image Comics recently made a PDF review copy of Killadelphia #4 available to reviewers and that was vampire crack to a vampire crackhead reader.  That would be me.

Artist Jason Shawn Alexander and colorist Luis Nct, who are starting to seem like the dream team of apocalyptic comic books, present the fall of a city in kinetic compositions and in spurts and splashes of end-times colors.  Meanwhile, Marshall Dillon quietly letters and notes the last, dying hours of a city that was living on borrowed time anyway.

In 2004, Marvel Comics published a small trade paperback, Blade: Black & White, to coincide with the release of the film, Blade: Trinity.  Among the stories reprinted in the collection were two Blade stories written by Chris Claremont (best known for his work on X-Men/Uncanny X-Men) and two by Marv Wolfman (best known for writing The New Teen Titans and Crisis on Infinite Earths).  The four stories were magnificent tales of urban horror and dark fantasy that mixed blaxploitation cinema with the edginess of the urban dramas and the horror movies of 1960s and 1970s.

Killadelphia's killa scribe, Rodney Barnes, is bringing da funk and da noise of edgy, urban, Black/African-American horror fantasy.  This series offers some of the best vampire fiction in recent memory, and Barnes also seems to be dancing around dropping some major family dysfunction on his readers pretty soon.  So... I'm still giving this my highest recommendation to encourage you to read Killadelphia, dear readers.

[This issue contains bonus art.]

10 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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

----------------------------------------

#IReadsYou Review: KILLADELPHIA #3

KILLADELPHIA #3
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rodney Barnes
ART: Jason Shawn Alexander
COLORS: Luis Nct
LETTERS: Marshal1 Dillon
LOGO/GRAPHIC DESIGN: Brent Ashe
EDITOR: Greg Tumbarello
COVER: Jason Shawn Alexander
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Matteo Scalera
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(January 2020)

Rated “M/ Mature”

“Sins of the Father” Part III: “Abaddon”

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, one which reveals that the corrupt, but historical city of Philadelphia is vampire-ridden.  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, who is not dead, but is of the undead.  Now, they're working together to stop an apocalypse – son and vampire dad!

Killadelphia #3 (“Abaddon”) finds the Sangster boys and Jose Padilla, the chief medical examiner, cleansing the city morgue of its cadavers-turned-vampires.  This team-up, however, does not hide the estrangement between Jim, Sr. and Jim, Jr., and Padilla's honeyed words of peace and calmness may not change that.

Meanwhile, John Adams... the second President of the United States and the “Vampire King,” ruminates on his history.  He remembers how he came to be what he is and thinks on the evolution of his plans to build a society not defined by money, race, and class.  But what happens when you use the same old flawed ideas to build something new... or when your partners decide to go their own way?

Killadelphia #3 remains a thrilling, ass-kicking vampire comic book series, but I like that writer Rodney Barnes turns the narrative inward, as the two fathers, Jim, Sr. and John Adams, are forced to reap what they sow – at least, mentally and philosophically.  I like the haves/have-nots dynamic that plays itself out in who gets turned into a vampire and who does the turning.  However, I like what I see as Barnes' consideration of the costs people pay because of the hubris and the narcissism of powerful men.

Back in the 1980s, the peak work of comic book artist and illustrator, Bill Sienkiewicz, was some of the best, if not the best painted comic book art.  Many of Sienkiewicz's individual pages looked like individual paintings, while still propelling the narrative and also being graphical storytelling.

Jason Shawn Alexander, especially in Killadelphia #3, presents some pages that are like stand-along paintings, each with its own message, while being part of the larger narrative.  That would be story-pages 14-15, 19, and 22.  Luis Nct's coloring remains electric and alive – like something bad come alive.  Marshall Dillon letters rhythmically, creating a melody of blood and history and of sex and death.

In my review of Killadelphia #2, I wrote that if Killadelphia #3 was as good as the first two issues, I would begin to suspect that there was something supernatural about this comic book's creative team.  So...

10 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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


---------------------------------

#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.

------------------------

#IReadsYou Review: KILLADELPHIA #1

KILLADELPHIA No. 1
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rodney Barnes
ART: Jason Shawn Alexander
COLORS: Luis Nct
LETTERS: Marshal1 Dillon
LOGO/GRAPHIC DESIGN: Brent Ashe
EDITOR: Greg Tumbarello
COVER: Jason Shawn Alexander with Luis Nct
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Francesco Mattina; Jason Shawn Alexander
32pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(November 2019)

Rated “M/ Mature”

“Sins of the Father” Part 1: “A Call to Arms”

Killadelphia is a new comic book series from writer Rodney Barnes (Lando: Double or Nothing for Marvel Comics) and artist Jason Shawn Alexander (Spawn for Todd McFarlane/Image Comics).  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.

Killadelphia #1 (“A Call to Arms”) opens with James “Jim” Sangster, Jr. dealing with the death of his father, revered Philadelphia homicide detective, James Sangster, Sr.  Ten days earlier, Sangster, Sr. got a tip that took him to “Harvest Green Homes,” a low-income housing project that had its glory days in the 1970s.  Now, it's known as “Hell Hall,” and it is the place where Detective Sangster was murdered.

Jim hated his father, but he more or less stumbles into reading his father's journal.  What he finds makes him think that Sangster, Sr. was loosing his mind.  What Jim finds when he makes his own trip to Hell Hall will shake his beliefs to their core.

I once believed that if talented and accomplished African-American writers got the comic book writing opportunities that DC Comics' imprint, Vertigo Comics, gave to white writers, they would produce some incredible work.  Of course, I was right, and Image Comics is proving it by publishing Black writer-penned titles like Bingo Love, Bitter Root, Farmhand, and Jook Joint, to name a few.  Now comes Killadelphia from Rodney Barnes, who wrote the ambitious 2017-2018 Falcon comic book series for Marvel Comics.  [After an epidemic of white-devil fever swept through Marvel's management and editorial, Falcon was unceremoniously canceled.]

Killadelphia #1 is incredible.  What Barnes does with his first-issue script takes most other comic book writers five or six issues to do.  Barnes, who is also a television writer and producer, presents the personalities of both Sangster men, while detailing their contentious relationship and its history in startling detail.  Plus, he unveils quite a bit of Killadelphia's back story and mythology in a few pages.  Wait!  He also gives us some hot vampire action, y'all!  [I'd say that I got more than my money's worth, but Image Comics did send me a PDF review copy.]

Jason Shawn Alexander's graphical storytelling is long and strong.  Powerful graphics and page design strike out at the reader – the way they should in a vampire comic book.  Alexander creates a milieu that is perfect for both horror fiction and for a contemporary tale of public corruption in a rotten metropolis.

Luis Nct's coloring is fantastic; it seems that every page suggests a different mood, which plays up Killadelphia's devious atmosphere and gritty and surreal ambiance.  Marshall Dillon's lettering also changes, moving and shifting with the narrative, conveying the notion that this story wants to sink its... something into you.

Killadelphia #1 can't stop, won't stop.  It is proof that comic books can do what movies like Us and Queen & Slim are doing for film – showcase the creativity of potent new or different storytelling voices.

10 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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