FROM PANEL TO PANEL • ’90s Action Movie Dream Team (Kill Them All by Kyle Starks)

[quote]The new gonzo graphic novel love letter to 90s action movies by Eisner-nominated cartoonist Kyle Starks (Sexcastle, Rick and Morty).

A betrayed murderess wants revenge. A hard drinking former cop wants his job back. For either to get what they want, they’re going to have to fight their way through fifteen flights of criminals, assassins, drug lords, murderers, yup, even accountants, and…

KILL. THEM. ALL[/quote]

So the joke goes: A disgraced ex-cop, a long lost Princess-assassin walk into a highly secure building filled with Assassins looking for revenge. One wants desperately to get back on the police force even though he’s been fired. The other wants to kill her sexist ex-boyfriend and her ex-father figure for casting as a traitor for no good reason. Oh, and there’s also a cowering partner of the ex-cop who wants no part in this revenge plot.

Okay, so the premise of Kill Them All isn’t a joke. It is quite ridiculously fun!

Kill Them All will give readers ‘90s action movie vibe—from the ridiculous over-the-topness of the characters to the fight styles these characters employ. It’s quick, fun, and hilarious. You get the typical gruff characters who have one-track minds, each floors of the Requin plaza filled with assassins to prevent people from climbing to the top, funny banter between the two characters looking for revenge, lots of blood and over-the-top fight, and much more.

Detective Iruka and the Tiger’s Daughter have a goal in mind, and their goals are the same—take down Requin, a criminal mastermind, and his empire. However, their reasons are vastly different from each other. Expect humor from the ridiculousness of these characters, especially Detective Iruka who’s actions and dialogue with his partner were hilarious.

The art is phenomenal. It matches so well with the over-the-topness and the wittiness of the dialogue. The real star is the way Kyle Stark frames and illustrates the fight scenes. I felt like I was watching a fight scene play in front of my eyes. It’s so impressive.

My only gripe about Kill Them All is the lack of exploration of these important characters. We don’t learn too much about Detective Iruka (aside from how passionate he was about his life as a cop) or his “partner” or Requin. It’s hard to feel attached to these characters when you hardly know who they are aside from this one day. However, it doesn’t take away from the fun of the art or the story. It’s just your typical action movie.

Who will love this comic? Everybody who loves classic 90’s action movies! People who love fight scenes and clever banter.

[note note_color=”#BFD1D1″ text_color=”#ffffff”]Thank you to Oni Press for sending me this comic for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the comic or the content of my review.[/note] [note note_color=”#DDB349″ text_color=”#ffffff”]Are you convinced? Add to your TBR on Goodreads. Go buy Kill Them All from your local comic book store, or these online retailers: Amazon · Barnes & Noble · The Book Depository · Indigo · Comixology. Or borrow it from your library. [/note]