A LEGACY OF VIOLENCE #9, by Mad Cave Studios on 1/17/24, forces Monica and Andrew into a competition for their lives while Nick talks to a lone survivor to find the killer.
The Details
- Written by: Cullen Bunn
- Art by: Andrea Mutti
- Colors by: Andrea Mutti
- Letters by: Rus Wooton
- Cover art by: Andrea Mutti
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: January 17, 2024
Is A LEGACY OF VIOLENCE #9 Good?
Cullen Bunn returns from a five-month hiatus to spread the killer’s madness in A LEGACY OF VIOLENCE #9. Bunn increases the urgency and plot movement for a horrific tale about madness and mutilation, but is it enough to negate the maxi-series pacing problems? Maybe.
When last we left Dr. Nick, Hector took him captive after informing Nick about a survivor. Meanwhile, Monica and Andrew were captured by the killer after Monica was manipulated into killing Dylan by the killer. Now, Hector puts Nick on trial by a jury of one while Monica and Andrew are forced into an “art” competition where the prize is life.
Our big criticism of the previous eight issues was the lack of consistent pacing. Bunn frequently opted for mood and atmosphere as the primary story focus while plot and momentum were left behind. Thankfully, Bunn picks up the pace in this issue to get the story moving for the last act, but a new problem may have taken its place.
What’s great about A LEGACY OF VIOLENCE #9? The train is finally picking up steam. Nick draws closer to figuring out the killer’s lair, Monica and Andrew draw close to their demise, and the participation of at least one side character is cast in a new light. We’re not sure how Bunn will eventually tie all the loose threads together, but at least the story is moving.
What’s not so great about A LEGACY OF VIOLENCE #9? Bunn’s pacing improved, but the new problem may be a lack of believability in the killer’s game. Andrew and Monica are placed in a scenario with time, opportunity, potential help via their would-be victims, and weapons to jump the killer, but they choose not to act because they’ve convinced themselves the killer is somehow unbeatable. Doctors, by nature, are logical, clinical thinkers, so to refuse a chance to stop the killing and gain freedom out of an imagined fear strains credibility.
You get the impression Bunn painted himself into a corner with Monica and Andrew’s capture and couldn’t figure out the logistics of a killer holding off a four-on-one rush, so he concocted a thin excuse to make it possible. It doesn’t work, and the killer’s mystique is cheapened in the process.
How’s the art? Andrea Mutt’s grimy, grotesque art goes a long way toward elevating Bunn’s script beyond its capabilities. A LEGACY OF VIOLENCE #9 may be the goriest issue so far as we get up close with multiple mutilations. Gorehounds will have a field day with this issue via Mutti’s art.
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What’s A LEGACY OF VIOLENCE #9 About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our A LEGACY OF VIOLENCE #8 review to find out why Nick was taken hostage by Hector.
We begin with a flashback to six years ago when Nick was a surgical student. He’s discovered by a fellow student mutilating a corpse, and the following altercation gets violent. Back in 1985, Hector brings Nick before the only known survivor of the killer, Sarah. Through a scarred face, Sarah confirms Nick is not the killer, and the two search Sarah’s memories to figure out where the killer may have set up shop.
In the killer’s lair, Monica and Andrew are trapped in a room with surgical equipment and tables. They discuss how they can escape but decide not to act because they believe the killer can’t be stopped. The killer enters with two bound and gagged hostages, and he explains Monica and Andrew must compete to be left alive by creating the most grotesque transformation of his new hostages.
We conclude the issue with a pullover, first place, and a knock at the door.
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Final Thoughts
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A LEGACY OF VIOLENCE #9 picks up the pace and escalates the gore for the last act of Cullen Bunn’s maxi-series. The grotesque atmosphere through Mutti’s art is as unsettling as ever, and Bunn certainly breathes urgency into the plot, but development with the supporting characters’ actions strains credibility.
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