KILL ALL IMMORTALS #1, by Dark Horse Comics on 7/10/24, pulls a journalist into the inner circle of one of the world’s most powerful families with a deadly secret.
Credits:
- Writer: Zack Kaplan
- Artist: Fico Ossio
- Colorist: Thiago Rocha
- Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
- Cover Artist: Oliver Barrett (cover A)
- Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
- Release Date: July 10, 2024
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Page Count: 32
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of KILL ALL IMMORTALS #1:
Plot Analysis:
Kill All Immortals #1 from Zack Kaplan is one of the more challenging comics to read and review. From all outward aspects, this issue is a perfectly good start to a story about family drama and intrigue with a supernatural twist.
However, the twist is the hook, so if you already know the hook before flipping to page one, and the hook is something you’ve seen in other forms many times, you almost need a hook within the hook to sell the idea.
Kaplan’s issue begins with a gathering of powerful businessmen in a remote lodge in Wyoming. The attendees speak in hushed tones about the recent failure in negotiations with the mythically powerful Avald family. The business meeting ends in bloodshed when the attendees learn the Asvalds don’t take ‘no’ for an answer.
As prologues go, Kaplan ticks all the right boxes. The Asvalds are elevated from a distance through the rumors and tall tales circulated by their business rivals, but when the Asvalds show up and prove their prowess for lethal business is greater than their reputation, they’re elevated even higher.
The story cuts to an introduction with Frey Asvald, the beautiful philanthropist and black sheep of the Asvald family. Frey believes her family’s money and power should be spent on serving the greater good, which she exemplifies by funding charities and supporting relief causes. Lately, Frey has taken up a romantic relationship with journalist Owen Jabari.
When Frey and Owen’s car is stopped during one of their relief mission trips by armed mercenaries, Frey dispatches the men quicker than Owen can see. The event forces Frey to pay her family a visit with Owen.
Most of the book is taken up with Frey, establishing her as the central protagonist who is clearly hiding something from Owen. Frey has a magnetic presence, which draws attention from all directions, so it’s unclear why Frey would take up a relationship with a journalist – somebody with a profession focused on digging up secrets.
Later, Frey and Owen arrive at the Asvald family estate in Iceland. Owen gets an uncomfortable crash course in the Asvald family dynamic. When Frey’s dinner talk with her father and brothers grows increasingly tense, especially when accusations fly about Owen’s intentions, the scene takes a mystical turn.
The issue ends with cut throats, running chases, and a shocking revelation… maybe.
And there’s the rub. It’s obvious… super obvious…. practically telegraphed on the cover that the Asvald family is immortal, and they’ve used their immortality to grow very rich and powerful. Pick any genre or medium you like, and you’ve seen something similar – from Highlander to Tuck Everlasting.
That isn’t to say there isn’t room for another story about a family of Immortals, but it all comes down to the hook that sets this one apart. Unfortunately, whatever twist that makes this story stand apart from every other one of its kind isn’t readily apparent in this first issue, so the burden is on the reader to be patient.
Artwork and Presentation:
Fico Ossio and Thiago Rocha do a superb job delivering dramatic, high-quality art. All technical aspects, from composition to lighting to figurework, look fantastic, and the gruesome scenes of violence are handled tastefully. Ossio doesn’t shy away from getting gory, but it’s not gratuitous.
Art Samples:
The Bigger Picture:
Historical Context:
Kaplan doesn’t say outright whether the characters in this issue are tied to a specific historical figure, but the name Asvald does have some historical context in Viking lineage. Thorvald Asvaldsson was Erik the Red’s father and son to Ásvald Ulfsson, whose great-great-uncle discovered Iceland.
Final Thoughts:
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KILL ALL IMMORTALS #1 is a well-crafted, dramatic, and gritty drama about a family of Immortals. Zack Kaplan’s story ticks all the right boxes when it comes to building the world and developing the characters and their relationships. Plus, Ossio and Rocha’s art is excellent. That said, the central premise is one we’ve seen many times before, so it’s a “wait-and-see” to determine how this story sets itself apart.
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