KILLCHELLA #2, from Scout Comics on January 25th, 2023, brings Blaire and her friends to the big concert to see Topanga Cornell. Unfortunately, the big event will be the stuff of bloody infamy.
The Details
- Written by: Mario Candelaria
- Art by: Serg Acuña, Lautaro Havlovich
- Colors by: Katherine Lobo, Lesley Atlansky
- Letters by: Matt Krotzer
- Cover art by: Serg Acuña
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: January 25, 2023
Is It Good?
It’s not exactly clear what’s going on in KILLCHELLA #2, but it’s one Hell of an intriguing development. We praised the first issue for setting up a refreshingly modern take (or so we thought) on 80s slasher films. However, this issue twists and expands the plot to resemble something closer to The Wicker Man (1975) or Midsommar (2019). It’s weird. It’s mysterious. And we like it.
When last we left Blaire and her friends, they were partying at the hotel the night before the big event. When J.J. finished the night with creepy newcomer Gus, J.J. wound up being Gus’s victim in what appears to be some kind of ritual sacrifice. Now, Blaire and friends head to the big concert, assuming Gus is passed out drunk somewhere, and the festivities take a dark turn.
The story grew in scale significantly from the first issue. The deaths take on an increasingly supernatural, ritualistic vibe, and the whole crowd appears to be headed for death on a massive scale. Candelaria absolutely nails the atmosphere of impending tragedy as the protagonists are blissfully unaware they’re headed in the wrong direction. You, the reader, know something terrible is happening, but you can’t stop it, and you can’t warn Blaire and her friends. This is the kind of tension Hitchcock made famous with his bomb analogy, and it works like a charm. It’s not the “BOOM!” that captures the audience’s attention. It’s the anticipation.
The art is perfectly fine for the story at this point in the arc. There’s, admittedly, a fair amount of page space with characters standing around and talking, so there’s not much room to flex creative muscle on the action front. That said, the creepy figure work for Topanga Cornell’s helpers and acolytes is where this issue shines. There’s an elemental look to the costumes and a vacant look of insanity on the faces of Topanga’s followers that’s thoroughly unsettling. You feel like you’re about to be slaughtered in the presence of pagan gods.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our KILLCHELLA #1 review to find out what happened to J.J.
We begin with Blaire, Stella, and their friends getting ready to go to the concert after a night of partying. Gus is nowhere to be found, but the group assumes he’s sleeping off a drunken stupor and heads to the concert without him.
Later, Stella is continually gatekept by Gus, so her friends decide to ditch her to see the other bands play. When the sun approaches dusk, special invitees receive their call to board buses to a secret venue where only Topanga Cornell is performing. When Gus boards his assigned bus, he finds the other passengers casually swapping stories about their murders. When Blaire and her friends board their bus, their met by greeters wearing strangely ceremonial masks and robes.
The buses arrive at the secret venue for an unforgettable night to begin. We conclude the issue with very strict security, strange reactions to the music, and blood.
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Final Thoughts
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KILLCHELLA #2 effectively leverages Hitchcok’s rule of anticipation by letting the readers know something terrible is about to happen while the protagonists walk headlong into horror and tragedy. Admittedly, this issue is primarily dialog, but it’s the little hints of madness and pagan imagery that build momentum toward whatever terrible fate is yet to come.
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