Killogy #2 continues to show promise with its cast of unapologetic pop-culture icons and hyper-realistic art style. This is a darkly entertaining read, packed with grotesque humor and ultra-violence to make one heck of a crime thriller.

WRITTEN BY: Alan Robert
ART BY: Alan Robert
PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: December 19th, 2012

For the crimes they have committed, Sally Sno-Cones, Cole Edwards, and Summer Rhoades are incarcerated inside a dingy jail cell. As each minute passes, their hatred for one another grows stronger. They don’t trust each other, especially Summer with her blood-soaked clothes and frantic whispers. Just when the trio are about to lose their patience, they begin planning their escape from the cell. But, that doesn’t last very long as there is a massive horde of zombie cops waiting outside their cell. The prison becomes their safe-haven; the cell bars are the only thing separating them from the ravenous zombie cops. It’s outlandish, hilarious, and actually works pretty well as a backdrop for Robert’s zombie story.

What’s interesting about the narrative is how he puts these three complete strangers inside a small room together, and just watches them interact. Creatively speaking, it’s a comedic take on Jean-Paul Sartre’s famous play, “No Exit”. As in the previous issue, Robert focuses on one of the central characters and tells their “origin” story. This time around, Robert runs with none other than Marky Ramone’s character, Cole. Cole’s flashback story is abruptly cut off, as if Robert is preparing something devious for later issues. Brea Grant’s character, Summer, is more involved in the story this time around. She is by far and large the most mysterious of the bunch, and I’m eager to find out what Robert has planned for her.

With an ear for dialogue, Robert nails his celebrity personas. The witty banter between the triad continues to carry the issue even with the limited setting creating a quick-pace and never slows down for a second. Frank Vincent’s insulting tough guy dialogue comes to the forefront, making its way from the page to your ear. While Sally’s monologues are lyrical and rhythmic.

Robert uses the likeness of his celebrities much to his advantage, giving the book a cinematic feel. Robert has a clear love for 80s horror and grindhouse cinema, which allows him to pull of this experimental pop-culture comic. He takes his stars and brings them together into a bizarre world, while still capturing each of their personalities by recreating spot-on facial expressions, mannerisms, and speech patterns.

With his artwork, Robert uses high angles and over-the-shoulder shots to emphasize the claustrophobic atmosphere of the jail cell. Although the story revolves around a specific setting, it never feels boring seeing the same background. To keep the eyes occupied, Robert blasts you with carefully chosen primary color schemes and buckets of bright red blood.

Issue #2 follows up on its interesting premise and builds on its pulpy narrative. “Killogy” takes from several different genres to create an interesting experiment in horror comedy.

Rating: 4/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Jorge Solis and Lonmonster