Reviews 

Review: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys #1

By | June 13th, 2013
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

Gerard Way returns to comics with Shaun Simon and Becky Cloonan on a project 5 years in the making. “The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys” is the successor to My Chemical Romance’s most recent (and apparently final) album, but the comic really comes with no prerequisites. It’s just a darn good comic. Expect a little bit Jet Set Radio, a little bit punk rock Mad Max, and a little bit of sci-fi weirdness – you’ll be just fine.

Written by Gerard Way and Shaun Simon
Illustrated by Becky Cloonan

Years ago, the Killjoys fought against the tyrannical megacorporation Better Living Industries, costing them their lives, save for one-the mysterious Girl. Today, the followers of the original Killjoys languish in the Desert while BLI systematically strips citizens of their individuality. As the fight for freedom fades, it’s left to the Girl to take up the mantle and bring down the fearsome BLI or else join the mindless ranks of Bat City!

We only know her as “The Girl”, but we know she’s vital to the resistance. In some ways, she was an original Killjoy. Though never a member, she was protected by them, right up until the moment of their fateful end. What makes her so important remains to be seen. There’s a desperation – a sense of survivalism – at the center of this comic that propels its characters forward. The Killjoys remain a symbol of rebellion and righteousness over a decade after their death. That’s enough for the new youth rebels to accept her into their ranks as they take on Better Living Industries. “Killjoys” is “us against them” and the lines are clearly, colorfully drawn.

On the side of the rebellion, a group of 20-somethings characterized by their admiration for the colorful Killjoys and a sense of duty to the cause. Individually, the neo “Killjoys” run the gamut from buoyant video game playing anarchists to true soldiers to their cause. Without knowing much about the original “Killjoys”, Way and Simon employ an omniscient disc jockey narrator to draw a line between then and now. The DJ speaks in hushed tones about the original Killjoys and utilizes an almost prayer-like rhythmic verse to remind listeners what the Killjoys stood for. There’s even some subtle implications that perhaps these characters can’t (or won’t) live up to what the Killjoys stood for. There are hints that time has made these characters pale and desperate. There are signs that there are problems within our cast of heroes that have yet to reveal themselves. Even the word “hero” might not be entirely appropriate, when the rubber meets the road. There is a lot going on here that is not explicitly explained, which is a breath of fresh air in a visual medium where page space is a premium. Way, Simon, & Cloonan respect the readers’ intelligence – though a twice-over reading is advised. Some sequences are too short to make an impression, leaving it up to future issues to flesh them out. The narrative isn’t nice and neat, but it is jam-packed and every individual sequence springboards off of some interesting premise all the way through the issue.

Way isn’t shy about his influences, and Grant Morrison isn’t a bad guy to take your comic book inspiration from. The most important aspect of Morrison’s brand of writing that Way & Simon employ in “Killjoys” #1 is the idea of moving a plot forward and trusting the audience to figure out all the vague references and jargon based on context clues or inference. By making issue #1 virtually stripped of exposition, Way introduces a lot of potential storylines, the peeling back of a fully-formed fictional world, and gives us a reason to consider the issue long after we’ve closed the cover on it.

Becky Cloonan puts some of her best work forth here, along with the incredible color palette of Dan Jackson. Much is made of the colorful nature of the Killjoys, and it is represented wonderfully in the costuming and its contrast with the world around it. Red and blue-haired androids move through an industrial-driven future cityscape of blacks, whites, and grays. Their artifice weighed against the coldness of the city makes for quite the impact, even when not much time is devoted to them. The burnt orange desert pops with color when the Killjoy resistance comes out to take on all comers. Cloonan’s cartooning highlights the expressive and enthusiastic bunch of characters, who will see events both triumphant and tragic over the course of this story. Cloonan is well-equipped for dealing with all of this, as is evidenced by her work on this first issue. But the comic’s biggest visual asset is the design-work, which Cloonan reliably excels at. Every character is given a distinct look. These looks can subtly play into the character’s personalities, but mostly they just look cool. That sounds like inarticulate praise, but there’s a sense that the “Killjoys” are as much about looking like a striking symbol as they are about accomplishing their mission.

And what a striking impression the book does leave on the reader. If “Killjoys” commits any crime, it is in refusing to compromise on the fragmented story that it wants to tell. The Killjoys would tell you that that isn’t a crime at all. Individuality is so important in a comic book industry that tends to fall into repetitive cycles and trends. “Killjoys” is a celebration of expecting the unexpected and carving out your own path. Welcome back, Gerard – we needed more comic books like this.

Final Verdict: 8.9 – Buy


Vince Ostrowski

Dr. Steve Brule once called him "A typical hunk who thinks he knows everything about comics." Twitter: @VJ_Ostrowski

EMAIL | ARTICLES