Kill Your Darlings #2: Imagination Decimation

There ain’t much that Kill Your Darlings #2 gets wrong. It’s full of surprises, natural character progression, and a narrative/visual mix that, above all else, sucks the reader into an atmosphere that is as engaging as it is deeply human. While your mileage may vary when it comes to the timeline in which the story flows, the rest of the book is so damn tight in its execution that even the most minute of criticisms read more like nitpicks than they do genuine problems.

This issue focuses on the emotional aftermath that Rose finds herself dealing with after the events of issue #1. With a massive time jump and a focus on her alienation as a young adult forced to wear the label of murderer, this issue spends a good amount of time reveling in the misery Rose faces without dipping too much into overtly edgy tropes. The team does a great job in letting the book visually communicate what Rose is experiencing through color, which was prevalent in the first issue but really stands out here.

The entirety of her experience at the Anderson Center is drained of brightness and muted to a point of melancholy. Pills are the only things that truly pop in terms of color, their red and blue hues a glimmer of life amidst a sea of dully lit scenes. Whether or not Bob Quinn did it on purpose, there’s a use of red and blue-like colors throughout the issue, highlighting the scenes in which Rose is able to interact with the world outside of her prison, such as when Elliot comes to visit or in the issue’s climax, which I can and won’t ruin for any readers as it really hammers the chapter’s greatness home.

Said ‘climax’ does an excellent job of raising the mystery established in issue #1 to a new point of intrigue. Bob Quinn’s art reaches a new level of prestige as dynamic and energetic shot compositions intertwine with a rushed sense of pacing, plotting, and paneling. His overtly expressive illustrations, combined with the writing team’s natural dialogue, bring the characters’ personalities out during the book’s final act with endearing hooks out and ready to latch onto readers.

Overall, the series continues to push out the prestige factor that independent comics can have while still maintaining something that feels fresh and original on today’s modern shelves. I would be amiss not to mention the lettering on this series as well, John J. Hill bringing an extra level of voice and character to Kill Your Darlings in the same way he has for Vanish and The Schlub.