Killogy
Trade Paperback
Written by Alan Robert
Illustrated by Alan Robert
Lettered by Alan Robert
IDW Publishing
Release Date: June 19, 2013
Cover Price: $17.99

So, Frank Vincent, Marky Ramone, and Brea Grant are locked in a Brooklyn jail cell together… No, it’s not the start of some bizarre joke””it’s the start of one powerful gorefest by Alan Robert entitled Killogy. IDW has bundled the miniseries into one volume that every horror comic devotee should plan to have in their collection.

Alan Robert’s tight script drops the reader right in the middle of a high-tension scene thanks to his Tarantino-esque manipulation of the story’s timeline. This is a tricky thing to pull off properly, but Robert (best know for Wire Hangers) makes it seem effortless as he fills in the plot with pieces of the past to reveal the strange and possibly supernaturally-influenced connections between the characters.

And ahh, the characters. These three distinctly different personalities are so well cast that you might forget that the story is fiction. Frank Vincent (Goodfellas, The Sopranos) naturally fills the role of a salty mafia hitman, Marky Ramone (yes, formerly of The Ramones) steps in as a gambler-turned-thief, and Brea Grant (Heroes, Dexter) is a mobster’s girlfriend who finds herself at the wrong place at the wrong time. None of them can stand each other, but when they learn that it’s them versus legions of the undead, they pull together in true New York style and play off of the others’ strengths.

It’s clear from the beginning that this isn’t your typical modern zombie saga. Something is just “off”, but in a way that grabs your attention and refuses to let go. Having been conditioned by other tales of the shambling dead to assume that a shot to the head will stop the offending corpse, readers will likely find themselves squirming when they discover that that doesn’t quite cut it in Killogy.

Just a few pages in, it was obvious that l was in for a gory roller coaster ride of crime, vengeance, and even a little destiny, and much to my satisfaction, it was a white-knuckle ride to the very last frame.

If you’ve not yet experienced the work of Alan Robert, Killogy is a perfect opportunity to jump in with both feet. The story is stellar and is elevated to an even greater height by splashed-out artwork that celebrates the plot’s pure carnage. Personally, I’d love to see this creator’s vision hit the big screen!