Review: CLANKILLERS TP VOL 01

Sean Lewis and Antonio Fuso“s ClanKillers is one of the most different books on the market today. Reading the first story arc in TPB ”“ available this week from Aftershock Comics — is probably the most satisfying way to enjoy the exploits of Finola and Cillian ”“ the youngest, most violent protagonists in comics. But Clankillers isn“t just about the killing ”“ well maybe it is. But it is also about how a princess (Finola) comes into her own, not as the heir to a throne, but as an heir to the violence that plagues the world in which she lives.

Set in what looks and feels like a magical medieval Ireland, Clankillers follows the family of a king who has been possessed by a goddess-demon, Balor. She has whispered her way into his soul and the results have been powerful and devastating. He is king, but he rules with a bloody fist, intimidating all of his subjects, including his daughters ”“ Reagan, Una and Finola. The king“s brand of intimidation includes murder, decapitation and scarification depending on his mood. He is a caricature of the mad kings readers have grown familiar with in fantasy and sci-fi lore, but there is no humor in his actions and no discrimination in how (or to whom) he directs his violent outbursts.

Fin is ”“ at least in the beginning ”“ a perfect foil to her father. She is fearless as she plots the end of her father“s reign with categorical confidence. It“s difficult to convey in words the kind of persona that Finola embodies. She is a pre-teen, maybe early teen girl, slight in form, but brimming with vengeance and cynicism well beyond her years. Her mission ”“ and her commitment to it ”“ will require her to kill several clans, some of them with supernatural abilities, but she seems to be completely undaunted in the face of it all. By her side, in utter loyalty and in (agape) love, is Cillian. Abused by a different kind of “father”“ Cillian is a bit more opportunistic about how and when he exacts his revenge. His driving force is to assist, support, and sometimes protect Finola, who by now you have might guessedÂ needs very little of anything from anyone else but herself.

The TPB of “God Kill the King,”“ collects the first five issues of Clankillers and the story is complete with some resolution ”“ at least for now. Lewis“s genius is that he is able to inform the narrative with enough Irish lore and lingo to immerse readers in his world without drowning them. It“s a rare feat, only out-done here by Antonio Fuso“s magnetic visuals. Some will find his style quirky or unstable but the visuals fully realize the quirky instability of the violent world in which Finola must make her way. 4/5!

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

(W) Sean Lewis (A/CA) Antonio Fuso