There are very few comics that’ve kept me captivated this year, but Kill Your Darlings is definitely at the top of the list. From the very first issue I’ve been hooked on its blending of fantasy and horror, and the intertwining narratives concerning a pair of magic users. KYD also has arguably one of the best creative teams in comics in the form of Ethan S. Parker, Griffin Sheridan, Bob Quinn and John J. Hill. These guys are making magic with every issue, so it only makes sense that they’d save the best for last with Kill Your Darlings #8.
Most of the issue concerns the brewing fight between Rose and the Girl Who Wouldn’t Burn. The latter has taken over Rosewood, transforming it into a nightmare-filled hellscape. The former is struggling with her newfound magical abilities, especially with the revelations the Girl’s book contains. But a fight does happen…and the outcome might not be what fans expect.
Sheridan and Parker have written a compelling story about loss and how we deal with it (or don’t deal with it), viewing it through the prism of creativity. After all, how many creators have used stories to deal with a loss in their life? In the case of Rose and the Girl, they both have used their powers to deal with their trauma…but both of them do it in completely different ways. That duality is at the heart of Sheridan and Parker’s script, and they use it to deliver a variety of heartbreaking moments throughout Kill Your Darlings #8. But there are also some heartwarming moments, especially in the final few pages.
Quinn packs every page full of eye-grabbing imagery. He seems to have a lot of fun depicting the Girl Who Wouldn’t Burn’s new kingdom; a tangle of twisted shadows forms a massive castle, and a rotting corpse is transformed into a hulking behemoth that rivals anything in Resident Evil. But the most striking image concerns the Girl, who sits on a throne surrounded by the literal ghosts of her past. I’m not sure what’s more compelling, the spectral green glow of the ghosts or the forlorn look in the Girl’s eyes. Or maybe it’s the way Hill shapes the ghosts’ words as literally drifting through the air.
Kill Your Darlings #8 ends the series on the highest of notes, delivering emotional catharsis and some eye-meltingly good imagery in the process. Fantasy lovers, longtime comic book readers and new comic book readers should definitely read this series. As for the creators, I hope they continue to turn out new work or team up for another project down the line.
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