In a cabin deep in the mountains of the South of France, the Killer has set up a new base of operations. From this remote hideout, he accepts each new mission with a calculated precision, never straying from the assignment and always returning to this safe haven in the immediate aftermath. This practiced routine is suddenly disrupted though when he discovers that he has some… unexpected neighbors. This unanticipated development seems to have the potential to finally alter the way the Killer sees the world. But for a man in his line of work, change isn’t just dangerous, it could be deadly. The Killer: Affairs Of The State II #1 kicks off the next chapter for our killer for hire mired deep in philosophy and the injustices in the world.
Written by Matz, I’ve loved every volume of The Killer. It’s a series that mixes “cool action,” “cool characters,” with internal debate and moral quandaries. The Killer: Affairs Of The State II #1 is no exception with our Killer approached once again to take out a target and to do so quickly. Hidden in a remote location the Killer is in a new base relatively alone. His only neighbors are slave traders/traffickers in a house through the woods and their victims. And thus begins the moral debate at the heart of the issue.
The Killer is hired to kill horrible people. Think individuals who are really doing wrong and the world would likely be better off without them. He’s a murder and a killer for hire, but The Killer has a general moral code. But, there’s horrible people doing horrible things not too far from where he’s living. Should he do something about it? That’s the question and dilemma Matz presents. The Killer kills for money, and as our “hero” points out, the people really abused don’t have the type of money to hire him and find their justice. The world is built on this sort of inequity along with exploitation of one group by another.
Matz’s writing waxes poetically about the injustices of the world from its earliest moments to modern day. He lays out the reality that we are all heirs to explorers and murders. We’re the descendants of those who survived wars and slaughter, that history has blood on its hands. If that sounds like something that interests you, this is your comic.
Luc Jacamon‘s distinct style continues to give us great detail but also a rather sparse world. This is a comic whose every detail is carefully chosen to enhance the storytelling. Imagery is carefully crafted to get the meaning and point across. Jacamon also uses the Killer’s new setting well to ratchet up tension and also leave us a cold feeling as to what takes place.
The Killer: Affairs Of The State II #1 is another fantastic start to a new volume that seems to really get at the strange dichotomy of the Killer in that he focuses his skills to take out horrible people but those who really need his help, can’t afford him. The worst of the worst go unpunished. It’s a comic that entertains, sucks you in, and makes you think and contemplate the injustices of our world.
Story: Matz Art: Luc Jacamon
Translation: Edward Gauvin Letterer: Andworld Design
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy
BOOM! Studios/Archaia provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
