Kylie and Melvin made a deal. Kylie would use her expertise in the world of serial killers and murder to give Melvin an identity, a mythology, a serial killer persona that would make him “famous.” She turned him into the Caddyshack Killer. The story took the country by storm, and she led that storm on her podcast, which brought her a great deal of fame and success. However, it didn’t bring Melvin what he wanted. He still feels empty. He feels unfulfilled. He feels violent. And he’s going to challenge Kylie for getting what she wanted while he got nothing. Killer Influences #2 shares the success of Kylie and Melvin’s deal but also its failures as well.

Written by Joey Esposito, Killer Influences #2 is an interesting comic that can be enjoyed at its surface level but when you go a bit deeper, that comic has a lot to say.

In the debut, the comic felt like it was a bit of a spin on the popular “true crime podcast” genre. There’s been a few recent comics that dipped into that space, but Killer Influences #2 was a little different in that it presented a deal between a wannabe influencer and the killer. The former would provide branding and coverage as long as the latter provided the content in kills. Fourteen months have gone by since that deals was struck and things aren’t balanced in who has gained in that deal.

Killer Influences #2 makes clear the commentary on the exploitation and gain some influencers have been accused of at the expense of those who have suffered. People have died but Kylie just gains fame and money by covering it without showing sympathy. The issue goes further that shows the disconnect between Kylie and the victims when she declares a fundraiser for her missing brother and accused of only caring when something directly impacts her. It adds a bit more depth to the concept of the series than just a podcaster helping a killer.

The art by Valeria Burzo is good. With color by Iñaki Azpiazu and lettering by Alex Ray, the characters all have a very unique look at personality and the comic’s art helps add to some of the tension. Throughout the issue, there’s a nice build that makes you wonder when a body might show up. The art really conveys that without resorting to cheesy jumps. Burzo also does a solid job of adding detail to give a lot of information as to where Kylie and Melvin are in their lives. Art around Kylie shows off stardom and Melvin shows a life a bit more disheveled. The comic also does a solid job of presenting some violence and gore but not letting it be distracting. As shown, you wince and can “feel” the pain but at the same time, it’s not so over the top it might turn off readers and get them to tune out.

Killer Influences #2 is a solid second issue that shifts the focus to the fallout from the debut issue but also the negative of influencers and fame at the cost of others. It’s a series that has a bit more depth than its concept and one that clearly has something to say. A solid second issue that has us intrigued as to where this all might go.

Story: Joey Esposito Art: Valeria Burzo
Color: Iñaki Azpiazu Letterer: Alex Ray
Story: 8.0 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.85 Recommendation: Read

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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