Imagine a world where the two dominant and competing Cola companies, each worth billions, are owned by former Siamese twins who are now separated and have grown to hate each other so much they hire assassins, saboteurs, and espionage personnel to meddle with each other on a daily basis. This is the story about brotherly love run afoul, and the people they enlist to do their dirty work. Pop Kill #1 kicks off an interesting concept with a low-brow execution.
Pop Kill #1 is an interesting debut and comic. It’s the story of two corporations who take “corporate warfare” to a whole new level. Sabotage, murder, espionage, it’s all on the table to one-up each other. At its core, there’s something really interesting there and the possibility of some biting satire and over-the-top reality. But, Pop Kill #1 also distracts with a main character that’s a bit sleezy and focused on sex.
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Dave Johnson, Pop Kill #1 is entertaining for the most part. Jon Pyle is a spy in some ways, hired by a cola company to take out the competition. Jon Pyle is also a “pervert.” How do we know? We’re told so, literally, by a character, and add in nudity, his sleeping with a lot of women, and constant sexual comments by him. The comic mixes the high-brow with the low-brow in this respect for a comic that’s interesting but also feels like it distracts too.
Pyle as a character isn’t all that interesting. He’s a type we’ve seen in many stories by Palmiotti as well as Garth Ennis, the suave spy/action “hero” who can’t keep it in his pants. He’s unlikeable working for unlikeable people creating a combo that could be far more than it is. But still, it’s entertaining and fun in many ways with some good action and humor.
The art by Juan Santacruz is pretty good hitting its various beats well. With color by Brian Reber and lettering by Sean Konot, the comic has a slick style about it. Pyle is a good action hero and his being in the field is entertaining. Where the comic falls short a bit is no sense of location. We’re told that some of it takes place in Osaka, Japan but it doesn’t feel like Japan at all. It comes off as generic down to some of the characters’ looks. While it takes place in Japan, it doesn’t feel like that’s where it takes place.
Pop Kill #1 is entertaining but it feels like it’s surface level. It could be far more in its satire and commentary but it goes for the “boobs and bombs” angle. It’s a type of comic that’s popular and has it audience and delivers some funny moments, but overall, it’s a great concept that feels like it’s wasted so far.
Story: Jimmy Palmiotti, Dave Johnson Art: Juan Santacruz
Color: Brian Reber Letterer: Sean Konot
Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75 Recommendation: Read
Mad Cave Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
