My Cultural Diet

I’ve been a fan of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips ever since I discovered Reckless back in 2023. The duo excel at spinning noir-ish, hard-boiled tales exploring the seamier sides of life, be it Hollywood’s golden age, ’80s suburbia, or 1930s New York. Kill or Be Killed is a modern-set story that introduces a supernatural aspect to the duo’s work. When a depressed college student survives a suicide attempt, he brings back an infernal presence that compels him to start killing the scum of the earth. Though billed as a vigilante tale, Kill or Be Killed also weaves in themes of addiction, mental illness, and family secrets and trauma. As such, it feels markedly unfocused compared to the rest of Brubaker’s writing, as if he couldn’t quite decide which angle to take, and so he tried to take them all. (An impression that’s further enhanced by the non-linear storytelling.) After awhile, the countless twists and turns start to feel increasingly rote and ridiculous. In fact, I’m pretty sure I literally rolled my eyes at the twist in the final panel, which came after a completely unnecessary denouement. As you can probably tell, Kill or Be Killed is my least favorite Brubaker/Phillips title to date.

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