Kilroy Is Here #1 – There’s Hell To Pay

Kilroy is back! Creator Joe Pruett brings back his first-ever character with Kilroy is Here. After the interest in Kilroy from one of his more recent releases, Joe Pruett brings Kilroy back in this one-shot from Image Comics. Kilroy is back, and suffering is nearby, but this time, things are a little bit different. Will Kilroy get trapped in the battle between good and evil?

This review is a joint review from Nerd Initiative’s Eda and Shawn!

Creative Team

Writer: Joe Pruett
Artist: Dalibor Talajić
Colorist: Stjepan Bartolić
Letterer: Joe Martin
Cover Artist: Dalibor Talajić
Published by Image Comics

Writing

Eda: With so little room to work in a one-shot, writer Joe Pruett utilizes the space almost perfectly. He shows us Kilroy, a Constantine-type character riding the whims of life & death. We’re told who he is and aspects of his backstory, though I wish some of these aspects were shown, not just told. The story, while not exactly unique, is paced very well and makes readers feel the gravitas in every panel.

Shawn: It’s good to see Joe Pruett bring Kilroy back. 20 years is a long time between appearances for a character, but Pruett’s writing makes it feel like just yesterday. If you were a fan of the original Kilroy comics, you’ll love this one-shot.

Pruett’s writing for this issue feels as much of guilt and legend as the previous Kilroy is Here comics. The omnipresent omen of suffering and vengeance for the wronged feels like he’s stepped back onto the pages without missing a beat. Kilroy has always been written as a harbinger of death, so it’s nice to see Pruett, the creator of the character, take that and run with it and really have the reader ask themselves questions. Pruett crafts the character in a compelling way that makes you feel sympathy for someone always destined to show up too late to make a difference.

Art

Eda: The art & colors from Dalibor Talajić & Stjepan Bartolić all feel very intentional and well done. The line work and detail do good on making the characters look and feel real while having this grungier styling. Furthermore, the colors really work in the nighttime setting, as shown by the deep blues and blacks. As a contrast, there are brilliant pops of color to show not just the lighting, but the symbolism of good vs evil.

Shawn: Dalibor Talajić, Stjepan Bartolić, and Joe Martin did an amazing job on this issue. It’s always unique to see new artists step into an existing world that maybe doesn’t have the “company” style like some of the big two characters.

Talajić, Bartolić, and Martin really created something that felt like it could have as easily been pulled from the pages of 20 years of For Kilroy is Here while putting their distinct flavor into it. The scenes are dark and haunting while still showing beautiful detail in architecture and backgrounds. Bartolić does some amazing shading, colors, and shadows that utilize light sources in the scene. Including the lens flare on a night from a car headlight was a nice touch that really stood out from this creative team

Final Thoughts

Eda:8/10 This amazing blend of a well-paced story with interesting characters and beautiful imagery makes me want so much more

Shawn: 10/10 Kilroy is Here hopefully translates to Kilroy is Back! I really loved this issue. As I reviewed this issue and realized it was a one-shot continuation of a previous character, I went back and checked out the previous stories. I think the ability to create interest in the character through a one-shot to drive someone to check out the source material speaks to the quality of the story that this creative team crafted. I hope everyone picks this one up and it translates to an ongoing series of Kilroy is Here.

Overall Grade: 9/10

What did you think about the Kilroy is Here one-shot? Let us know in the comments below!