We Kill Monsters (2009)

Oh, you don't read stuff from Red 5 Comics? Oh, you've never even heard of them?

That makes total sense, actually. Red 5 Comics is a small, independent comic book publisher founded in 2007. It mixes creator-owned content with content created by the publisher itself. Being so new and small, it doesn't have a huge selection, but it does offer an interesting variety of titles. If you've heard of any Red 5 title, it was most likely Atomic Robo (which was nominated for an Eisner in 2008).

I try to make it a point to pick up whatever series they're putting out. Most are miniseries that are self contained. Atomic Robo is some 40 issues strong at this point, but it is not presented in your traditional on-going way. Each story is a self-contained miniseries, with little to no reference to past stories. It's actually pretty refreshing.

A couple of years ago, I picked up We Kill Monsters (from writer Christopher Leone and artist Brian Churilla). It seemed like a fairly simple and enjoyable premise: two inseparable brothers must defend their town against an invasion of strange monsters. It's actually a bit more complicated than that, but never really strays into "overly complex" territory. Andrew is still in love with his ex-girlfriend Vanessa. A big part of their breakup stemmed from Andrew's relationship with his brother Jake. The mechanic brothers were inseparable, with Andrew feeling a responsibility to constantly look after Jake. This put strain on his relationship with Vanessa. But the town is small and he sees Vanessa frequently. He finds that she has begun seeing Dennis, a suave, attractive, and well-off businessman who works for a cereal company.

One night after moping in the local bar, the two brothers run into a crazed monster. They are able to kill it, but not before it is able to somehow infect Jake with something strange that causes his arm to turn into a monster arm. For the rest of the series, the two hunt down these monsters popping up armed with a tricked out tank truck. Jake meanwhile finds that if he "drinks monster juice" (essentially, the blood of the monsters), he can somehow change his arm into new monster-like forms. Essentially, his monster arm takes on the characteristics of the monster whose blood he drinks.

The big reveal at the end is actually pretty cool. I don't want to spoil it even though they do make it obvious nearing the end, but it actually is pretty clever and unique. The writing is pretty good. Christopher Leone does a pretty good job mixing the serious moments with the funny. Most Red 5 stuff is pretty lighthearted, and this is no different, but it does hit a few key heavy moments. The art is probably the big seller here. Brian Churilla's art is fairly cartoon-like (adding to the lightheartedness), but the way he draws and designs the monsters is great. They are all essentially just messed up animals, like a rabbit or a hornet.

I was also a big fan of Jake's constantly adapting and changing monster arm. It's definitely shades of Bionic Commando, but with an organic twist. It was a fresh take on a somewhat familiar (but not overdone) concept.

It's a fairly quick read, weighing in at six issues. What's nice about Red 5 Comics too is that there aren't ads scattered throughout, so you can pretty much just sit there and read straight through, which is actually a lot more awesome than it sounds. It's not my favorite Red 5 Comic, but it's definitely one of the better and more enjoyable ones.

Definitely check it out if you are into monster related stuff, or just easy, entertaining, lighthearted comics.