This May, James Tynion IV (Something Is Killing The Children) and Michael Walsh (The Silver Coin, Universal Monsters: Frankenstein) debut Exquisite Corpses — the perfect comic book for fans of The Purge, The Hunger Games, and Squid Game.
Image Comics has been on a roll recently, with top-tier comics like Assorted Crisis Events and You’ll Do Bad Things. With the arrival of Exquisite Corpses, the winning streak continues. The hype for Exquisite Corpses is obvious. Look no further than a report from Forbes, which called the work “the comic event of the year.”
Written by James Tynion IV, Exquisite Corpses is what happens when you blend his writing prowess with the brutal, ever-popular ‘Battle Royale’ genre. Think of it as what you’d get if The Purge, The Hunger Games, and Squid Game all had a baby. Add to that a hint of The Running Man, and you’re thinking along the lines of what this comic is.
Exquisite Corpses #1 kicks off with an enormous triple-sized debut, which perfectly sets up the dystopian outset. So what’s it all about? Turns out, the figures that the media portrays as powerful are nothing more than smoke screens; illusions that the general public perceive as world leaders. The real powerhouses are the wealthiest families in America, and every 5 years on Halloween they hold a sadistic game. This game involves 12 of the deadliest people in the world, each represented by a different family, dropped into a small town with just one goal: to be the last one standing. The latest game takes place in the quaint town of Oak Valley.
What’s more, the townsfolk are blissfully unaware that their town has been made into a battlefield. It’s not long before they’re plunged into a relentless fight for survival.
The ‘Battle Royale’ genre is one of the most overused out there today. From movies (like the 2000 Battle Royale film and The Hunger Games), to television (like Squid Game), to gaming (like Fortnite), the genre is popular and oversaturated wherever you look. And yet, Exquisite Corpses piqued my interest from the outset.
Tynion IV’s signature, twisted writing style is on full display, making an issue that’s a riveting, fast paced page-turner. It’s gruesome and unpredictable. In addition, the bold art from Michael Walsh, paired with the bursting colours from Jordie Bellaire, deliver on making the comic a feast for the eyes.
I loved by how the comic could easily devolve into a simple bloodbath, but chooses to elevate the stakes by presenting numerous emotionally-driven stories. Each character possesses distinct motivations, ranging from power-hungry ambitions to the primal need for survival. It’s not just the deadly fighters, but the rich families behind them, and the regular, innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. It’s this multi-faceted approach that makes Exquisite Corpses stand out from the crowd.
It might not be a new concept, but the powerhouse team behind Exquisite Corpses makes this comic simply unmissable. And we’re still right at the beginning of a 13-chapter series. Some of the brightest voices in comics today are involved in Exquisite Copses — I’m stoked to see what chaos lies ahead!
Rating: 5/5
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