Pop Kill

by Jimmy Palmiotti

Award winning creators Jimmy Palmiotti and Dave Johnson deliver an all-new graphic novel about what happens when the top two cola comapnies declare all out war on each other!

Imagine a world where the two dominant and competing Cola companies, each worth billions, are owned by former conjoined 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.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels

144 pages, Paperback

Published August 19, 2025

About the author

James "Jimmy" Palmiotti is an American writer and inker of comic books, who also does writing for games, television and film.

Photo by Luigi Novi.

Reviews

[MagretFume · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is unhinged and ridiculous in a good way, but I was really put off by the constant objectification of women.

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mr Palmiotti has written a Mark Millar comic - a blonde masculine hero who quips all the effing time, girls with big tits, random violence and gore. I kind of like the basic premise of two cola corporations fighting eachother, but it never evolves beyond tepid satire.

(Thanks to Mad Cave Studios for providing me with a review copy through NetGalley)

[RatGrrrl · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

This was a DNF @ 45%

Fictional Coke and Pepsi are owned by two brothers who hate each other and set all manner of forces against each other because....reasons.

This is one of those comics that is both way over the top, but also isn't doing very much with it, beyond the objectification and dehumanisation of women...

This could have been a fun premise, but it came off as a not as funny as Archer clone.

This wasn't for me.

[Katrina G · Rating 4 out of 5]

In fanfiction sapces, theres a term called "crack treated seriously" and that is the epitome of what this was.

This was silly, outrageous, over the top, and ridiculous, but I really loved every second of it. The backstory behind the two villains was actually pretty interesting, and I honestly wouldn't have minded getting to see a little bit more of that. But that would have taken away the crack factor, so I understand why we got the sliver of details we did.

The sword fighting and death scene at the end were hella cheesy, but it lived up to the energy of everything else that happened, so I really have no complaints about it

All in all, this was good, silly fun. There were super villains, a super hero is is actually kind of a perverted dick, and a puppy! What more could you want in a story?

[Ben A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chock full of dark humor, ridiculous action, gratuitous sex and violence, Pop Kill is over the top in all the best ways and exactly what I have come to expect from Jimmy Palmiotti and company who aren’t afraid to bring fun back to comics.

Special Thanks to Mad Cave Studios and Netgalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.

[Victoria | vicysboktips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for providing me with an Arc of this! All opinions are my own.

This was such a cool story! I mean, two rivaling Cola companies owned by brothers who really hate each other and send assassins and saboteurs to sabotage and kill the other? I loved it! It’s fast-paced and very exiting. The characters are cool and the same goes for the art style too. I loved the little dog side kick. And the plot twist towards the end was fun, and the ending too. It was silly and fun at times and I liked the backstory. It gave more substance to the story. I only wish this was longer so that the relationship between the two main characters could develop a bit more. It felt rushed. I just know I wouldn’t jump in the car with a stranger and definitely wouldn’t give them my dog that I love very much when barely knowing them. But all in all I had a great time!

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun artsy action spy thriller.
Review posted on X @AdamReadsComics for MadCave Studios

[Curious Madra · Rating 4 out of 5]

It may have been fast paced, full of boobs and lot happening, this was quite a decent action packed graphic novel that really wants you clinging on what’s going on. It was really entertaining with showing the conjoined twins feud and playboy hero himself Jon trying to save the day. It’s pretty colourful too like I’m surprised that it only came out recently!

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for this!

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ehhh.... honestly this just wasn't for me and I found myself skimming the pages. Cool concept and the illustrations are well done, I just struggled with the depictions of the female characters. Very well could be a "me" problem, so y'all do what you will with that information.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review

[Renata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a quick and fun read. I really liked the idea of two soda companies sabotaging each other, especially because that their owners are brothers.

The story doesn’t take itself too seriously, which works in its favor by adding a comedic tone throughout.

It was action-packed, with something always going on. The setting clearly objectifies women, but i supossed it fits with the violence and tone of the story.

Overall, it’s an easy, fast-paced read that entertains you for about an hour.

3.5/5 stars 🌟

[Sharon · Rating 1 out of 5]

No.

Over the top gory male-fantasy silliness. And not in a good way. This may have an audience; but as a female, I am not it.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

This was a short, fast- paced story, and I enjoyed the premise. Yes, there is violence and gratuitous nudity, but it feels self- aware, and the woman in the story is witty and intelligent and not reduced to just her looks. I liked that the general backstory of the bad guys is also included to give it more context.

[Alex Sarll]

The decades of black ops and dirty tricks between the world's two leading cola companies finally come to a head when one side's Bond-but-blond top agent falls for the brilliant carbonation scientist about to give the other pop that never loses its fizz. Appropriately, this mostly passes muster as a supermarket own-brand Garth Ennis substitute, with maybe a twist of Mark Russell. But while I understand it could hardly use the real names of the rival brands, and having the feuding CEOs be formerly conjoined twins makes sense as a dig at the narcissism of small differences in corporate rivalries, it felt weirdly nineties to deform the timeline so far that the companies were Japanese. Apart from the lost verisimilitude, surely by now we've seen more than enough evidence that American bosses are just as capable of being martial arts-obsessed monomaniacs demanding cult-like loyalty from their minions in the psychotic pursuit of untrammeled gain?

(Netgalley ARC)

[Mireya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for the ARC copy of Pop Kill. This has not affected my review at all, which are my own thoughts.

Didn't think a comic about sibling rivalries and murder and espionage galore could disappoint this much...But it did😂 Quite unfortunately, I must say, because not only was it lucking in the promised humor and I was bore most of the time, but Pop Kill also manage to make me give it the side it a handful of times.

So, Pop Kill delivers the story of former conjoined twin brothers who both own a fictional cola and pepsi companies respectively. They hate each other now, with buildings facing each other and watching the other and sending messages. Except, they don't stop at that and aren't shy of paying to hurt each other: espionage, getting rid of liabilities and possible people interfering, and whatever comes to mind. This war gets Jon Pyle, paid hit-man and anything that needs to be done, and Dina Deluxe, chemist working for his rival company and about to find out a formula for making their drink more "fizzy".

So, if I had known that the book would focus more on Jon and Dina's relationship while putting the brother's war at a second plane, I would have probably not read this. More over, because the comic tries to sell a loving and trusting relationship between the two of them and Jon and Dina have less chemistry than Dina's lab, when it should be the other way around if the authors want me to believe they would end up together after everything. The thing is, while being vague, that I just can't accept Dina going from liking Jon, to finding out some nasty truth to "adoring" him; in fact, he offers him a dog-sitting job after less than 24 hours of knowing him. And with how much she loves her dog, it doesn't seem believable she would let it alone with a stranger, no matter how much the narrative tries to sell us that they connect almost immediately and passion is flourishing. It's not.

In fact, I think the only aspect of this novel that I enjoyed was the sibling rivalry and their story to this day of hatred, and so I'm pretty sure that's why I got dis¡appointed by Pop Kill: 'cause it promised a war between brothers, and I got the wrong impression that it would be the center as we watched them murder people from the other side, spies working for them and all different of situations where they try to get the upper hand over their brother. But no. All this got left sided to a subplot in favor of a relationship between two underdeveloped characters with no chemistry nor tension.

Also, and this is going to be my biggest complain: the objectification of women. And I've seen some other readers/reviewers say that is a common element in this type of action comics with so much violence and gore. Well, common or not, I didn't like it. It's not about them being naked or anything like that, nothing new in comics nor for me to see in comics, but is the way these women were depicted: always in relation to the men, being objects for them for pleasure, to win over or to get punished by some man's action (and, sometimes, if it were because the action of both of them, like cheating, she got punished far worse than the men). Even Dina felt like a prize for Jon to win for doing a good job if he managed to convince her to work for the company he worked for, because, at the end, she went with him too easily. But that's just my opinion, other people may feel different and have interpreted this in another way.

On the other hand, Pop Kill did amazing action sequences and manage to give off the 90's vibe, feeling and setting that promised. The gore and violence were off the chart and the character design was interesting and unique enough to be able to both differentiate and recognize them with a glimpse. The pace was fast, barely stopping to give us less than a breathe in and we were going again forward to some killing or heroism from Jon.

So, some goods and some bads, like almost everything in life. If something I mentioned here makes y'all want to pick Pop Kill up, be my guest. A 90's vibe with visceral action that could have exploited more it's sibling's war, in my opinion, but it's not the worse I've read, I'll say that too.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for an advance copy of this hyper-violent, hyper-sexual, satire of business, cute dog and homicidal Siamese twins throwback to the 90's graphic novel, about what happens when two tribes of cola companies go to war.

Before comics were winning Pulitzers, making the New York Times Bestsellers list, making best of lists, and being used to create billion dollar media products, comics were there to entertain. The 1990's were probably peak point of this. Quentin Tarantino's influence on the writing of comics was huge. The influx of Hong Kong Action Cinema changed the way comics looked, and the stories they told. Stories about guns, babes, bad things being done, and good guys going wrong filled the racks. And to be frank, my pull lists at my store. Reading this comic brought me back to those days, with a fondness I never thought I had. Though I don't remember anything so anarchic and with a group of villains that are closer than brothers. Pop Kill is written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Dave Johnson with art by Juan Santacruz and tells a story about love, lust, cola, sibling rivalry, gun play, redemption, and and a very cute dog.

Say the next sentence in one's best 1990's movie trailer voice, and one will get a better understanding of the story. In a world where Cola Companies vie for dominance not only in the supermarkets and 7-11's in the world, but in the shadows where product tampering, and death is only a fizz away, two brothers scheme and plan the destruction of each other, neither ever getting the upper hand. Until Now. The time is now, maybe a bit in the future. Fizz One and Popso are the largest beverage giants on Earth. Their owners are separated Siamese Twins who hate each other with the intensity of Mentos added to cola, ready to explode into violence at any second. Joe Pyle is a corporate fixer of the violent kind. A man with a particular set of skills, Pyle is forced to for Popso, as he has made an enemy with head of the company. Pyle works off his debt by offing Fizz One's many enemies, anyone who helps Popso. Word has gotten out that Popso has a new formula, one that adds great taste and shelf life to their product, one that will make them unstoppable in the marketplace. Pyle is tasked to find the chemist in charge, steal the formula by stealing her heart, and stop Popso's plans. Though there seems to be a lot of people willing to kill for a taste of what Popso is bottleing.

The book has that whole 90's feel. The good girl art, the thousands of bullets, the violence, and the treatment of woman in the comic. The style is Garth Ennis's Hitman, Stray Bullets, even Scud the Disposable Assassin. The story is odd enough to keep people interested, the twin owners are funny, with their headquarters across from each other there are many post-it notes used to send messages. The violence is top notch, but the way women are treated is a little too retro in a lot of places. The art is real good. Cars, backgrounds, labs, the violence, even the cabin in the woods that Pyle owns looks great. The action is smooth, and very John Woo-ish. A good read after a hard day dealing with social media and what is happening in the world.

[Shivesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a darkly comic, action-packed pulp story that never takes itself too seriously. It follows the rivalry between two moguls who own competing soda companies—former conjoined twins separated by choice in their 20s.

Their feud is so intense that each company maintains its own team of assassins, researchers, and operatives, making for a chaotic and entertaining ride. The comic embraces absurdity, blending humor, espionage, and over-the-top conflicts in a way that feels both nostalgic and fresh.

At the heart of the story are the twin brothers, who manage to be both villains and sympathetic figures. Their rivalry drives the plot, creating a unique dynamic where the reader is torn between rooting for and against them. The depth of their connection, slowly revealed as the issues progress, adds intrigue and unexpected emotional weight to the narrative. This element of mystery keeps the reader engaged, especially when the shocking reveal in issue three reshapes the way their relationship is understood.

Adding to the mix is a smooth and highly capable assassin-for-hire, whose involvement throws an extra layer of excitement into the story. His charm and skills make him a classic protagonist in this type of pulp adventure, and things take an interesting turn when he falls in love with a scientist from one of the rival soda companies. Their romance brings another dimension to the narrative, balancing the chaos of corporate warfare with moments of genuine connection.

Overall, Pop Kill is a wildly fun four-issue comic that thrives on its fast-paced storytelling and clever twists. The key to enjoying it is to simply go along for the ride—it never gets bogged down in complexity, keeping things engaging and high-energy. The premise feels like it could easily translate into a buddy-cop action flick or even a quirky romantic comedy, thanks to its colorful characters and playful tone.

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four extended single issues make up this graphic novel narrative that ends up being more Kingsman than Bond, Bourne or anyone else you care to mention. And that's not just because there's a pug dog in both. Our main character is a hitman, charged by one very dodgy cola magnate with the task of finding a formula being developed by the token hot scientist girl at the city's other very dodgy cola firm. Oh, and did you know both magnates are twin brothers?

This is a saga of double- and triple-crossing, of hired goons who shoot with an inaccuracy not seen since The A-Team, and of gullible women, however generally successful and intelligent. Yes, the commercial warfare is a legitimate aspect of it, but the brotherly hate is ramped up to 11, our guy has far too many life-saving favours to call in, and it's all pretty unrealistic. And I don't think it's that great as disposable pap, either – it's nowhere near four stars. If you like boobies with your teen-level ultra-violence, and people shielding themselves from bullets with a coffee table (of course that works) then it's a three and a half.

[Zoe Lipman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This follows the intense rivalry between two cola companies (think a fictional Coke and Pepsi situation) and the lengths they will go to be the number one soda company.

We see assassination attempts, sabotage, and so much drama. (Content-wise, this is definitely a comic/graphic novel for adults and not children.)

The art style feels very reminiscent of early 2000's comic art.

I love the cover of this (it's a different one than shown here on Goodreads), I like the simplicity of the cola soda can with the bullet holes in it. Simple but effective.

This was definitely a fun little read. I like the humor of it and how far-fetched (or maybe not) the whole story is. I had a fun time with this. The characters were a bit two-dimensional, but this story isn't really about the people, so I wasn't too mad at that.

This is issues 1-4 of this story.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

[Martin Maenza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mad Cave Studios provided an early galley for review.

I lived through the marketing wars between the soft drink companies back in the 80's. It is nice to see others do too and have used that for a backdrop for their story.

And this story definitely has it all. Targeted for mature readers, this one has plenty of violence and sex - all presented in an exaggerated, over-the-top way. Who knew commercial competition could be so cut-throat?

The artwork by Santacruz is fantastic too. It is a very clean and detailed style that takes me back to the Bronze Age of comics. That nostalgic vibe serves as a nice counterbalance to the very modern, very graphic nature made popular in the 90's. A marriage of elements that works extremely well together.

Recommended to any comic book fans who are also into films by Quenten Tarantino.

[Adri Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jon Pyle is your pretty typical James Bond figure. He lives abroad, makes his living as an assassin, saboteur, and spy. As all fancy spy types are known for, he is quite the ladies’ man. His philandering results in him owing a debt to one of the largest Cola companies in the world. Jon sabotages the Popso Furious soda company for the other world leading soda company just across the street, Fizz-Cola. To be able to finally pay off his debt, he must run one more, dirty errand for Fizz-Cola. Top secret information arises that there is an American working for Popso that may have figured out a formula where the carbonation in soda never falls flat. Pyle must intervene in the development of this formula, no matter what. What he did not expect was the gorgeous American scientist and her darling doggie.

#ThxNetGalley #DaveJohnson #JimmyPalmiotti #PopKill

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pop Kill is a comedy-action comic that follows a hitman, Jon, in his pursuits to steal a secret recipe to maintain carbonation in pop for his boss. The main tension is between two rival soda companies, Popso and Fizz One, ran by twin brothers-turned-arch-nemesis. Lots of action and drama with clever jokes, but the women served nothing to the plot other than to be sexualized. Yes, Dina is a scientist who is developing the secret recipe, but even she is not safe from being topless at some point. I know the comic is geared towards men, but are men not capable of reading a comic unless it has exposed breasts?

#IndigoEmployee

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you took James Bond, made him crasser, but mixed in the heavy action of Jason Statham plus his sex appeal you might get Pop Kill. You get a better story, but you’d come close to it’s predecessor. This book really wants to be adjacent to the Statham novel. The difference is Jason Statham‘s action movies are better. This is about competing soda companies that will go after each other with war gangs to top each other. Just so happens the soda companies are run by brothers. And they hire John the sexy assassin. John is a chauvinist womanizer. This book uses excessive and unnecessary nudity to be a male fantasy that I have no desire to be a part of. I have read books of similar topics done way better.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved and was thoroughly entertained by the overall plot, the feud of the twins with their rivalling soda companies in such a fast-paced, but plenty action-packed comic. The art style is colourful and captivating, increasing the joy of reading. I think the only thing which kept me from enjoying more was the amount of sexualised women, this could just be a 'me' issue, however, I was slightly put off by the amount of times these images were portrayed and I feel as though the plot and intensity of the story would've been just as brilliant without it all.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for allowing me to read and enjoy this arc <3.

[Alexis Berman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for my Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.

On the surface I should have loved this book. Two former conjoined brothers that own two competing cola companies go to any and all lengths (kidnapping, espionage, murder) to make their company the most successful and popular. Cool, original concept. I didn't even mind the gore and violence, which is sometimes over the top for me. But the objectification of arguably the best (and definitely the smartest) person in the entire book, the only main female character, is nauseating and very disappointing. Every female featured is basically just b**bs and pu**y and I am not here for that. 1 star.

[Elle (Lost in Wonderland) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun time!

Two opposing soda companies, run by brothers who were previously siamese twins. They have been feuding for years, constantly trying to one up one another. Add in corporate espionage, a James Bond-esque agent and a pretty woman and you have the makings of a great thrill ride. There was comedy, action, violence and boobs, lots of boobs (well drawn ones too). The art style was beautiful, with lots of colour.

I enjoyed this graphic novel immensely. The plot was fast paced and kept you wanting more. As a huge fan of the adult animated TV show Archer, this really tickled me.

** I received a complimentary copy of this book from Mad Cave Studios via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Michael Daines · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of “Pop Kill” was gonzo enough that I thought it would be fun. Two soda pop companies dominate the world and are run by two brothers, formerly conjoined twins. Their rivalry is often deadly, and besides corporate espionage, they employ contract killers against each other. One of those hit men is sent to uncover the potential breakthrough in carbonation that a scientist is on the verge of.

This story is quite silly, with nauseating plot armor on the playboy contract killer that drives the story.

[Richard Pulfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This felt like a fun throwback to either 80's action movies or 90's ultraviolent comics - take your pick.

The premise follows an operative caught between two warring soda company, each led by a vengeful formerly conjoined twin.

It's probably not for everyone, but there's lots of action, plenty of one-liners and all and all a pretty premise.

And there's also a cute dog.

If that sounds like your thing, check it out.

[Kayla Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, this was kind of boring and all of the characters were insufferable with nothing to keep your attention or interest. The art was bold and intricate, which was fun to look at, but I wish that the story had been more well rounded.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.

[Lindsey (Lindseysbookishreviews) Swindlehurst · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it, overall I felt like it was a good and I really loved the art work but the story just wasn’t my favorite. I didn’t feel for some of the characters like I hoped. I will pick up the second to see what happens and if my views change but for now it was alright.

[Tri · Rating 1 out of 5]

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy*

I like campy, violent action with wacky plots, but the characterization of women in this comic weigh it down terribly. There’s some comic tropes that should’ve just stayed in the past, because it’s cringey, not sexy.