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Kill or be Killed
Zabij albo zgiń. Tom 4
Długo oczekiwany finał historii niedoszłego samobójcy i zamaskowanego mściciela w jednej osobie. Brubaker i Philips – duet niezwykle popularnych (również w Polsce) twórców jak zwykle w najwyższej formie. Zabij albo zgiń to według naszych czytelników jedna z najlepszych serii wydawanych przez Non Stop Comics.
144 pages, Paperback
First published August 21, 2018
22 people are currently reading
582 people want to read
About the author
Ed Brubaker
1,798 books3,028 followersEd Brubaker (born November 17, 1966) is an Eisner Award-winning American cartoonist and writer. He was born at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland.
Brubaker is best known for his work as a comic book writer on such titles as Batman, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, Catwoman, Gotham Central and Uncanny X-Men. In more recent years, he has focused solely on creator-owned titles for Image Comics, such as Fatale, Criminal, Velvet and Kill or Be Killed.
In 2016, Brubaker ventured into television, joining the writing staff of the HBO series Westworld.
Brubaker is best known for his work as a comic book writer on such titles as Batman, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, Catwoman, Gotham Central and Uncanny X-Men. In more recent years, he has focused solely on creator-owned titles for Image Comics, such as Fatale, Criminal, Velvet and Kill or Be Killed.
In 2016, Brubaker ventured into television, joining the writing staff of the HBO series Westworld.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 311 reviews
March 31, 2023
Is it crazy that I don't think Dylan was crazy?
What are you telling me, Brubaker?!
I don't think anything in this whole world is more rational than killing the people he killed. I must be missing the point somehow. Or am I?
What can I say without spoiling it?
Let's see...it takes place in a mental hospital and ends with a bang. There you go.
I thought it was an enjoyable conclusion that took us on a lot of twists and turns. And I'm happy with Brubaker's ending. Very cool, sir.
Recommended.
What are you telling me, Brubaker?!
I don't think anything in this whole world is more rational than killing the people he killed. I must be missing the point somehow. Or am I?
What can I say without spoiling it?
Let's see...it takes place in a mental hospital and ends with a bang. There you go.
I thought it was an enjoyable conclusion that took us on a lot of twists and turns. And I'm happy with Brubaker's ending. Very cool, sir.
Recommended.
August 14, 2018
Dylan’s in the nuthouse - but how will he continue to kill the guilty for The Demon from there?! And what the what: there’s a masked killer wearing the same outfit, executing criminal scum with the same MO - did Dylan just imagine he was an angel of death? All questions will be answered in this final volume as we find out whether Dylan will… Kill or Be Killed!
I really enjoyed this one! Kill or Be Killed isn’t among the best of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ many collaborations but, after an uneven first half, the series has built up a good head of steam and finishes more-or-less well.
Not that Volume 4 doesn’t have its faults. The question of whether the Demon is real or not has been an intriguing one but the answer is severely anticlimactic here. It’s basically brushed away and forgotten about after the first issue and, considering that it’s been Dylan’s entire motivation this whole time, I thought that was a bit crappy.
Brubaker played fast and loose with the story, ending almost every issue on a pseudo-cliffhanger. On the one hand it made for an interesting read, on the other, the constant bait’n’switching got a bit tiresome. And Brubaker echoing the reader’s thoughts on the twists like the identity of the copycat killer, and in particular the ending, felt like he was trolling the audience which was plain weird!
But the good outweighed the bad. As pointless as I thought shifting the story into a mental hospital was going to be, Dylan targeting one of the orderlies was a compelling subplot. And it worked out too as it allowed Detective Sharpe and the Russians to catch up to Dylan for that big finale which was tense and exciting in a way so few action sequences in comics tend to be because this one had genuine stakes.
Parts of the story’s potential weren’t realised and parts of it were underwhelming and unsatisfying (ie. the ending) but ultimately it was really entertaining and I’ll take that over anything else, not least because there are so few writers out there of Brubaker’s calibre producing good comics. Couple the gripping narrative with gorgeous art from Sean Phillips and Elizabeth Breitweiser and you’ve got a fine comic.
Whatever my problems with the book, Kill or Be Killed, Volume 4 was a lot of fun and that’s plenty good enough for any series to go out on.
I really enjoyed this one! Kill or Be Killed isn’t among the best of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ many collaborations but, after an uneven first half, the series has built up a good head of steam and finishes more-or-less well.
Not that Volume 4 doesn’t have its faults. The question of whether the Demon is real or not has been an intriguing one but the answer is severely anticlimactic here. It’s basically brushed away and forgotten about after the first issue and, considering that it’s been Dylan’s entire motivation this whole time, I thought that was a bit crappy.
Brubaker played fast and loose with the story, ending almost every issue on a pseudo-cliffhanger. On the one hand it made for an interesting read, on the other, the constant bait’n’switching got a bit tiresome. And Brubaker echoing the reader’s thoughts on the twists like the identity of the copycat killer, and in particular the ending, felt like he was trolling the audience which was plain weird!
But the good outweighed the bad. As pointless as I thought shifting the story into a mental hospital was going to be, Dylan targeting one of the orderlies was a compelling subplot. And it worked out too as it allowed Detective Sharpe and the Russians to catch up to Dylan for that big finale which was tense and exciting in a way so few action sequences in comics tend to be because this one had genuine stakes.
Parts of the story’s potential weren’t realised and parts of it were underwhelming and unsatisfying (ie. the ending) but ultimately it was really entertaining and I’ll take that over anything else, not least because there are so few writers out there of Brubaker’s calibre producing good comics. Couple the gripping narrative with gorgeous art from Sean Phillips and Elizabeth Breitweiser and you’ve got a fine comic.
Whatever my problems with the book, Kill or Be Killed, Volume 4 was a lot of fun and that’s plenty good enough for any series to go out on.
November 14, 2018
A young man who puts on a mask and kills criminals because he thinks he’s been cursed by a demon ends up in a psychiatric hospital. Who could have seen that coming?
After Dylan has a meltdown in his personal life he’s been locked up and doped enough to keep him foggy, and it also seems like someone has taken his place on the outside as a masked vigilante killer getting headlines for murder. However, Dylan is still haunted by the idea of the demon who drove his killing spree because whether it was real or not he’s got plenty of evidence that the world is steaming pile of garbage and that maybe somebody should do something. And just because he’s locked up doesn’t mean that there’s not bad guys around he could take care of….
If this was a Marvel or DC creations we’d go through an endless continuation of Dylan including revelation after revelation about his past and he’d probably die at some point and come back. With a story by Brubaker and Phillips we get an actual ending, and that’s part of what makes their stuff so great. With a conclusion we have consequences and themes, not just an infinite and increasingly pointless character.
I also admire how this story threads a tricky needle. It certainly isn’t a ridiculous Death Wish style fantasy about how one determined man with a gun can clean up the streets, but it’s also not a simplistic morality tale about how murder is wrong either. Dylan’s world view gets increasingly complex as he goes from a guy who thinks he’s killing to avoid his own death at the hands of demon to someone who is increasingly disgusted by a world that seems to get progressively worse by the minute thanks to the corruption of the basic systems that are supposed to protect us.
It’s a comic with a near perfect ending.
After Dylan has a meltdown in his personal life he’s been locked up and doped enough to keep him foggy, and it also seems like someone has taken his place on the outside as a masked vigilante killer getting headlines for murder. However, Dylan is still haunted by the idea of the demon who drove his killing spree because whether it was real or not he’s got plenty of evidence that the world is steaming pile of garbage and that maybe somebody should do something. And just because he’s locked up doesn’t mean that there’s not bad guys around he could take care of….
If this was a Marvel or DC creations we’d go through an endless continuation of Dylan including revelation after revelation about his past and he’d probably die at some point and come back. With a story by Brubaker and Phillips we get an actual ending, and that’s part of what makes their stuff so great. With a conclusion we have consequences and themes, not just an infinite and increasingly pointless character.
I also admire how this story threads a tricky needle. It certainly isn’t a ridiculous Death Wish style fantasy about how one determined man with a gun can clean up the streets, but it’s also not a simplistic morality tale about how murder is wrong either. Dylan’s world view gets increasingly complex as he goes from a guy who thinks he’s killing to avoid his own death at the hands of demon to someone who is increasingly disgusted by a world that seems to get progressively worse by the minute thanks to the corruption of the basic systems that are supposed to protect us.
It’s a comic with a near perfect ending.
August 30, 2018
Well...It's over. Probably one of the greatest comics I've read in the last 5 years. Okay *Deep breath* let's do this.
Dylan is now in the psych-ward. Don't worry, he'll explain how he got there. However, this final chapter in the 4 part series goes over the underlying tones of depression and mental breakdown. You think, maybe Dylan made all this shit up in his head. Maybe he imagined the demon that's been haunting him throughout the last few books. Maybe...
No. Let me cut you off right there. The book, or I should say Dylan, straight out tells you this isn't some bullshit twist. There's no big mystery "WHAT!?" moment. There's a lot of turns that might not see coming, and especially different ending, and a huge message at the end that some people will either love or hate. This is something different than most, and it could have failed but luckily, it did NOT.
Good: The art. Oh my Sean, you really outdid yourself. The reactions, the brutal fights, the deaths, and the heartbreak are on full display here. Dylan's breakdown, his mission, and those final few pages are just pure magical. I mean, it straight up tells people what they WANT but not what you will GET and I fucking LOVED it. I also couldn't help but think this had one of the most intense showdowns ever.
Bad: Uhhhhh Nothing.
This is pure genius comic making. I think this is Brubaker's best series and that's high praise as Criminal and Fade out were excellent. A 6 out of 5. Yes, a goddamn 6!
Dylan is now in the psych-ward. Don't worry, he'll explain how he got there. However, this final chapter in the 4 part series goes over the underlying tones of depression and mental breakdown. You think, maybe Dylan made all this shit up in his head. Maybe he imagined the demon that's been haunting him throughout the last few books. Maybe...
No. Let me cut you off right there. The book, or I should say Dylan, straight out tells you this isn't some bullshit twist. There's no big mystery "WHAT!?" moment. There's a lot of turns that might not see coming, and especially different ending, and a huge message at the end that some people will either love or hate. This is something different than most, and it could have failed but luckily, it did NOT.
Good: The art. Oh my Sean, you really outdid yourself. The reactions, the brutal fights, the deaths, and the heartbreak are on full display here. Dylan's breakdown, his mission, and those final few pages are just pure magical. I mean, it straight up tells people what they WANT but not what you will GET and I fucking LOVED it. I also couldn't help but think this had one of the most intense showdowns ever.
Bad: Uhhhhh Nothing.
This is pure genius comic making. I think this is Brubaker's best series and that's high praise as Criminal and Fade out were excellent. A 6 out of 5. Yes, a goddamn 6!
July 15, 2018
The collected volume #4 comes out in a few weeks, but I read through the single issues, unable to wait to finish this, and I loved it. I can't talk much about it since there are so many surprises, but the conclusion does involve a resolution about whether Dylan is a vigilante or haunted by a literal demon; it involves Detective Lily and the Russian mob, with playful meta-narrative first person perspective rule-breaking, and the hint of a possible continuation of the story. Brubaker and Phillips: Simply the best. So fun.
In the afterword, Brubaker says he was inspired in the shaping of it by Joni Mitchell's "The Last Time I Saw Richard" and seventies Spiderman superhero comics. I have to say I never saw any of this. He says no one (and this includes me) in any reviews seems to notice most of his sprinkled meta-references throughout, including the mention of two cops named Stan (Lee) and Steve (Ditko). Okay, I gotta read it again, Ed, sorry, I'll slow down, I promise.
In the afterword, Brubaker says he was inspired in the shaping of it by Joni Mitchell's "The Last Time I Saw Richard" and seventies Spiderman superhero comics. I have to say I never saw any of this. He says no one (and this includes me) in any reviews seems to notice most of his sprinkled meta-references throughout, including the mention of two cops named Stan (Lee) and Steve (Ditko). Okay, I gotta read it again, Ed, sorry, I'll slow down, I promise.
July 4, 2018
A very enjoyable finale to a great series. Technically, this is probably Brubaker’s and Phillips’ best work to date, just in the way the book was crafted. The storytelling is brilliant and gripping, the artwork is expressive, and it’s an incredible reading experience from start to finish. For me personally though, I didn’t end up in love with any of the characters, even if I enjoyed the story around them. I also thought that the sequel-baiting finale, as well as the misdirecting twist, were quite cheesy and I could really do without them. Otherwise, not counting the final issue, this was a great read throughout, and yet another win for this superstar creative team.
September 10, 2018
Brubaker and Phillips’s gritty vigilante tale comes to a banging end here! We open with Dylan in a mental institution filled with doubts as to whether the demon was actually real and he's trying to put his past behind him. But other forces won’t let him do that. Not the Russian mob, not Detective Lily Sharpe, not the copycat that’s running around out there killing drug dealers, and certainly not the demon itself.
This final volume goes to places that I didn’t expect but some places that feel totally inevitable. It’ll keep you guessing to the end. And the art here is some of the best in the whole series. It’s a crime if Elizabeth Breitweiser isn’t considered one of the best color artists in comics today. Everything she does rocks.
All in all, this is a great cap to a consistent series that features more of the same excellence that we expect from this creative team.
This final volume goes to places that I didn’t expect but some places that feel totally inevitable. It’ll keep you guessing to the end. And the art here is some of the best in the whole series. It’s a crime if Elizabeth Breitweiser isn’t considered one of the best color artists in comics today. Everything she does rocks.
All in all, this is a great cap to a consistent series that features more of the same excellence that we expect from this creative team.
October 31, 2021
The final fight is here as Dylan is now in a mental asylum and well Lily the detective is finding out the new vigilante may not be the real one and well through investigations she is able to track Dylan and we follow him and the kind of things he does at the asylum but when these two things come together and the big fight with Russians start it leads for a great confrontation and a very twisted and conflicting finale.
I hate the ending lets be obvious. I prefer the one he as an unreliable narrator said ..the 2nd ending which post people find suitable but he tells of the real thing of how it was him that died there and then and the 2nd one never happened and idk what its with Brubaker to twist the expectations and give a bad ending with all his books as the same happened with Fatale and now this and yeah it kinda sucks when you spent hours reading his books.
But in a way is it brilliant because one is conflicted with the ending? Maybe its upto the reader to decide but what he does in the end with Kira was not that expected and leads to a very philosophical argument as the ending is very open ended here and thats how most stories are and thats why I kinda like it because of the conflict of it all.
Overall the series was pretty good as we saw the inner turmoil of Dylan and the conflicts he has and the kind of things he does and that leads us to question the society and philosophy of necessary evil and the world we have and how we can better it. Its all very compelling and thats why this book is such a great read.
I hate the ending lets be obvious. I prefer the one he as an unreliable narrator said ..the 2nd ending which post people find suitable but he tells of the real thing of how it was him that died there and then and the 2nd one never happened and idk what its with Brubaker to twist the expectations and give a bad ending with all his books as the same happened with Fatale and now this and yeah it kinda sucks when you spent hours reading his books.
But in a way is it brilliant because one is conflicted with the ending? Maybe its upto the reader to decide but what he does in the end with Kira was not that expected and leads to a very philosophical argument as the ending is very open ended here and thats how most stories are and thats why I kinda like it because of the conflict of it all.
Overall the series was pretty good as we saw the inner turmoil of Dylan and the conflicts he has and the kind of things he does and that leads us to question the society and philosophy of necessary evil and the world we have and how we can better it. Its all very compelling and thats why this book is such a great read.
January 3, 2019
“ The world went insane before I did, I'm just adapting to the new reality.”
So This is how Dylan sees the world ,This is how i sees the world
I Thought it will last long , but Ed Brubaker decided to end at Vol.4
I kinda hated the ending , it was good\bad but not perfect like the first 3 Volumes , The Ending was shocking but made sense too .
Great Series after all and absolutely won't be my last reading to Ed Brubaker .
So This is how Dylan sees the world ,This is how i sees the world
I Thought it will last long , but Ed Brubaker decided to end at Vol.4
I kinda hated the ending , it was good\bad but not perfect like the first 3 Volumes , The Ending was shocking but made sense too .
Great Series after all and absolutely won't be my last reading to Ed Brubaker .
November 11, 2018
I suppose it is fitting that a series with such a playful narrator would play around with the narrative format itself for its finale, but it is also a disappointing way to end such an intriguing series. Even if he didn't stick the landing, Brubaker really nailed the middle volumes of this saga.
December 30, 2022
OCENA: 3,5 ⭐️
May 26, 2022
É errado amar essa série tanto quanto eu amei? Acabei pensando sobre isso. Vou ter que levar pra terapia.
June 28, 2018
Pretty good conclusion to Dylans story. Not sure it really amazed me though, I was expecting something really amazing to finish it. Felt like the last few issues were more philosophical than crime thriller. I read this as single issues. So it might have made more of an impact as a single novel.
March 12, 2019
Ο Brubaker κλείνει στον 4ο τόμο μια σειρά που περιέχει όλα του τα χαρακτηριστικά γνωρίσματα: επιλέγει να εστιάσει στην ανάπτυξη χαρακτήρων και στην εξαιρετική διηγηματογραφία, έχοντας την γενική υπόθεση ως καμβά.
Το κλείσιμο που επέλεξε ο Brubaker με αποστόμωσε: ήταν απρόβλεπτο, μάλλον σεναριακά αδύναμο και βιαστικό. Άφησα χρόνο να περάσει μέχρι να μιλήσω για αυτό και τελικά στο μόνο που καταλήγω είναι πως εξηγεί το σεναριακό τέχνασμα του παντογνώστη ήρωα. Ίσως προσδίδει και κάτι meta-αφηγηματικό το οποίο συνάδει με την προκλητικά ζωηρή φωνή που έχει προσδώσει ο συγγραφέας στον αυτοδιηγητικό πρωταγωνιστή.
Ο Brubaker έφτιαξε μια μικρή σειρά που περισσότερο θυμίζει άσκηση ύφους. Είναι ταλαντούχος, έχει όραμα, έχει "εμμονές" (τις αγαπάω στους δημιουργούς), και οι ιστορίες του δίνουν στον αναγνώστη απλόχερα κάτι που άλλοι πασχίζουν: κάθε καρέ, σε κάνει να διαβάσει το επόμενο· κάθε σελίδα σε κάνει να θες να γυρίσεις την επόμενη. Ακόμα κι αν με απογοήτευσε το τέλος, η ιστορία παραμένει βαθύτατα απολαυστική. Το Kill or be Killed αξίζει να διαβαστεί από οποιονδήποτε αναγνώστη κόμικς και από τους εραστές των καλών ιστοριών. Το κράμα noir/hard boiled με αναφορές στον σύγχρονο ανατρεπτικό κινηματογράφο και την κουλτούρα των αμερικάνικων σειρών είναι φανταστικό.
Το κλείσιμο που επέλεξε ο Brubaker με αποστόμωσε: ήταν απρόβλεπτο, μάλλον σεναριακά αδύναμο και βιαστικό. Άφησα χρόνο να περάσει μέχρι να μιλήσω για αυτό και τελικά στο μόνο που καταλήγω είναι πως εξηγεί το σεναριακό τέχνασμα του παντογνώστη ήρωα. Ίσως προσδίδει και κάτι meta-αφηγηματικό το οποίο συνάδει με την προκλητικά ζωηρή φωνή που έχει προσδώσει ο συγγραφέας στον αυτοδιηγητικό πρωταγωνιστή.
Ο Brubaker έφτιαξε μια μικρή σειρά που περισσότερο θυμίζει άσκηση ύφους. Είναι ταλαντούχος, έχει όραμα, έχει "εμμονές" (τις αγαπάω στους δημιουργούς), και οι ιστορίες του δίνουν στον αναγνώστη απλόχερα κάτι που άλλοι πασχίζουν: κάθε καρέ, σε κάνει να διαβάσει το επόμενο· κάθε σελίδα σε κάνει να θες να γυρίσεις την επόμενη. Ακόμα κι αν με απογοήτευσε το τέλος, η ιστορία παραμένει βαθύτατα απολαυστική. Το Kill or be Killed αξίζει να διαβαστεί από οποιονδήποτε αναγνώστη κόμικς και από τους εραστές των καλών ιστοριών. Το κράμα noir/hard boiled με αναφορές στον σύγχρονο ανατρεπτικό κινηματογράφο και την κουλτούρα των αμερικάνικων σειρών είναι φανταστικό.
October 8, 2018
Kinda not the ending one would anticipate for this series.
April 14, 2019
I can’t believe they ended it. But why?!?
February 8, 2019
The final leg of Dylan's story is mostly spent in the mental hospital. He snaps mentally under all the pressure, but gains a better understanding of his condition. He also gains an unlikely ally which supports his mission because its righteous goal justifies the means he employs. He will reach a balance by the end and will leave behind a legacy few can ignore.
The demon Dylan sees is likely the same one his father and step-brother saw. Lately Dylan can't think of anything else and it gets so bad that he attacks his roommate because he sees the image of the demon on his face. He ends up in a mental hospital, then gets therapy in the prison psych ward. The demon never leaves his side. He finally decides to tell the therapist about the demon and confess his crimes. He is met with laughter since the news tells of a copycat who has been killing in his name.
The demon Dylan sees is likely the same one his father and step-brother saw. Lately Dylan can't think of anything else and it gets so bad that he attacks his roommate because he sees the image of the demon on his face. He ends up in a mental hospital, then gets therapy in the prison psych ward. The demon never leaves his side. He finally decides to tell the therapist about the demon and confess his crimes. He is met with laughter since the news tells of a copycat who has been killing in his name.
November 21, 2018
So Kill or be Killed has been consistently one of the best comics on shelves for the duration of its run. So of course I was scared of it ending, lots of comic blow the ending, and a crap finish can really spoil what was otherwise a fantastic journey. Kill or be Killed's ending is going to be controversial. I didn't LOVE the last issue, and find myself going back and forth on how it "should" have ended. Up until that point though, the way things come to a head with Detective Sharpe, the mental hospital and the Russians was all really gnarly, with some truly badass moments of violence and excitement.
The ENDING ending, as in the final pages was pretty good, with a neat swerve I won't give away. We don't resolve the demon element in the bombastic way I was hoping, and I don't love the narrative "tricks" utilized in the last issue. All that said, this was otherwise the perfect comic, and honestly, I think there's a lot of room for discussion on the book's ending. It might sit with me differently after some reflection, and I can respect the creators' decision making, in determining where their characters end up.
Still one of the modern comic GOATs. See it through. Then tell me about how you felt about the ending.
The ENDING ending, as in the final pages was pretty good, with a neat swerve I won't give away. We don't resolve the demon element in the bombastic way I was hoping, and I don't love the narrative "tricks" utilized in the last issue. All that said, this was otherwise the perfect comic, and honestly, I think there's a lot of room for discussion on the book's ending. It might sit with me differently after some reflection, and I can respect the creators' decision making, in determining where their characters end up.
Still one of the modern comic GOATs. See it through. Then tell me about how you felt about the ending.
December 1, 2018
Pretty solid end to a pretty solid story.
World: The art is fantastic and this new change in locale does bring with it a slight change in color scheme which is nice. The world building is good and continues the story, the scope is smaller this time around and is still focused on character which is good. All the pieces come to a head for a nice little stage for the finale.
Story: The cold start is nice and the location change is interesting making the book divert in a way that I did not expect. The pacing does slow down a bit and it does focus on character and I am fine with that. There is no huge focus on the killing and the mafia and is more about Dylan as a character and that's just fine. That's not to say shit does no go down cause when it goes it goes down. The end is nice, it's poetic and well concluded.
Characters: Dylan is done well this arc, the slow pace really allows for the fallout to sink in and explore how he is as a character. There are new characters to allow for this development and old characters who's reaction allows for the story to move organically. I would have liked a bit more development in the end but overall it was well done.
A nice character study and a pretty solid noir tale in the end.
Onward to the next book!
World: The art is fantastic and this new change in locale does bring with it a slight change in color scheme which is nice. The world building is good and continues the story, the scope is smaller this time around and is still focused on character which is good. All the pieces come to a head for a nice little stage for the finale.
Story: The cold start is nice and the location change is interesting making the book divert in a way that I did not expect. The pacing does slow down a bit and it does focus on character and I am fine with that. There is no huge focus on the killing and the mafia and is more about Dylan as a character and that's just fine. That's not to say shit does no go down cause when it goes it goes down. The end is nice, it's poetic and well concluded.
Characters: Dylan is done well this arc, the slow pace really allows for the fallout to sink in and explore how he is as a character. There are new characters to allow for this development and old characters who's reaction allows for the story to move organically. I would have liked a bit more development in the end but overall it was well done.
A nice character study and a pretty solid noir tale in the end.
Onward to the next book!
June 13, 2018
Kill or Be killed has all the scrapping of a psychological thriller with an unrequited love turned complicated relationship twist. Dylan is a graduate student turned vigilante when his dark mind turns on him resulting from untreated depression. He attempts suicide after his best friend Kira evolved into an unrequited love complicating the relationship through sex behind the back of Mason, who is Dylan’s roommate and Kira’s current flame. Dylan’s always been a good guy and doesn’t desire to kill. However, his demon makes him an offer he can’t refuse, to kill or be killed! There’s themes of violence (hence the title), depression, suicidal ideation/attempt, delusions, demons, psychopathy, molestation, revenge, sex , political undertones and sex trafficking to name a few! And it doesn’t end there. I look forward to reading volumes two and three!
Added Note: I actually read Volume One. I will add the review for four once I get to it. Sorry, I do not know how to delete this review! 🙄🤓😩
Added Note: I actually read Volume One. I will add the review for four once I get to it. Sorry, I do not know how to delete this review! 🙄🤓😩
July 7, 2024
Brilliant book!
September 27, 2018
I'm glad they added the copycat subplot. Adds more tension and confusion (the good kind). I don't quite like the ending though. Not the fate of Dylan (that was somewhat poetic). But the implied aftermath. Felt like it was thrown in there at the last minute just for shocks. Despite that, Kill or be Killed was an overall enjoyable experience.
August 21, 2018
I really didn't see that ending coming.
April 30, 2019
Bullet Review:
That was...fantastic! WOW! I am truly impressed with this ending - no, it's not explosive or mind-blowing - and yet, in its simplicity, it is truly explosive and mind-blowing. Brubaker and Philips challenge a reader's expectations from this type of story and really throw you off your groove - and I hugely appreciate that more than finding out whether or not the demon is actually real.
What a satisfying end to this series! WOW!
That was...fantastic! WOW! I am truly impressed with this ending - no, it's not explosive or mind-blowing - and yet, in its simplicity, it is truly explosive and mind-blowing. Brubaker and Philips challenge a reader's expectations from this type of story and really throw you off your groove - and I hugely appreciate that more than finding out whether or not the demon is actually real.
What a satisfying end to this series! WOW!
May 27, 2019
Very nice to find out they are turning this series in a movie directed by the same as the John wick movies. Can not wait.
September 22, 2018
On the fence with this ending volume. Art (Sean Phillips) and color (Elizabeth Breitweiser) are awesome. Brubaker really takes the meta-fictional aspects to their full conclusion and I suppose after all the series he's done he felt the need to question and pontificate on narration, which is fair enough, but I wonder why he felt the need to bring readers along on that writerly navel gazing journey? Storytelling parallels life seems to be his big idea, the lesson he wanted to impart. That and the world is F'd up and killing people who deserve it is OK and probably a reasonable response. Reminds me a bit of R.D Laing's The Divided Self and its notion that schizophrenia is the natural response to the F'd up world we've created. He asks why isn't everybody schizoid? Which is kind of what Brubaker asks here: why isn't everyone doing what Dylan does? All it takes for evil to triumph is for the good to do nothing, right? Ok, maybe it's more nuanced than that, but these were my first thoughts on finishing Vol 4.
October 28, 2018
Okay so I know what many of you are thinking.
“L, why are you only giving this a 3 star review? You just gave volume 3 a 5-star review AND you tend to fanboy over Brubaker, Phillips and Breitweiser”
While both are true, this ending is disappointing.
What’s it about?
Umm... that all involves a pile of spoilery things so SKIP.
Pros:
The story is still very interesting in this volume. The mix of crime drama and horror is so interesting!
The art is still fantastic! Phillips and Brietweiser are just such a fantastic art team!
This book is very suspenseful. At first I thought I knew what would happen but it had so many shocking twists throughout, I love that!
This volume has some parts that include great gritty crime action.
The narrative is very well done and well written.
The horror element is very well done in this volume.
Cons:
The characters are boring. Dylan is an asshole. Detective... what the hell was her name again? Yeah she obviously didn’t interest me very much. Kira and Dylan’s mom were kind of interesting but not as present as I hoped they would be. Dylan’s roommate is just an uninteresting prick.
Some parts of this book are kind of boring. It sometimes just feels like it’s going on for too long IMO. Especially
The social commentary is kind of cringey in this volume. I’m not saying “we need to end these dadgum libtard comics” or some shit and don’t even consider myself right wing or left wing but this one is ridiculous.
The ending... I hate it. The final chapter is sad and the ending in general sucks. Especially the last page that has a cliff hanger that will most likely never be resolved and the whole
Overall:
This series as a whole is pretty good but this ending is very disappointing.
It’s well written, interesting and has fantastic art so I wouldn’t say this volume is a book I dislike but it’s so disappointing that I can’t fully say I like this book. That’s why I’m giving it 3 stars.
A shame too, I usually think anything written by Brubaker is amazing (he is my favorite author after all).
3/5
“L, why are you only giving this a 3 star review? You just gave volume 3 a 5-star review AND you tend to fanboy over Brubaker, Phillips and Breitweiser”
While both are true, this ending is disappointing.
What’s it about?
Umm... that all involves a pile of spoilery things so SKIP.
Pros:
The story is still very interesting in this volume. The mix of crime drama and horror is so interesting!
The art is still fantastic! Phillips and Brietweiser are just such a fantastic art team!
This book is very suspenseful. At first I thought I knew what would happen but it had so many shocking twists throughout, I love that!
This volume has some parts that include great gritty crime action.
The narrative is very well done and well written.
The horror element is very well done in this volume.
Cons:
The characters are boring. Dylan is an asshole. Detective... what the hell was her name again? Yeah she obviously didn’t interest me very much. Kira and Dylan’s mom were kind of interesting but not as present as I hoped they would be. Dylan’s roommate is just an uninteresting prick.
Some parts of this book are kind of boring. It sometimes just feels like it’s going on for too long IMO. Especially
The social commentary is kind of cringey in this volume. I’m not saying “we need to end these dadgum libtard comics” or some shit and don’t even consider myself right wing or left wing but this one is ridiculous.
The ending... I hate it. The final chapter is sad and the ending in general sucks. Especially the last page that has a cliff hanger that will most likely never be resolved and the whole
Overall:
This series as a whole is pretty good but this ending is very disappointing.
It’s well written, interesting and has fantastic art so I wouldn’t say this volume is a book I dislike but it’s so disappointing that I can’t fully say I like this book. That’s why I’m giving it 3 stars.
A shame too, I usually think anything written by Brubaker is amazing (he is my favorite author after all).
3/5
November 5, 2019
Dylan has committed himself to a mental institution in an effort to keep himself and others safe from his gun-toting, mobster-killing ways. However, his relaxation is short lived when he discovers the truth about what is going on between a certain staff member and residents under his care. Can Dylan truly remove himself from the injustice he sees daily or is he destined to lose the battle between free will and fate?
In an effort to wrap things up in this final volume, Brubaker and Phillips are tasked with resolving the mess that Dylan has created. If you’ve been following along up to this point (and of course you have because really, who would start a series on the last book), you know this story is destined to end in bloody violence. One man against the Russian mob really isn’t a winnable war when it comes down to it and while Dylan probably knows this, his disgust for the way the world works will lead him to go down swinging.
While in the end, this isn’t my favorite Brubaker/Phillips collaboration, it’s still an excellent series worth checking out. It’s been a few days since I finished it and I’m still not sure how I feel about the ending. I understand what they were going for, but I’m not sure it’s how I would have done things myself. Then again, I’m not these two guys and I don’t have their track record.
In an effort to wrap things up in this final volume, Brubaker and Phillips are tasked with resolving the mess that Dylan has created. If you’ve been following along up to this point (and of course you have because really, who would start a series on the last book), you know this story is destined to end in bloody violence. One man against the Russian mob really isn’t a winnable war when it comes down to it and while Dylan probably knows this, his disgust for the way the world works will lead him to go down swinging.
While in the end, this isn’t my favorite Brubaker/Phillips collaboration, it’s still an excellent series worth checking out. It’s been a few days since I finished it and I’m still not sure how I feel about the ending. I understand what they were going for, but I’m not sure it’s how I would have done things myself. Then again, I’m not these two guys and I don’t have their track record.
September 3, 2018
See my full thoughts here: https://youtu.be/OAqnViTfEsA
See, this is how you write a proper conclusion to a story. You stick to the themes and ideas you've had from the beginning, then expand on them and let them pull the plot to its natural conclusion. This isn't some sort of superhero story with a protagonist that always weasels his way out of trouble, it's much more thought provoking than that. The last chapter of this is powerful, one of the most gut-punching things I've ever read.
Also the artwork is a big improvement in this volume. There's a lot fewer blank narration panels and more contrast between light and dark colors, which helps everything stand out more. I was able to look past the shortcomings before but it's nice for them to be taken care of.
Recommended to anyone who enjoys dark, psychological stories that play on the ideas of more lighthearted works.
See, this is how you write a proper conclusion to a story. You stick to the themes and ideas you've had from the beginning, then expand on them and let them pull the plot to its natural conclusion. This isn't some sort of superhero story with a protagonist that always weasels his way out of trouble, it's much more thought provoking than that. The last chapter of this is powerful, one of the most gut-punching things I've ever read.
Also the artwork is a big improvement in this volume. There's a lot fewer blank narration panels and more contrast between light and dark colors, which helps everything stand out more. I was able to look past the shortcomings before but it's nice for them to be taken care of.
Recommended to anyone who enjoys dark, psychological stories that play on the ideas of more lighthearted works.
September 9, 2018
The final volume of Kill or Be Killed is an excellent ending: I'd just intended to read an issue or two, but I couldn't put it down until I came to the end.
The funny thing is, Brubaker puts his protagonist into a mental institution as the intro to this volume. You couldn't do much more to both neuter his agency and neutralize his supporting cast But Brubaker manages to take that constricting premise and still tell a great and enthralling story.
He also does a great job of resolving the central premise of the comic without explicitly stating it, of bringing in several dangling plot threads, of offering some great action, and finally of providing an ending that satisfies. Some of those looked like they'd be very tricky for this particular comic, but Brubaker pulled through.
I will happily pick up a deluxe hardcover of this story when it comes out.
The funny thing is, Brubaker puts his protagonist into a mental institution as the intro to this volume. You couldn't do much more to both neuter his agency and neutralize his supporting cast But Brubaker manages to take that constricting premise and still tell a great and enthralling story.
He also does a great job of resolving the central premise of the comic without explicitly stating it, of bringing in several dangling plot threads, of offering some great action, and finally of providing an ending that satisfies. Some of those looked like they'd be very tricky for this particular comic, but Brubaker pulled through.
I will happily pick up a deluxe hardcover of this story when it comes out.
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