Grass Kings, tome 2

Grass Kings #7-11

by Matt Kindt, Tyler Jenkins (Illustrator), Hilary Jenkins (Colorist)

Grass Kingdom est une petite communauté de marginaux vivant au fin fond des USA. Un bien étrange royaume dominé par trois frères, Bruce, le shérif au passé tumultueux, Ashur, le plus jeune et surtout Robert. Robert est devenu alcoolique à la suite de la disparition de sa fille des années auparavant. L'arrivée de la femme en fuite d'Humbert Jr, le shérif du comté voisin, a ravivé les tensions. Robert a vu en elle sa fille devenue adulte. Mais pour beaucoup, elle a été victime d'un tueur en série, peut-être un membre de la communauté. Cest ce que voudrait démontrer Humbert Jr. Alors que la paranoïa s'installe, Bruce et Ashur doivent décider si leur frère est encore apte à diriger... Ce nouveau chapitre de la vie des trois frères ne naît pas dans un vagissement, mais dans une explosion.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Mystery, Fiction, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics, Crime

144 pages, Hardcover

First published April 12, 2017

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second volume of Grass Kings, written by Matt Kindt (Mind Mgmt), drawn sketchily in Kindt-fashion by Tyler Jenkins, and hand-colored beautifully by Hilary Jenkins. The situation is this: As seems to be increasingly the case, people are choosing to (or feeling for various reasons like they have to) live “off the grid,” and in this story a group of people live in a grassland trailer park enclave in the west. Commune? Well, as with any intentional community, they develop their own rules, and reject the laws of the state. Three brothers are the Grass Kings, and one of them seems to have lost his daughter. Another guy from the outside thinks his wife has run off to live there, and a battle concludes the first volume where we pretty much side with the Grass Kings and generally side with the Grass community.

The second volume gives us more background about some of the key people who have moved there and two women begin investigating the death of a woman, possibly tied to others who have died there. Is there a serial killer in their midst? Is there a serpent in Eden? How can the guy wanting his wife back help resolve this issue, or further muck things up?

I like the fact of the two women investigating the dead woman, forging possible links to the escaped wife, to the missing daughter. I like the three brothers, the guy who is writing the history of the Grasslands, and the angle of two women conducting surveillance on every home in the community “for their own good” in an "intentional community" built on principles of freedom. Attractive, kind of "outsider" art feel, and complex storytelling. Intersecting narrative arcs emerge more quickly in volume two after the slow wind-up of the first volume. I like this a lot. What will be revealed about this contemporary need to “live free” of the state and all government intervention?

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

We learn a lot more about these characters in this volume as an old murder is investigated. I found myself very interested in the story. However, the art is definitely a problem for me. The hand colored art compounds it unfortunately. It helps to obscure and muddy details. I get the characters confused constantly due to the art.

[Václav · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the first book, I enjoyed the story about the anti-government settlement. Now I must endure the story of long-forgotten murder. The story spun the wheel and turned its direction the rotten parts of this peaceful society. The art of the Leeroy... errr, Tyler Jenkins is still the same, no change and improvement here (obviously). In conclusion, there are no extra points for art and Kindt starts winning this round in our little game over me again. Lucky me this is only 12 issue series.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot thickens and builds on the prior volume without growing unwieldy or absurd - -but where is it going?

[Zedsdead · Rating 3 out of 5]

With the Sheriffs' War apparently behind them, King Robert and Sheriff Bruce are free to focus on the mystery of the Thin Air Killer, who may or may not exist and may or may not be living among them. But you can't dig into the freedum-lovin, anti-government folks of the Grass Kingdom without upsetting the hell out of them.

I do love the Jenkins' work on this series, the way it conveys the wide-openness of the terrain and the dreaminess of some of the residents. And those Hardy Boys and pulp detective style covers are sublime.

The writing still feels thin: two volumes in and I'm still fuzzy on the nature of Humbert's investigation, why the Kingdom hasn't been shut down years ago, and how there can be so much uncertainty as to whether a killer even exists. Everyone believed for years that the teacher hanged herself. And then burned her house down somehow. The characters' thought processes don't add up.

[Matt Graupman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any time you have a successful project - a film, a book, an album, a comic, etc. - the follow-up is accompanied by higher expectations. Some creators respond by playing it safe, distilling their work, evolving gradually and organically. Other creators seize the opportunity to take their work in weirder, more experimental directions, pushing their vision and folding in new elements and styles. Then there are the rare creators who somehow accomplish both, whose sequels are simultaneously refined and surprising. Which brings us to “Grass Kings, Volume Two.” In this second trade, Matt Kindt’ and Tyler Jenkins’ anti-government rural noir thriller takes a little bit of a hard left into murder mystery territory, but it’s still unmistakably the same gritty, powerhouse writing and art, and further proof that “Grass Kings” is the best on-going series in comics.

Following the events of the first few issues, where the sheriff of neighboring Cargill set his sights on the Grass Kingdom when it provided asylum to his estranged wife, things have since settled down. Somewhat. But that conflict warmed up a cold case, the suspicious suicide of the trailer park’s substitute teacher, sending brothers Bruce, Robert, and Ashur on diverging paths to uncover the truth, including the biggest question of all: is the laissez faire kingdom unknowingly harboring a serial killer? With the shift in the book’s tone, “Grass Kings, Volume Two” drops the first volume’s use of short flashbacks to the area’s violent Native American past in favor of linking the issues by viewing moments from different points-of-view and even branching out into a self-contained issue about one of Grass Kingdom’s original inhabitants. In expanding the kingdom’s mythology, writer Matt Kindt really gets to flex his narrative muscles, letting the Kings recede into the background a bit and focusing more on the community’s other residents and resident weirdoes. The Grass Kingdom feels much more fully formed in this volume, via Kindt’s world-building, but also due to Tyler Jenkins’ consistently loose and gorgeous art (this time watercolored by Hilary Jenkins with absolutely no decrease in quality). So yes, the murder mystery angle is a bit of a well-worn path but it’s just the foundation for comics’ best partnership to play around in a bigger sandbox. Honestly, I don’t know how many different ways I can say it: if you’re not already, you should be reading “Grass Kings.”

That’s it. That’s the review. Seriously, go read “Grass Kings.”

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy improvement on Grass Kings lackluster first volume, volume two fleshes out some key side characters and introduces a legitimately interesting mystery. In fact, I'm pretty sure you could start with volume two and have a fine understanding of the series and its setting.

This second volume investigates the murder of a young teacher in the Grass Kingdom. The murder might tie into a greater serial killer mystery, but for the purposes of this volume, the murder and its resolution is compact, compelling, and satisfying. Matt Kindt does a nice job flipping to a new set of characters in each volume - the new characters pick up the investigation while also revealing bits about themselves. It's a smart way to expand the world.

Tyler Jenkins' beautiful art is still the main reason to pick up Grass Kings. The two page spreads before each chapter masterfully set a tone for the whole book. I've unexpectedly found myself quite interested in volume three.

[Jim Angstadt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Grass Kings, Vol. 2 (Hardcover)
Matt Kindt (Goodreads Author)

Good graphics express the mood and situation. Unfortunately, the characters, dialog, and story do not inspire any interest. Half way through I went DNF.

[Valéria. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Takmer celé volume sa točilo okolo "vyšetrovania" dávnej vraždy a celkom ma to bavilo. Avšak oproti prvému číslu mi to prišlo ako malý krok dozadu čo sa príbehu týka a vlastne sa nikam nič neposúva. Kresba je stále škaredá tak svojsky, až je pekná. Rovnako na mňa pôsobí aj Kindtova kresba a jeho variant covery ma tiež potešilo vidieť. Za mňa stále super a teším sa na další paperback (rozoberajúci už ale snáď i niečo viac).

[OmniBen · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Zero spoiler review) 3.5/5
I'd recommend reading my review of volume one for context, although Matt Kindt is again the weakest link on this book. Jenkins' art continues to be the main draw, and the undoubted highlight of this tale. Elevating Kindt's acceptable writing into something greater than it is through perfectly capturing the rustic, downcast charm of the setting. Kindt, on the other hand, can't seem to get his had around creating realistic scenario's. What happened at the end of volume one should have completely altered the landscape of this tale forever. Instead, its all but erased here, with practically no lingering effects of what should have been a monumental event. But dealing with that would have prevented pretty much anything here from happening, so I guess we can ignore those frankly ridiculous circumstances in volume one. Writers who want to eat their cake without earning it. Or eat it and then pretend they didn't... if you'll forgive the sub par analogy, really pisses me off. This has all the makings of a great series (thanks to Jenkins), although Kindt can't rise to the occasion. It's not terrible, it just really wouldn't have been hard to be better. We'll see if he can stick the landing in volume 3? 3.5/5


OmniBen.

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I get a little more invested with the characters now. In the previous volume no one was especially well established, with a few core traits and nothing else - but this is a small-town murder investigation, and with those, you have to get to know the people better. So we do. That's good.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely better paced and more cohesive than the first volume. Looking forward to the next!

[Tim Nowotny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something about the tone of these books gets me. The stenciling, the time, the scarcity of dialogue. It’s perfect

[Thomas De Ceglie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was...ok.

[Jesse A · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this wouldve worked better as something of a spinoff of the main series. As is it feels a little incorrectly focused for what Vol 1 showed us.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very slow-moving and kind of dull mystery. But the artwork is great.

[Shaun Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grass Kings volume 2 takes place right after the events of the first volume. The Grass King brothers start investigating the idea that a serial killer may be lurking in their mist. During the investigation, they start suspecting that a substitute teacher who came and went from the Kingdom, may not have committed suicide years ago. The idea that she could have been murdered makes everyone in the town a suspect.

I continue to love the artwork for this series. The watercolors are both strangely soothing but captures the town's underlying violence perfectly. Most of the characters are broken and damaged and anyone could be the potential murderer. Each character has a belief they are holding on to and the investigation could lead to the town turning on itself. One last arc remains. I am very curious to see how the story wraps up.

[Kyle Dinges · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just can't find myself getting invested in this series. I think the underlying premise is interesting, a collection of people who are off the grid for a variety of reasons, trying to find a sense of community and belonging. But I didn't find the first volume all that compelling and this volume doesn't even have nearly the same amount of drama that the first one did. Some of the characters are intriguing but the true crime slant here doesn't have enough to carry the A plot of a 5 issue series.

Jenkins' art is lovely. It coincidentally reminds me of Kindt's work and Jeff Lemire. If you've ever read anything by those two, you'll know what I mean, with more minimalist lines but a good hand for depicting emotion and water colored beautifully. I wish that Jenkins had more to work with than he does in this volume.

[Adam M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still a pretty good story, maybe not quite as gripping as the fist volume. At this point I'm curious where the story itself is heading as it's building towards either a familial fallout or simply chaos in the kingdom. I'll be back for the next installment, but maybe not with the same excitement I showed up for with this one.

[Ademption · Rating 3 out of 5]

Global review for the whole series. The Grass Kings is a fifteen issue limited series concerning a squatter's outpost. The small community is called the Grass Kingdom, and its inhabitants are people with troubled pasts who want to be left alone. The sheriff in the next town over does not like the citizens of the Grass Kingdom and is concerned about a potential killer in the area.

Tyler Jenkins' art and Hillary Jenkins' colouring are brilliant, autumnal standouts. Everything is wheat and reds, leaves and broken down trucks. It is always old school Bruce Springsteen chic in the Grass Kingdom. Matt Kindt's story is serviceable. I was kept guessing about the outcome. All of the individual issue covers by Kindt, Jenkins and others are full of clever misdirection and randomness that add to the purposeful confusion.

The Grass Kingdom is intricately detailed but fictionally solipsistic. How the Kingdom remained autonomous or even self-sufficient in terms of economic and food security was anyone's guess. In this way, the Grass Kingdom reminded me of the titular, allegorical condo in High-Rise by J.G. Ballard. Although, I am unclear as to whether the Grass Kingdom is even allegorical. If so, what would it stand for? Secessionist movements in flyover states? Cuba? The deep south? Anything that wants to be left alone from police and the US government? I don't think it is allegorical. The Grass Kingdom may actually be more akin to Steve Zissou's boat in The Life Aquatic, just a cute little mechanism full of alienated loners, and a hunt. All to say, the art in these books is spectacular. I will seek out more of the Jenkins' work.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

The topic of Big Brother is explored here. The Grass Kingdom has had a surveillance system in place since its inception. It was designed to monitor the place to keep it safe from outsiders. As in real life, the question is what is more important - security or private space?

Herbert's words from the last volume regarding the supposed serial killer living in the Grass Kingdom gets Bruce to look into events from years before. He quickly finds out about a suspicious death which was always seen as accidental. Jen Handel was a teacher in the Grass Kingdom. Everyone thinks she died in a fire, but there is more to her death.

Pike was her lover and closest friend, but she soon found someone else. Then she was found dead. Bruce's brother Ashur discovers a tape that reveals Jen's other lover - Archie who was and still is a married man. They had a secret affair, though it never went physical. One night Jen called Archie in a panic. He went to her house as quickly as his drunken stupor allowed, only to find her dead by hanging. In an attempt to hide the letters he wrote to her, he burned her trailer down.

Bruce is convinced this information is enough to turn everything Humbert has against the Grass Kingdom to dust. Unfortunately, Humbert has proof that Jen had her wrists tied behind her back, just like in another murder attributed to the serial killer. To keep quiet, Humbert wants Maria delivered to him. Robert is still determined to keep her safe. For him the Kingdom comes first.

[Michael Emond · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a smaller volume than the first one and the story was a little less compelling. The art is still breath taking to behold - but (it could be my imagination) less care seemed to be given to drawing the characters - the especially became a problem in the last part of the story where two women had the exact same hair style and the facial features and I had to use the highlight colour to distinguish them from each other. But still the water colours and the atmosphere the art creates is so unique and wonderful.

The story was still interesting but suffered in comparison to the first volume and the driving narrative "Who is the Thin Air killer?" was less interesting to me than the first volume's theme of "We are going to keep The Kingdom independent and shelter people who come here" which tied into the idea of The Kingdom being off the grid and its own country within a country. The murder mystery could happen anywhere so it didn't fit the theme as well. Although care was still given to bring in the idea all the people in the Kingdom have their own past and reasons for seeking shelter/lives there. I think the other thing that irked me was volume 1 was a self contained story and this one ended on a cliff hanger.

But overall I very much enjoyed the story and love the uniqueness of the story/art and characters. Highly recommended as an example of "the narrative power of a graphic novel" telling a story that only really works in this format.

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid continuation of the series doesn’t present many surprises in a good way. The drama deepens with the characters we know rather then having big twists. It’s very much in keeping with the tone of the book. With the deepening of events come, revelations that show all is not idyllic in the Grass Kingdom.

There is a clever POV in the first couple issues but other then that the writing is very straightforward. It is a testament to the strength of Kindts writing that the book is not diminished at all by the lack of flair that the “History” of the kingdom had in the first volume. Jenkins art is just as strong as last time. Solid work all around if you liked the start you won’t be disappointed and you’ll definitely be back for more.

Question. Can anyone tell me the reference for the covers. Issue 7 & 10 seem like a nod to old pulp novels and 11 looks like a nod to romance novels, issue 8 I have no idea about but issue 9 is totally a Hardy Boys cover. So are the others as specific? If you know the reference please let me know. Thanks.

[Monika Kilijańska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Każda rodzina czy społeczność ma trupa w szafie, który wypada z niej w najmniej odpowiednim momencie. Takim trupem, jest sprawa ulotnego mordercy, który grasował lata temu w Grass Kings i śmierci pani Handel. Obydwie nie zostały nigdy rozwiązane, morderstwa ustały, ale śledztwo nadal trwa. Śledztwo i w Królestwie Traw i w Cargill.

Szeryfowi Humbertowi nie bardzo pasuje wolność panująca na terenie mu niepodległym, ale bliskim jego rewirowi, robi więc wszystko, by nawet po latach winowajca zbrodni się znalazł. Każdy mieszkaniec, którego pokręcone życiorysy poznajemy w tym tomie komiksu, jest podejrzany i ma coś na sumieniu. Nie bez przyczyny znalazł się w tym miejscu, którego prawo nie obejmuje. Kiedy więc zdarzył się wypadek, czyli spalenie się pani Handel, pod niektórymi nogami zaczęło się palić. Czy ogień obejmie wszystkich w Królestwie Traw?

Więcej na https://www.monime.pl/grass-kings-tom-2/

[Andy Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grass Kings, Matt Kindt etc. Vol.2
Fantastic story that is engaging and suspenseful. ****

#7 - “I did some pokin’ around, but you know how it is ‘round here. people keep their mouths shut. S’what keeps us safe, usually.”
#8 - “You know I don’t keep secrets.”
#9 - “I’m SERIOUS. What’s going on here is big. Global big. Whatever you guys are looking into, this ain’t it. You need to get out of here quick before –.”
#10 - “It’s … complicated. Don't want to start with any accusations. Folks around here are gonna start getting paranoid –.”
#11 - “I’m not telling you this to justify what I did. I just want you to understand what happened.”

I assumed this might be a dystopian USA hillbilly pagan warlord story, but .. no, it is a way better premise, more genuine and humane.
This is a really good tale. ****

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5⭐

Questo secondo volume è incentrato su uno dei tanti omicidi non risolti nella Prateria.
Capiamo meglio il ruolo dei protagonisti secondari e le vicende si andranno ad intricare ancor di più.
Devo dire che questo secondo volume personalmente mi ha messo meno curiosità rispetto al primo, spero che sia solo la "sindrome del libro di mezzo" e che l'ultimo volume abbia una conclusione ben articolata e raggiunga almeno il livello del primo volume.
I disegni ed i colori continuano ad essere stupendi, mi sono follemente innamorata delle tavole, soprattutto quelle che fanno da copertina ad i vari capitoli.

[Rocky Sunico · Rating 4 out of 5]

So the first volume was a bit of an adventure in itself. This second volume makes us all take a step back and take a closer look at the Grass Kingdom and the little mysteries that have gone unsolved over the years. The Kingdom has more than its share of inconsistencies given it's a bunch of people staying away from the influence of big government. That kind of a community attracts a certain type of person.

This is when the story really gets, well Kindt-y, of lack of a better term. And this is where his style of writing really shines as we slowly unravel some of the community's mysteries and lead to even more questions as to where all this will be headed.

[Sean Kottke · Rating 4 out of 5]

The issue-by-issue progression of the murder mystery in this story arc is quite well done, following the Slacker strategy of moving the narrative forward by picking up a different character to follow in each issue. That strategy pulls the community building together well, and fleshes out more of the back stories of how and why these various characters made their ways to the Grass Kingdom. Plenty of interpersonal tensions are stretched to set up the next arc, and I suspect that there's more to the apparently resolved mystery from this arc than meets the eye.

[Chad Jordahl · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Grass Kingdom is an atypical setting with potential for compelling character dynamics and social commentary. A few of the characters are amusing enough. The central mystery -- was it murder or suicide -- is fine... far from unique, but a decent place to start. But the execution was disappointing. The plot was very by-the-numbers, pacing was erratic, many of the characters' motivations and behaviors were confusing and/or unbelievable. Of the 5 chapters, I liked 2, and the other three were meh.

The art was quite well done.

[Jesús · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second volume/act of Matt Kindt and Tyler Jenkins’ brilliant, slow-burn thriller set on a small, intentional community. The tension remains taught. The art remains gorgeously suggestive. The characters remain interesting and rich.

I’m surprised this book has received relatively little attention. It’s easily among Kindt’s best work. While it resembles some of his other books (especially Dept. H), working with a collaborator has pared this book down to its bare, raw essentials. A fantastic example of “rural noir.”