Thursday, November 5, 2009

Comic Review: Kill Audio #2 (Boom Studios)



Claudio Sanchez, frontman of Coheed and Cambria, has returned to the comics world with Kill Audio, a 6-issue miniseries. Along with Chondra Echert, Sanchez writes an interesting story that incorporates action and humor with social commentary on censorship. Sheldon Vella’s 3-color art works well with the monotone theme of the Void stifling creativity. His chaotic and cartoonish lines are in direct contrast with the order imposed by the Void, and this makes the book visually pleasing.



In the 2nd issue, the world of Sight and Sound is still in chaos. The book opens with two punks discussing their missing brother and the return of the mysterious Void. In the midst of the conversation, Kill Audio and his compatriots crash the party. The action leads into Kill Audio’s quest to learn more about his past and what part the Void plays in his existence. Secrets are revealed, and we learn why the Void is collecting genres of music. It’s all about control and order, and in the world of art and creativity, these things don’t exist.

Most interesting to me (and the part that made me giggle) was the discussion about Progressive and how hard it is to catalog because musicians keep making up subcategories, like Progressive Electro Hop. The categorization of music was a large part of the end of the comic, and KA and friends talk about not seeing a “father,” a big category like classical or rock. There’s also a nod to Miles Davis at the end of the book, which is always a good thing. I have a feeling this and the “father” discussion will be a big part of the next issue.

All in all, this book exceeded my expectations. Musicians in the comic industry seem to be here to stay (see Gerard Way, Fall Out Boy, and most recently Scott Ian), and Claudio Sanchez is at the forefront of this movement. Pick up this series from BOOM! and Evil Ink Studios and crank up the stereo. It’s guaranteed to get you thinking, but in a totally good way.

Stacey Rader
Staff Reviewer

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