REVIEW: 'Kill All Immortals' #1 by Zackary Kaplan, Fico Ossio, and Thiago Rocha

 

KILL ALL IMMORTALS #1 

Writer: Zackary Kaplan

Artist: Fico Ossio, Thiago Rocha

Letters: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Release Date: July 10, 2024

Cover Price: $3.99

Succession meets John Wick...with immortal Vikings. A thousand years ago, Viking explorer Erik the Red and his four adult children discovered a mysterious source of immortality. Now, in our modern world, they are an enigmatic billionaire family with a powerful banking empire. But when Erik's only daughter, Frey Asvald, seeks to finally be free from her family's influence, she must be prepared to reveal their supernatural secrets and confront her well-trained siblings in a deadly and epic struggle for power. Get ready for a bloodthirsty immortal fight like no other!

Score:

★★★★1/2 (4.5/5)

QUICK REVIEW: "Kill All Immortals" might be Zack Kaplan's bloodiest tale with enough action and imposing characters to launch a franchise. Described as 'Succession' meets 'John Wick.' 'Immortals' is even more ruthless than that when you throw in unkillable ancient Vikings in the mix. From the opening pages, the Asvald family takes hostile negotiations seriously and won't take no for an answer. Kaplan sets the tone early and the bar high for this deadly action drama. 

While the family's shady business is good, Frey wants no part of it but that doesn't prevent father Erik from trying to convince her to be a part of it. Her headstrong brothers see her as a liability, especially for dating a journalist. It can be rather cutthroat among the Asvalds. The set-up and reveal are expertly executed providing enough details and mystery to hook readers after only the first issue. KAI knows exactly what kind of book it is and the creative team delivers a gruesome and confident story. The debut issue works on a primal level exposing the action bonafides of the creative team but more character depth will be needed going forward.

Fico Ossio and Thiago Rocha thrive in creating a stylishly dark atmosphere where danger lurks on every page. Ossio's designs capture the imposing large Asvald men, essentially Vikings in stylish suits, with a propensity for violence. The choreography is anything but graceful and that's surely by design. Wielding an axe can be a dirty business so there's little time for poetry when you want to sever limbs. There's a ferocity to the art even in the quieter moments. It's all drawn and colored with an edge, shadowy and larger than life. 

'Kill All Immortals' is not subtle and doesn't pretend to be. Issue one is designed to get your attention while setting up the family dynamics. It does so perfectly. Kaplan, Ossio, and Rocha have launched a ferocious new action drama that fans will devour.