If You're New - A Third of A Loaf Is Still Better Than None
The Kill Six Billion Demons world is huge, both in a fictional alt-world sense and in a practical webcomic internet-presence, even a new RPG, sense. And I only know that because I looked it up because I didn't know much of anything about KSBD until I got this book. And so here we are starting at Book Three. Didn't read the first one; never entered the online world. Knew almost nothing going in. Guess what? Even with that slim background and no other KSBD experience this was still a hoot.
Two things especially made this work for me, even as a relative newbie. First, the art is just so tremendously fantastic and in your face that the book really qualifies as a "visual feast". Some of the big splashes are remarkable. Sure, there are some smaller panels that are incoherent, either because too exaggerated or surreal, or too crowded and dense. But when this works it works like almost no other graphic novel I've seen. The colors are bold and intense, almost like neon, but even with that the characters are expressive and hold the eye.
Second point of appeal - while I just had a handle on the bare bones story, (semi-slacker Allison ends up in an alt-universe of magic and demons searching for her kidnapped boyfriend and ends up finding the heroine within), I could pretty much figure out what had already happened and where we were now going and why. That was fine, and enough. And putting aside the actual story and narrative, the best part for me was a whole series of isolated, or one-off, scenes and digressions and bits of business involving Allison and her reactions to what was going on. Usually just a page or two, and often placed primarily to break up the action and offer a bit of a pause, these quiet scenes were witty, engaging, and appealing. So, maybe Allison talks with her fellow questers, or she wrestles with all of the lame and useless alter-Allisons in her head, or she receives guidance from some weird minor character. These bits were interesting and funny and sometimes a bit edgy, and added a rare dimension of likeability and appeal to Allison and a number of other characters. Books like this aren't usually loaded with wry or rueful or deadpan humor, and I enjoyed it here.
The bottom line for me is that this book is elegant, and amusing, and high-spirited, and exceptionally well paced and plotted, and I hope Allison just keeps questing as long as she can.
(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)