As part of a very wealthy family, Frey has all the typical experiences. Fashion shows, flying to Africa, and substantial amounts of bloodshed. Your Major Spoilers review of Kill All Immortals #1, awaits!

KILL ALL IMMORTALS #1

Writer: Zack Kaplan
Artist: Fico Ossio
Colorist: Thiago Rocha
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Editor: Spencer Cushing
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: July 10th, 2024

Previously in Kill All Immortals: The famous Viking, Erik The Red and his family are immortals and over the years have amassed great wealth and have become powerful players in the corporate world, sometimes resorting to their old ways to get things done.

CORPORATE RAIDERS

Kill All Immortals #1 starts off at a secluded mansion as a rich family discusses the rumors they’ve heard about the Asvald family. Suddenly the aforementioned Asvalds arrive with axes and swords in hand, quickly dispatching most of the family and the security until just one person remains and business can finally be discussed. Elsewhere, Frey Asvald is at a fashion show before she hops a jet to fly to Africa where she participates in some charity work. While there she is interviewed by Owen Jabari, a reporter from the BBC. As they drive around, they’re stopped by armed men, which Frey handles. This prompts Frey to take Owen with her to visit her family, believing that they are in danger and that the family might protect them. At dinner though, it turns out that the family is not as pleased with Owen as Frey is.

A DELIGHTFULLY TENSE CORPORATE DRAMA, WITH SWORDS

Right from the onset, Kill All Immortals #1 drips with the sort of swarmy, verbose, rapid-fire dialog that’s become the norm for corporate dramas, thanks to shows like Succession and Billions. So, while it’s not necessarily taking on a unique voice, it mimics with such skill that it’s easy to excuse the familiarity. The twist of the family once being Vikings is handled with an appropriate mix of gravitas and absurdity, where if things had gone heavier in either direction it would’ve overshadowed everything else. Also, the efficiency that this issue manages to establish all of the important information for this series going forward should be applauded. By the end of this issue, the reader knows that The Asvalds are immortal Vikings, they’re incredibly rich and involved in corporate-level business, Frey doesn’t fully fit in with everyone else, she has a soft spot for Owen, and she’s just as violent as everyone else in her family. And, with the exception of the reveal at the end, none of what I just listed was bluntly said, everything was established via character interactions and story beats. If there’s a complaint to be had here it would be that at times it does feel like the creators are relying on people’s familiarity with this comic’s inspiration to do some of the lifting when it comes to establishing some of the more nuanced relationships within the family.

A SLICK CINEMATIC LOOK

Visually, Kill All Immortals #1 doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles going on. A majority of it is laid out fairly straightforward but takes a bit of a backseat to the dialog. There are a few moments though where art and writing really come together in great ways. In particular, the dinner scene. As it goes on and the tone shifts from friendly to tense the art gets just slightly darker, with the lines on everyone’s faces getting deeper, as well as a lot more purposeful framing decisions to establish the shift in control of the conversation and to slowly reveal what the real danger is.

BOTTOM LINE: A GREAT OPENER THAT GETS NEARLY EVERYTHING RIGHT

Kill All Immortals #1 doesn’t try and hide what it’s doing. In the solicitation it name drops Succession and John Wick. Yet even with all the cards out on the table, this issue handles its storytelling and dialog with enough panache that what sticks out is how these influences are utilized to create something new, rather than what has been copied. Some nice artwork and a possible supernatural element lurking in the background make this an enjoyable and layered experience. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

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