Courtesy Image Comics
In the world of comics and graphic novels, it can be sad to think of all the amazing books that will never receive the massive audience they deserve because so many different stories are published and released yearly. “Kill Six Billion Demons” by Abbadon is one of those stories. It’s a recent addition to the growing genre known as “webcomics,” comics that are read page by page online. Webcomics are often drawn and written by the same creator, an impressive and difficult task. This means that they come out at a much slower pace than comics from DC or Marvel, often one or two pages weekly.
This page-a-week release rate can be a serious turnoff for new readers, but the amazingly detailed art of a girl’s journey through a butchered heaven will keep many including myself turning new additional pages every week.
The story itself — in which Allison escapes heaven but then returns to save her ex-boyfriend — can sometimes be overshadowed by the bombastic action scenes that erupt throughout. While this speaks more to the expertise of the artist than the weakness of the plot, one cannot help but feel that the storyline, while decently executed, is only present because of a need to tie the more awe-inspiring moments together.
The art and action of the webcomic are hard to outdo, however. The images flow, the backgrounds fully drawn and detailed, with the anatomy of drawn creatures respected. There is real physical weight to the movement of figures, their lines of movement easy to follow even when they are clothed in billowing fabrics.
The delicate construction of the plot is miraculously capable of supporting not only brilliantly original characters but their development as well. We watch our main “hero,” Allison, find personhood in a weird cast of characters on a seemingly endless journey. These side characters start off somewhat milquetoast, with an angel who serves god (not the Christian one), unimpressively fitting into the role of a “Lawful Good” character trope. Thankfully, this character, among others, improves significantly in terms of their originality. Allison herself becomes stronger and more complex through her experiences, having to fight her literal inner demons and passing through many more "Fight Club"-esque trials to reach her goal.
Lastly, I would like to draw some attention to an element of writing that is often ignored in many genres, but webcomics especially: world building. “Kill Six Billion Demons” almost seems like its world was built before its story was written. The setting, a heaven described as “a corpse being picked clean,” is a fun and diverse area for us to watch the characters traverse. Some characters can be a little too overflowing with exposition, but the author is decently self-aware about this, cutting them off before their dialogue becomes exhausting.
Also, for those who complain about the release time, this story is being released in print volumes by Image Comics. In my opinion, they are well worth the cost.
Find “Kill Six Billion Demons” for free online at https:// killsixbilliondemons.com/ or in print at your local comic book retailer for $15.