FIRST LOOK: KILLER INFLUENCES #1 (IDW CRIME)

When a small-town serial killer and a fledgling newspaper writer/podcaster aspire to be more, what will they do? Become viral and internet famous of course. But what happens when their road to fame and infamy takes off?This new series from IDW Crime launches on July 1st, 2026, at the comic shops. Ahead of the Final Order Cutoff date of Monday May 25th, 2026, IDW Publishing gave us a copy for a SPOILER FREE first look review.

Killer Influences #1 - Written By Joey Esposito – Art By Valeria Burzo – Colors By Iñaki Azpiazu – Letters By Alex Ray – Edited By Dave Wielgosz - Published By IDW Publishing

Credit: IDW Crime

STORY OVERVIEW:

Melvin is a serial killer in a small town in the Pacific Northwest, and despite his high body count no one has given him much notice. Well, no one except True Crime Podcaster Kylie. However, Kylie has her own problems, she lives with her grandma, she has a job she hates as a newspaper journalist, and she has a screw up for a brother that she must constantly bail out. Kylie figures out that Melvin is the serial killer in her town and this leads into a meeting between the two. But instead of killing Kylie, Melvin hears a pitch from her that will change both of their lives. She will help make him a killing brand that will rival the greatest of all time, and in turn she will become a viral star for covering his murders. The perfect partnership, so what could possibly go wrong?

WRITING:

This first issue really brings you into the world of both main characters. Joey Esposito gives you all the context and back story that you need to draw you into the lives of both of them. He does this without wasting any time and keeping a great pace for the issue to play out. This allows for the entire set up for the series to be unveiled in this first issue. The concept that Esposito lays out in this story is fascinating and fits the times we live in perfectly. Making a killer a brand is such a modern-day concept that it is truly believable. In this day in age of the internet celebrity this could really happen and probably already has.

My favorite part however is the fact that it doesn’t follow the whodunit mold of most crime books. We know who the killer is and we know a lot of what makes him tick. Instead, what we are following is the partnership between two individuals and all that goes along with that. This makes it harder to guess what’s going to happen next, which builds anticipation and suspense on its own. With this Esposito can take this story in a lot of directions and as far outside of the box as he wants.

ARTWORK:

The artwork in this first issue captures the look and feel of what the story is going for. Valeria Burzo does an amazing job of bringing the characters and town to life. The gloomy look and feel of the small-town plays a big role in the story as it set up the environment that our characters find themselves in and which shapes them. The character designs encapsulate who are characters are perfectly. Both of our main characters look exactly like you would envision them with the context clues we get in the writing. The colors add so much depth and detail to the artwork. Iñaki Azpiazu matches the tone and vibe of the story perfectly with the color choices. The art team does such an awesome job bringing this story to life.

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Final Thoughts:

Killer Influences #1 is an awesome first issue that will get anyone excited to read what’s next. The original concept of this crime story lends itself to lead to some interesting twists and turns. Couple the great story with equally as good artwork and you have a winning formula for sure. Make sure to get down to your Local Comic Shop before Monday May 25th and order your copy, as you will want to ensure you have a copy when this book drops on July 1st!

FINAL GRADE: 9.8/10

Let me know your thoughts on Killer Influences #1 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!