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?

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 and quickly establishes why their stories are so compelling together. Joey Esposito gives readers the context and backstory needed to understand Melvin and Kylie without slowing the issue down or overloading it with exposition. We get enough of Melvin’s disturbing mindset to understand that he wants recognition just as much as he wants to kill, while Kylie is presented as someone who feels trapped by her circumstances and desperate for a way to make her true crime ambitions matter. That balance makes both characters feel fully formed right away, even as the issue keeps moving at a sharp pace. Esposito is able to lay out the entire setup for the series in this opening chapter while still leaving plenty of room for mystery, escalation, and future complications.

The concept that Esposito lays out is fascinating because it fits the times we live in so perfectly. Turning a killer into a brand is a dark, modern idea that feels unsettlingly believable in an era where internet attention can turn almost anything into entertainment. The story taps into the way true crime, social media, and influencer culture can blur the line between reporting on horror and profiting from it. My favorite part, however, is that the book does not follow the usual whodunit mold of many crime stories. We already know who the killer is, and we are given a strong sense of what drives him. Instead of building suspense around uncovering the murderer, the issue builds tension through the partnership between Melvin and Kylie and the dangerous choices they are willing to make together. That shift makes the story harder to predict, because the real question becomes how far they will go and how quickly their arrangement will spiral out of control. With that setup, Esposito has the freedom to take the series in several unexpected directions and push the premise as far outside the box as he wants.

ARTWORK:

The artwork in this first issue captures the exact look and atmosphere that the story needs in order to work. Valeria Burzo does an amazing job of bringing both the characters and the small-town setting to life, giving the issue a grounded but unsettling visual identity. The Pacific Northwest backdrop has a gloomy, lived-in quality that fits the darker subject matter perfectly. The town feels quiet, isolated, and almost forgotten, which makes it the ideal place for a killer like Melvin to exist in plain sight while still going unnoticed. That sense of place plays a big role in shaping the mood of the issue, because the environment never feels like just a background. It feels like part of the story itself.

The character designs also do a lot of storytelling on their own. Melvin and Kylie both look exactly the way you would imagine them based on the context the writing gives us, but the art still gives them enough personality to stand out beyond their basic roles in the plot. Melvin has a presence that feels awkward, dangerous, and strangely ordinary all at once, which makes him even more disturbing. Kylie, on the other hand, has a visual energy that captures her ambition, frustration, and desperation to break out of her current life. The expressions and body language help sell the uneasy dynamic between them, especially as their partnership begins to form. Iñaki Azpiazu’s colors add even more depth to the pages, matching the tone of the story with muted, moody choices that enhance the crime atmosphere without making the book feel dull. The colors bring out the shadows, tension, and unease in the art, while still allowing key moments and character beats to stand out. Together, Burzo and Azpiazu create a visual style that supports the writing perfectly and gives Killer Influences a strong, memorable identity right from the start.

CHECK OUT OUR INTERVIEW WITH JOEY ESPOSITO

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 and grab a copy or two of this first issue or pick it up on Neon Ichiban. Either way make sure to add it to your Pull List ASAP, so you don’t miss a single issue.

FINAL GRADE: 9.8/10

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