Exquisite Corpses #1 [Advance Review]
Imagine The Hunger Games - but for serial killers. Toss in the game mechanics of Magic: The Gathering, the visual language of collectible trading cards, and a reality TV snarl, and you might get something close to Exquisite Corpses #1. Or maybe not. Because this comic is weirder, bloodier, and far more fun than anything you're expecting.
James Tynion IV, always a master of horror with a pulse on the uncanny, gives us a world where 12 states each field a murderer… like gladiatorial Pokémon. These killers, each dripping with stylized backstory and horrifying charm, aren’t just slashing throats: they’re part of a sick spectacle, complete with stats, abilities, and collectible trading cards.
Michael Walsh’s art meets the twisted narrative with his own gleefully grotesque aesthetic. His lines are sharp and expressive, the violence exaggerated just enough to keep you from flinching too hard. It’s all beautifully grotesque. The killers are each a visual treat - over-the-top caricatures drawn with loving attention to their own brand of terror. Leopold Strong, for instance, is a mallet-swinging monster in circus regalia, whose grotesque bravado would have him stand out like a sore thumb in any other story…but in Exquisite Corpses, he’s just another talented dealer of death. There’s a depraved joy in every panel, especially as the body count rises.
Bellaire’s colors add a moody grunge to the whole affair, perfectly matching the comic’s aesthetic - part card game, part dystopian blood sport. The whole thing reads like a twisted sports almanac that got lost in a haunted house.
It’s only the first issue, but Exquisite Corpses is already showing fangs. It's bold, strange, and unapologetically over-the-top…and that’s exactly what makes it such a damn fun read. If you like your horror sharp and your satire sharper, this comic is ready to carve a space on your pull list [it arrives 5/14!]
Overall, Exquisite Corpses #1 is a blood-soaked blast: an energetic blend of horror, satire, and killer design that earns its place among the most creatively depraved launches of the year.
