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On The Shelf: ‘Kill Them All’ by Kyle Starks

‘Sup readers? Welcome to this week’s (slightly tardy) On The Shelf— if this is your first experience with this column, here’s how it works: every week, I pick a brand new piece of literature (whether it’s a traditionally-published novel, a collected bind-up of comic book issues, or something in between) and deem whether or not it’s worthy of shelf space. If not, I’ll either recommend it for your ereader, or refrain from recommending it at all. I’ve also recently begun adding ratings, so you can see just how much I liked or disliked a particular read. Right? Good. Now that we have that all squared away, let me just drop this handy-dandy disclaimer right here:

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this volume from the publisher. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

This week’s read is hilariously action-packed graphic novel Kill Them All by Sexcastle creator Kyle Starks. Readers are immediately sucked into the world of disgraced Detective Iruka (he blew up half a city and shot a dude’s dick off. In his defence, that guy was a pedophile, and as Kill Them All bluntly points out, “How else do you deal with pedophiles?”) and trained assassin The Tiger’s Daughter. Despite their obvious differences, these two are on the trail of the same big bad— Requin, who has a monopoly on everything criminal, from drugs to human trafficking. Iruka wants to reinstate himself as a respected detective and The Tiger’s Daughter is out for revenge against Requin, who ordered her killed for no reason (okay, there’s a little bit of a reason. Her ex-boyfriend texted Requin to tell him The Tiger’s Daughter had betrayed him, which was a lie, but Requin swiftly responded, out for Tiger’s Daughter’s blood). Together (but apart) Iruka and The Tiger’s Daughter are hellbent on taking down Requin— or they’re going to die trying.

One thing straight away: if you’re looking for grim-dark action with lots of hard-boiled, scowling artwork and broody dialogue, Kill Them All isn’t going to scratch that itch (may I suggest Velvet). Kill Them All is certainly action-packed, but it’s the type of irreverent, unashamed book that will have you rolling on the floor laughing, even when you’re wincing as some guy takes a hit to the crotch.

On The Shelf: 'Kill Them All' by Kyle Starks

Kill Them All is the perfect pick-me-up read, because even if you’re feeling like you’ve been punched in the crotch (sorry if that actually happened to you), it will definitely cheer you up. The fast pace, utterly over-the-top comedy and cartoonish art style make this book a diamond in the rough.

On The Shelf: 'Kill Them All' by Kyle Starks
Credit: Oni Press

Cheerfully cheeky, glibly violent and unquestionably addictive, Kill Them All is definitely getting a prime spot on the shelf. If you’d like to jump into this wonderful story, you can get a copy here.