arts
‘Killers in Disguise’: A Tale of Adolescent Assassins and Rebellion by Carlton McGrone
F
courtesy Christopher Windfield
or decades now, the world has witnessed a gradual oversaturation of superheroes within various forms of media, well before the unforeseen success of the billion-dollar Marvel Cinematic Universe. This new wave of popularity within comics and general geek culture, however, has occasionally produced gems in the form of smaller, independent artists who draw upon their own culture, heritage and interests to produce remarkable narratives. These more dynamic, inclusive stories bent on championing relevant, valuable themes comprise the culmination of Jackson native Christopher Windfield’s anime-inspired comic series, “Killers in Disguise.” The first volume showcases many familiar elements within its immaculately illustrated pages. Children with superpowers uncover a sinister plot that lies just the thinly veiled surface of the assassination corporation for whom they work. The types of powers depicted range from abilities fairly standard within the superhero genre to ones that still somewhat baffle me, as I attempt to understand the full scope of these adolescent assassins’ capabilities. The main character attempts to escape the organization, suffering heavy losses along the way. It’s a classic tale of discrimination, bondage and rebel- Local artist Christopher Windfield holds a first-edition copy of his debut graphic novel, “KIDs: Killers in lion that sounds fun in practice but suffers a bit in its execu- Disguise,” which released earlier this year and is available on Amazon. tion. While reading, I stumbled upon many moments in the narrative that I wish Windfield had spent a little longer mysterious False Flag Agency organization, Windfield der why he’s killing. After years of working with FFA, his unraveling to strengthen the immersiveness of the world introduces interesting characters who play as foils to the lead handler, without much explanation, becomes suspicious he created, as in certain places the graphic novel feels like character and his handler. The protagonist’s fellow child of the organization. I feel that these character progressions a gore-fest. Nevertheless, Windfield’s impeccable art com- assassins brag about their kill counts and bicker over records would have been more effective if the development could pelled me to consume page after page. and rankings, which is telling of the types of people these have occurred across a grander stretch of content. Clearly a veteran artist with a scathing drafting hab- youngsters were groomed to be. That said, Windfield’s characters—while occasionally it, Windfield boasts an incredible skill for detailed panels Unfortunately, these details are as deep as the well of stifled by somewhat unconvincing dialogue that’s often eithat place characters in the foreground and draw less at- intrigue goes, as the volume does not explore the politics ther stilted or riddled with out-of-touch vernacular— abtention to the lack of background or environmental shots. or daily happenings within this organization further be- solutely scream of detail and intrigue. It’s plain to see the Action scenes are bombastic and sometimes downright fore the protagonist makes his explosive exit. Had the FFA amount of time and care that went into this ensemble of chilling, although the increased movebeen delved into a little more thoroughly uniquely designed supers—with the cast including one ment of the combatants sometimes leave upfront, I would have felt more con- anger-prone boy who molts into a fiery blaze and destroys the character models looking less renected to the comic’s world and have a commercial aircraft, as well as disturbing twins who skip fined than they do in more static scenes. been affected more strongly by the lead’s rope with their victim’s entrails. The personality and years In any event, Windfield’s art remains departure from the group. of abuse and neglect etched into these Black faces are rethe book’s greatest strength, making it The most prevalent issue I found markable and, at times, haunting. easy to understand why several comicwith “KIDs” is the breakneck pace of Because I found myself so drawn to these characters, book fans believed in the project enough its narrative, as the story progresses as a I do believe that “KIDs” would be heightened by presentto back it with their own wallets during series of bloody plot points that leave less ing a closer look at what makes each character unique on a the crowd-funding phase. room for development than I would have personal level. Upon finishing the first volume, I found my The effective plot also won me over, preferred. Events occur, characters react, self as confused about FFA’s purpose and the goals of their if only for how recognizable I found it, and then the scene moves on without experiments as when I was first introduced to this world. I although the storyline often fell into any time for the characters to digest the imagine, though, that Windfield has a long game in mind tropes that felt a smidgeon too comfortinformation or explore how the happen- and that many of my unanswered questions will be resolved able and well-trodden. The initial five ings may affect them. As a result, the read- in later installments of the series. pages immediately engrossed me, estab- Cover of the graphic er finds themselves not as invested in the While imperfect, “Killers in Disguise” offers an internovel’s second printing. lishing an ambiguous thriller setup as our emotional stakes that could have otherwise esting premise and exquisite art, and I can definitely foresee nameless protagonist executes his mission been more gripping. this series developing a cult following deserving of its own to assassinate the governor’s son under the Because the characters’ thoughts are local comic-con booth. I look forward to future volumes to governor’s own command. largely invisible, some plot points feel inexplicable. Only see how Windfield polishes and expands on the elements As the reader is pulled deeper into the roots of the after his 60th murder does the protagonist begin to won- introduced in this first volume.
October 14 - 27, 2020 • jfp.ms
courtesy Christopher Windfield
14
