A review by robertrivasplata
Killing and Dying, by Adrian Tomine

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A more recent comic collection by Tomine. Since I read Killing & Dying right after Summer Blonde, I necessarily compare the two. This collection is much more stylistically & artistically diverse than the earlier one. “Hortisculpture”is done in the style of a newspaper comic (or maybe the style of a Chris Ware or Daniel Clowes comic done in the style of a newspaper comic); “Intruders” has more of a Noir aesthetic. “Go Owls” & “Translated from the Japanese” are the stories that leave me the most wondering what was going on, although the mystery is definitely more straightforward in “Owls” (& part of me wonders if we are supposed to think the Dad did not actually see his daughter bomb at the open mic in “Killing & Dying”). The panels in most of these stories are usually smaller & feel busier than the earlier Tomine stories I've read. Unlike with the stories in Summer Blonde, I doubt anyone is going to wonder if these stories are autobiographical, although I suspect that “Hortisculpture” & “Translated From the Japanese” might actually be.