Advance Review: Tynion Kills It Again In ‘Exquisite Corpses’ #1

Pulling off a successful first issue of any comic book series is challenge. That worldbuilding requires an alchemic mix of character development of exposition, action, and just the right amount of character development to hook readers and keep them coming back for more.

So imagine James Tynion IV’s self-imposed dilemma as he tries to introduce a dozen main characters – in addition to a host of secondary ones – in the premiere issue of Exquisite Corpses. The limited series introduces us to a game where the rich take over a small Maine town and send in one killer each to determine which family rules the United States for the next five years. Amazingly, Tynion pulls it off, seemingly without breaking a sweat.

There are several reasons for this: Tynion is an elite comics writer at the top of his game. He knows when to advance the story and where to back off and introduce a new character. And while there is a litany of new hired killers that he forces himself to introduce, it never gets old. Quite the opposite, in fact. Readers will likely tear through the issue to see who the next outrageous murder is – from the hammer-wielding Leopold Strong to the pyromaniac Layla Blaze.

Next, Tynion cheats a little by vastly expanding the length of the first issue. Instead of constraining himself to 20 pages, issue #1 is a massive triple-sized tome (not bad for $4.99). Given the scope of the story he has to tell, this move was a necessity. Otherwise, the character introduction would have felt rushed. The extra pages give Tynion the freedom to move at his own pace and present to readers the entire dramatis personae. More series need to take advantage of this option, when it’s available.

Finally, Tynion’s secret sauce can be found in co-creator and artist Michael Walsh. Walsh does a great job of depicting and differentiating each of the killers (with some vibrant colors from Jordie Bellaire). But Walsh’s role in this series isn’t relegated to just that of artist. He’s an accomplished horror writer as well (see The Silver Coin) and doubtlessly is an equal partner to Tynion.

With those pieces in place, Exquisite Corpses feels like a hit before it is even released. (Tynion and Walsh have already announced a Magic: The Gathering-like card game based on the series.) The good news is that it deserves the accolades and multiple printings it is sure to get. Tynion has stretched himself thin in the past, allowing some projects to suffer. This time, he seems all-in, and we are richer for it.

Exquisite Corpses #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, May 14th from Image.