Advance Review: ‘Exquisite Corpses’ #12 Reminds Us Why We Fell In Love With This Series
by Tom Smithyman
Overview
The path to get to then penultimate issue of the series’ first “season” has been long and winding – with too many characters to keep track of. But with the field of killers and townspeople winnowed down, things are much more interesting.
Overall
9/10And then there were two. Just not the two you expected.
It’s been a rough Halloween night for the residents of Oak Valley, Maine. A dozen killers sent by the elite families that actually run the U.S. descended on the small town in a winner-takes-all contest to the death. But that death isn’t restricted to the killers. The families place side bets on how many of the townspeople get caught in the crossfire. The more the merrier, in their eyes.
And now, the epic battle is almost over. The 12 killers have been whittled down to just two, New York’s Fox Mask Killer and Pretty Boy, representing Georgia. The winning family behind the killer gets to rule the country behind the scenes for the next five years. But this being a James Tynion IV series, things are not quite that simple.
Writer Tynion and his co-creator artist Michael Walsh have sent these characters — as well as their readers — on a circuitous path to this final fight. There have been lots of characters — too many really — thrown in to flesh the story out. It has been distracting at times, but clarity sets in with this issue, which is the strongest since the premiere. Spoilers prevent saying more from a plot perspective, but even loyal readers will likely be surprised by the setup for next month’s finale.
While both Tynion and Walsh typically bring in a collaborator to help with monthly writing and artistic duties, the pair are handling things themselves for these last two installments (as they did with the first issue). That may contribute to the clearer storytelling here.
It’s great to see this series return to the basics and help readers remember why we first fell in love with it. If the creative team can stick the landing, most of those past sins will be forgotten.
Exquisite Corpses #12 — written by James Tynion IV, illustrated by Michael Walsh, colored by Jordie Bellaire, and lettered by Becca Carey — will be available in comic book stores and on digital platforms on Wednesday from Image Comics.
