Joe Kelly and JM Ken Nimura’s (writer and artist, respectfully)
graphic novel I Kill Giants is part family drama and part fantasy epic in it’s
scope of following a young girl Barbara who believes that it is her destiny to
rid her town of giants and the even larger gods Titans.
Barbara is a young girl with no friends and a recluse from everyone
in the town who believes she’s crazy because she believes in giants and that it
is her job to hunt and kill giants. Most
people can’t see them and don’t believe they exist as the damage they cause is
usually thought to be the cause of major disasters natural or otherwise. With her trusty weapon Coveleski she hopes to
vanquish the giant she knows is coming even if no one else believes her. She also has to contend with a school bully,
a new school psychology that just wants to get to know her, an indifferent brother
and sister who have her own issues, and the appearance of new girl in the
neighborhood that just wants to be her friend.
Kelly’s script gets to the heart of an adolescent girl
growing up and learning to navigate grief and life and family and friendship
even when she believes she has a higher calling. Barbara isn’t the most likable young girl,
but Kelly manages to push the boundaries with his writing of the
character. Nimura’s exquisite drawings
perfectly capture the fantastic world that Barbara lives in while balances the real-world
elements so audiences don’t realize where reality ends and fantasy begin.
I Kill Giants is filled with characters you will grow to
love and respect and at times empathize with.
Kelly and Nimura’s collaboration will leave you going back to re-read
the book many time just to get all the subtle nuances of the characters and the
world that has been crafted and it is a wonderful world to visit time and time
again.
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