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In Killadelphia Vol. 1: Sins of the Father, small-town police officer James Sangster Jr. must return to his hometown of Philadelphia to make arrangements for his recently murdered, estranged father. What Jimmy discovers plunges him into a web of deception, mystery, and murder. Vampires hunt at night, and they want blood in this supernatural, Hamilton-inspired horror comic from Image Comics.
Writer Rodney Barnes interweaves the theme of freedom throughout all six issues of Killadelphia, specifically examining how individuals can shape ideologies of justice and freedom to fit their own desires. Blending the horror, thriller, and political crime genres together results in a graphic consideration about the benefits and repercussions of “freedom.” Politics, history, and an army of vampires all play a part in the imminent revolution in Killadelphia Vol.1 by Rodney Barnes, artist Jason Shawn Alexander, colorist Luis NCT, and letterer Marshall Dillon.
Secrets In The City Of Brotherly Vampires
Baltimore beat cop James Sangster Jr. grew up under his police officer father’s brutal hand in Philadelphia. Years later, after physically distancing himself from the once dubbed “city of brotherly love,” Jimmy learns of his father’s murder. The city of Philadelphia once symbolized liberty and freedom but has turned into a place of corruption and impoverishment. James’s return to this version of Philadelphia ushers in feelings of entrapment. Meanwhile, Jose Padilla, the medical examiner who worked with James Sr., continues finding bodies drained of blood with strange bite marks on them — marks not made by an animal.
While rummaging through his father’s belongings, Jimmy unearths a series of handwritten letters. Here, he discovers a long-kept secret that has haunted the city since slave-era times: a brutal group of vampires exist in Philadelphia. After reading the journal entries about blood-sucking vampires, Jimmy skeptically decides to investigate further. Unfortunately, the papers seemed to be truthful, and Jimmy digs up his father’s grave to find his estranged, vampire-turned father awaiting his son in his coffin. Jose Padilla is terrified when she comes face to face with her resurrected partner but is desperate to stop the infestation of vampires they had feared before James’s death. Jimmy, James, and Jose band together to combat the startling increase of vampire-related disappearances — and murders.
Jimmy and his dad’s tenuous relationship forms an roadblock in their effort to challenge the greater battle at hand. Jose and the father-son team plan an attack against a bloodthirsty vampire horde trying to claw their way out of the city morgue. Together, they all manage to permanently kill the morgue vampires. Although their mission succeeds, working together ignites old personality conflicts between Jimmy and James while more imminent threats await unseen in the darkest corners of Philadelphia.
John Adams? I Know Him . . . That Can’t Be! (( Hamilton. Lin-Manuel Miranda. “I Know Him.” 2015. ))
James Sangster Sr. informs his son and Jose that a founding father is responsible for introducing vampires to Philadelphia. Written off as a footnote during his post-Washington presidency, John Adams decided to retire and later traveled to the Caribbean. Adams felt that the Founding Fathers created a society that best served men like themselves. A guide on a Caribbean tour led John and Abigail Adams to a village that turned them into vampires and gave John a coded book said to hold the answers to life. After, they began recruiting former slaves into their vampire revolution and faked their own deaths.
Years of an overshadowed presidency and unfavorable depiction in popular media like Hamilton prompted Adams in his centuries-long plan for revenge against Philadelphia. Three hundred years have given Adams more than enough time for his anger to fester over the disillusioned laws and societal hierarchies established that elevated only “white male landowners” like the Founding Fathers. He rationalizes his actions as freeing individuals trapped in society’s fractured system — by destroying the system completely.
Time has given Adams “perspective,” and he craves more than freedom. He wants to turn the Philadelphia residents he perceives as worthy of justice to his vampiric cause and drain the blood of every other citizen. Adams thinks that turning Philadelphia into the “home of the vampires” will give these recruits — and people like himself — a chance to rebuild society in a just way that will better benefit them. John Adams thinks his vengeful, revolutionary mission akin to Alexander Hamilton’s and swears the world will finally know his name alongside his wife, Abigail. Adams is not throwing away his shot! (( Hamilton. Lin Manuel Miranda. “My Shot.” 2015. )) . . . to turn Philadelphia into a city of vampires.
Not everyone agrees with Adams’ concept of freedom. Born to a drug-addicted mother and seemingly destined for a life of hardship, Tevin sought out vampiric immortality from John Adams. Tevin thought Adams’s lifestyle would free him from his life as a Black man facing bigotry. Turning into a vampire and adopting the nickname “SeeSaw,” Tevin felt this new life would allow him relief from constantly having to look over his shoulder and fighting a losing battle against the public health system that stole his grandmother’s life.
Years of loyalty to Adams permitted Tevin full access to the book bestowed to Adams in the Caribbean. Over time, Tevin becomes disillusioned by Adam’s warped definition of freedom. As a result, Tevin leaves John Adams and his vampire army and secretly finds an ally in his fight against Adams: recently-turned vampire James Sangster. Tevin has spent ten years deciphering the enigmatic book rumored to contain solutions to mankind’s once unsolvable questions about existence, granting him power that is key to subverting Adams’s revolution. Jimmy and James start to mend their broken relationship while Tevin helps James handle his bloodlust and formulates a plan with James to help Jimmy, Jose, and even the police face off against Adams.
A Cinematic Comic Book Narrative
Rodney Barnes’ experience as a writer in the film industry translates to the comic medium with beauty. Flashback sequences, dialogue boxes equivalent to film voice-overs, and pacing all work in favor of the immersive plot in Killadelphia Vol. 1. Although the overall premise of John Adams leading a vampire militia to battle delves into absurdism, the noir-crime atmosphere, focus on sociopolitical history, and relatable relationship dynamics ground the narrative in reality. Startling twists, jump-scares, and intimate scenes between Jimmy and his father feel effortlessly cinematic. Using a race-oriented pastiche rooted in American history brings together significant themes about what freedom truly means.
Despite the realism in scenes depicting Jimmy and James Sr.’s deteriorated relationship, Jose and Jimmy’s attraction is sudden. Life-or-death scenarios bringing two young, attractive individuals together is a common trope that makes Jose and Jimmy’s relationship feel one-dimensional. However, Jimmy and Jose’s similar interests and connection to James Sr. does add believability to the dynamic. This is the only glaring narrative issue in this first volume, but this problem about their rushed feelings toward one another serves as a small plot point in Killadelphia Vol. 2. Fortunately, Jose and Jimmy’s undefined relationship is explicitly addressed and further developed in the second arc.
It Must Be Nice To Have An Exceptional Artistic Team On Barnes’ Side! (( Hamilton. Lin Manuel Miranda. “Washington on Your Side.” 2015. ))
Apropos of the farcical nature of vampire stories, a visual representation that reflects the narrative’s tone and intention with accuracy is paramount. Jason Shawn Alexander’s art showcases astonishing synchronicity to Barnes’ narrative. Moments of horror and intimacy defined by Barnes’s dialogue is indelibly elevated by Alexander’s visual detail. In order to render the comic with such realistic acuity, Alexander first sketched out Barnes’ script and subsequently posed real actors to use as photo references. Because Alexander’s illustrations are some of the most heightened, surrealist horror images appearing across all comics, the technique worked.
Alexander warps some images to intensify panels like the nightmarish state James Sangster Sr. endures as a dually conflicted father and vampire. Tevin’s character evolves, provoking equally evolving artistic designs to match the growing physical power Tevin accumulates during the story. The graphics are haunting, enticing the reader with can’t-look-away atmospheric horror. Across the board, Alexander’s gritty art complements the cinematic aura of Killadelphia Vol. 1.
Louis NCT’s colors function as an extension of Alexander’s artwork. NCT implements harsh reds and rough shading in panels featuring any vampires. Contrastingly, NCT evokes a sunnier ambiance in high-lit scenes, where Jimmy, James, and Jose interact with one another. Additionally, NCT’s color palette illuminates thematic plot points. Vivid red, shadowy purples and opalescent whites highlight the light vs. dark motif that parallels the morality theme about denoting freedom vs. revenge. Louis NCT’s color work is propulsive and emphasizes the kinetic vibrancy of Alexander’s drawings.
Killadelphia Vol. 1 also deserves praise for its stellar lettering. The dialogue boxes carry much of the flashback element of the script. Marshall Dillon’s lettering is precise and readable. Dillon appoints speech balloons to speakers with a lengthened black line, underscored with an identically curved white line. The technique is unusual but caters to the mood of unrest. Dillon’s talents round out the innovative team of this comic volume.
Killadelphia Vol. 1 Is More Than Satisfying (( Hamilton. Lin-Manuel Miranda. “Satisfied.” 2015. ))
Absurdist supernatural comics like Killadelphia don’t require realism for reader satisfaction. Somehow, this melodramatic comic volume fuses ridiculousness with thematic poignancy, culminating in an accessible reading experience.
It prods existential questions about disproportionate and disadvantaged living, greed, loyalty, justice, and how far one will push themselves into immorality — and in this case, immortality — to attain freedom. Killadelphia Vol. 1: Sins of the Father is exceptional, putting realistic issues into perspective against an entertaining, frightening vampire plot. Though it’s not without a few minor faults, fans of vampires, horror, and even Hamilton will leave this comic feeling satisfied.
