REVIEW: THE KILLING HOLE – Could Have Dug Deeper.

Image: Storm King

The Killing Hole is the latest story to join the Storm Kings’ Dark & Twisted library, welcoming Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) to the list of talented writers who’ve contributed to this anthology-style series.

The story is told as the confession of the aging protagonist, Stewart, for some mysterious crime he committed in his teen years. A crime that is inextricably linked to Peter, his best friend and fellow social outcast. Tormented in their home life and school, the two boys quickly form a strong bond and Peter pushes Stewart into riskier and riskier behaviour. After numerous petty crimes, they steal materials from a construction site to make a makeshift bunker in the forest. This becomes a place for them to feel safe and secluded but it also allows Peter to secure Stewart’s loyalty and drive a wedge between him and anyone in town who tries to warn him.

Image: Storm King

The climax of the story is the inevitable result of all their behaviour. As Peter's true, dark, sinister nature is revealed, Stewart must find a way to escape from the only friend he’s ever had.

This is the most low-key story I’ve ever seen from Steve Niles. It is very small-scale and grounded, and as per his foreword, it is a remote personal retrospective of the kind of time and place he grew up in. The main character, Stewart, is well-rounded and believable, but the same can’t be said for Peter. This mysterious friend never seems to be completely fleshed out, and what little is revealed about him is either unsurprising or feels token. His parents are separated and he lives with his ‘mother and asshole boyfriend’, but aside from that glaring cliché we never learn anything else about what exactly is wrong with his home life or anything specifically about why he is so aggressively delinquent. There are significant periods implying they talked and bonded but Stewart fails to reveal anything substantial about their connection or why he is so sympathetic to Peter, to the point of aiding his criminal behaviour.

Image: Storm King

The artwork, framing, and pacing are top-notch. Artist Trevor Denham and colourist Ryan Winn did an exceptional job bringing a grittiness to the style that accentuates the more emotional and sinister elements, especially for depicting Stewart’s internalised emotional turmoil. Any time someone becomes angry or violent, there is a visceral distortion that hyphenates Stewart’s emotional reaction to the scene.

For its intentions, the plot is well-paced and realised, and the art does make the heart of the story show. Though for some the stakes may be a bit too small for it to have much of a lasting impact.

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