"YOU'LL DO BAD THINGS" Is A Giallo Fan's Dream Comic Series (REVIEW)
When you think of a Giallo a comic book isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. For many, their understanding of Giallo comes from the films of the ‘60s-80s out of Italy, and fewer can claim to have been privy to the yellow cover novels that the film genre is pulled from. While the Giallo had its heyday decades ago, the impression it left on the horror and crime genres is undeniable as was covered in our Giallo January series last month. As it turns out, the folks over at Image Comics have caught our drift about the importance of the Giallo and that is on full display with their forthcoming six-issue series, “You’ll Do Bad Things” from Tyler Boss and Adriano Turtulici. After reading the first two issues, we are happy to say that this is the comic Giallo fans have been clamoring for!
What’s It About
It’s been ten years since the release of He Came in With a Smile, the true crime smash hit that chronicled the brutal murders committed by the Nursery Rhyme Killer. But in the decade since its release, its author Seth Holms hasn’t produced another title. He wants to write a story with a happy ending, but every time his fingers clack across the keyboard, it always ends in his character's death. Worse yet? These tales of blood and barbarity that flow so freely from Seth’s mind are starting to happen in real life.
How Is It?
As we alluded to in our introduction, we really enjoyed the first two issues of “You’ll Do Bad Tings” (“YDBT” for short) and part of our affection comes from just how authentic the story feels to the Giallo films we know and love. Similar in tone to something like “Tenebrae” Seth Holms is an author who is trying to divorce himself from his true crime past, but as these things go, gets sucked back into a new case with a killer who has an eerie connection to Seth, or do they? The first two issues establish the characters and the setting but don’t skimp on the red stuff when it comes to that signature brutality that Giallo is often known for.
A lot of credit goes to Boss’ writing which is both paying homage to the genre while making necessary updates to the period to adapt it for modern audiences. Seth is a character that a lot of writers can empathize with, particularly those who find themselves rinsing and repeating the kind of work they do. Much like an actor, an author can be pigeonholed into a genre or style that prohibits them from exploring alternatives without some significant financial sacrifice. This shift isn’t just complicated for their marketability, but it can also spur writer’s block like Seth has. As Boss said in our interview:
“I feel for Seth, I really do. I also draw comics full-time and when I’m doing that, I wish I was writing. But when I’m writing, I don’t know why I’ve voluntarily chosen to do this to myself, when I could be drawing. So, the writer's block he’s experiencing—the unknown terror of ‘is what I’m doing of any value?’—is a feeling I empathize with all too well. That said, working with Adriano and on this project has made that anxiety just a low hum, instead of a roar. If nothing else, the book is drop-dead gorgeous.”
Not to be outdone by the writing, Turtulici’s art juxtaposes the vibrant colors of the ‘60s with pastel oranges, yellows, reds, and purples while the drawing is reminiscent of the silver age comics which gives the series the feel of the Giallo era even if it dabbles in story based in modern times. Gorehounds will be pleased to see some beautifully illustrated brutality that never veers into crudeness and being gross for gross sake. It pairs nicely with the story which itself is less sleazy than some of the Giallo films out there (looking at you “Giallo In Venice”) and like a Giallo, the story takes a somewhat slow-burn approach while economically deploying some tense action scenes as bookends to each issue. The second issue does leave us on a nice cliffhanger, so we will be keen to see how this story plays out over the other 4 issues to come!
Last Rites
“You’ll Do Bad Things” starts off with two killer issues that were clearly crafted by not just fans of the Giallo genre, but exciting talents who understand both the genre and the comic medium. The stylized and classic art design paired with the clever look of the killer and pacey story makes this a series that every Giallo or Slasher fan should be rushing to pick up!
You'll Do Bad Things #1 (of 6) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, March 26:
Cover A by Tyler Boss -- Lunar code 0125IM323
Cover B by Adriano Turtulici -- Lunar code 0125IM324
Cover C (1:10 incentive) by Jenna Cha -- Lunar code 0125IM325
Cover D (1:25 incentive) by Marcos Martín -- Lunar code 0125IM326
You'll Do Bad Things will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.
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