Kill Your Darlings is a story for all of those who never lost their sense of wonder in the face of whatever the world throws at them. It's both fantastical and deeply grounded with art that serves the storytelling in a way that reminds me of just how powerful comics as a means of storytelling can be. This is one of those special books that comes along every once in a while, and I can say with certainty the audience for it is universal, the story is hauntingly timeless, and the emotions are raw and real. Read Full Review

Kill Your Darlings #1 delivers a dark fantasy wrapped in bright colors, which should hook readers from start to finish. There's no doubt on my end: between this, Vanish, and The Schlub, KLC Press is proving to be the place to be when it comes to comic imprints. More than that, it's a reminder of why I love comics, and proof that even if you grow up you don't have to shed your creative spirit. Read Full Review

Consider this a must-read. Read Full Review

The opening issue has enough mystery to keep everything rolling into issue, too. However, 1 girl's fantasy world being affected by reality and unforeseen consequences in a coming-of-age story feels way too familiar. Or things could really become very tired and clichd if Parker and Sheridan aren't careful. Rose seems like a really cool little person. And that's a good enough start for what could be a really, really powerful series. Read Full Review

Kill Your Darlings #1is shocking on the first read, intriguing on the second, and desperately human from cover to cover. Alongside industry veteran Robert Quinn, Ethan S. Parker & Griffin Sheridan have debuted their first comics work on one of the biggest independent stages possible with roaring success. Read Full Review

This is one of the best first issues to drop this year and is guaranteed to get readers hooked. Read Full Review

A fine balance of unpleasant reality and fairy tale makes this one memorable, and the art brings it all together. Read Full Review

KILL YOUR DARLINGS #1 is a dark, tragic fairy tale about a girl whose imaginary world is invaded by an ancient evil. Parker and Sheridan lay out a pitch-perfect setup for Roses Tale of Horror, and the art teams visuals are excellent. If you like fairytale stories that get (very) dark, youre in for a treat. Read Full Review

Kill Your Darlings #1 is definitely the most well-paced book on the stands this week. The creators clearly have a lot of love for this story, with a perfect marrying of art, letters, and plot that maintains the essence of childlike innocence. Read Full Review

For fans of fantasy mixed with a touch of horror, the latest series coming out of KLC Press and Image Comics is one to check out. Excellent writing and creative imagery usher in a story that will question the line between dreams and nightmares. You wont want to miss this on New Comic Book Day! Read Full Review

This is everything I want from a comic, dark and tragic. The story is impressive and complex leaving you wanting more. If the creative team can continue at this pace it should rival some of the horror standouts of the year. A brilliant comic leaving you wanting more. Read Full Review

Quinn and Hill deliver some great art in the issue. I love the visual contrast between Roses bright and highly detailed fantasy world and the stark style and colors of the real one. Read Full Review

This is a book about childhood that is not for kids, and outside of a weird opening scene that doesnt appear to go anywhere, it presents a great mystery and some answers that jump between the mundane and the legitimately creepy. Read Full Review

Kill Your Darling #1 is one of the best series debuts of the year. The creative team does a phenomenal job blending fantasy and reality in an immersive way. The shocking twist leaves you wanting to find out what will happen in this story next. Read Full Review

This was pretty interesting. It had a good pace and really left with a good cliffhanger.

It's kind of like a witchy version of Joe The Barbarian. It's rare for a story from first-time writers to feel this naturally paced and emotional. If this quality continues, I'll be thrilled that I got in on the ground floor.

Kill Your Darlings #1
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Writer: Ethan S. Parker & Griffin Sheridan
Artist: Robert Quinn
Letters: John J. Hill

Eight-year-old Rose loves nothing more than to play pretend in a magical land of her own creation. To her, that world is as real as our own, from her fluffy friends to the terrible evil that lurks at the centre of it all. In one night, the line between fantasy and reality will disappear, an ancient hunger will feed again, and Rose will be pulled into a gruesome saga that began centuries before her birth.

Thoughts……

This was a great read, the story pulls you in with what seems like quite an innocent setting seen through the eyes of Rose as she imagines heroic battles and fantastic kingdoms. This contrasts with the starting pages of a young girl being burnt at the stake centuries earlier as her parents look on. We learn that Rose lives with her mother and that life is far from perfect as the struggles of raising a child on her own are plain to see in the pages of this issue. Half way through the issue things take a sinister turn and everything is turned on its head for Rose and her “imaginary” kingdom.

The writing for the issue is done well and the character of Rose is easy to relate to as we see her want attention from her struggling mother yet caring mother. The art style is crisp and clear, with great detail but not over the top realism. There is a colour contrast between pages where Rose is in her own world and where she interacts with her mum, almost all the colour drains from the page when real life seeps into the issue.

I am definitely interested in seeing where this story goes as this issue sets up what could be a very engaging story with more than a few twists and turns along the way. I would give this a 7.5 out of 10
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Interesting start, with a good tone. Not sure I understand the premise but Im sure its just what the rest of the series will be for.
Let's see where it goes.