KILLER INFLUENCES #1 / Written by JOEY ESPOSITO / Art by VALERIA BURZO / Colors by INAKI AZPIAZU / Letters by ALEX RAY/ Covers by DAVID LAPHAM, DAVID BALDEON, VALERIA BURZO, K.J. DIAZ & INAKI AZPIAZU / Published by IDW CRIME

Eden County may be the most ironically named place in the United States. A pit-stop somewhere on the highway between Portland and Seattle, it is home to one of the highest rates of pollution and cancer in the country. It is also home to a serial killer who is far too good at covering his tracks. At least, that’s what aspiring reporter and true crime podcaster Kylie believes.

When Kylie tracks down the man she calls “the Devil of Eden,” it is almost disappointing that he’s some factory worker named Melvin. However, much like Melvin (who dreams of making America a better place one dead Nazi at a time) Kylie’s ambition far outweighs her ethics. She convinces Melvin that they can help each other out. His crimes can make her into an influencer and she can make him into a legend. Thus is forged a devil’s bargain that could make their dreams come true, regardless of who else gets hurt.

I was immediately intrigued when I read the concept for Killer Influences, as it triggered a flashback to my college days. Back then, I was part of a production of Coming Attractions. Written by Ted Tally in 1980 in response to the media’s lionization of Charles Manson and David Berkowitz, this play centered around a petty crook whom an out-of-work agent tries to transform into a serial killer/ media superstar.

What was meant to be satire then seems sadly all too plausible nearly 50 years later. It is in that dark heart of the American beast that Killer Influences lives. However, writer Joey Esposito is far more subtle in his humor than the aforementioned Coming Attractions.

The damnable thing is Esposito does a surprisingly good job of making our leads sympathetic, even though they are horrible people. The grim irony is that, on some level, they are still better than the people around them. Kylie is continually bailing her drug-dealer brother out of trouble and Melvin cares for his disabled Veteran father. Compare this to the Eden County police, who are more concerned with driving homeless people out of the local library than investigating a mysterious strangling.

The artwork is generally good. I found the inks a little thick at times, but Valerio Burzo’s character designs are all distinctive. (I’m presuming it was an intentional choice to make Kylie resemble Lois Lane physically, right down to her preference for purple clothes.) Beyond that, the colors and letters are solid.

All in all, fans of dark comedy and true crime will find Killer Influences bloody hilarious. More sensitive souls need not apply. However, if you’re a fan of Only Murders in the Building, this will be up your alley.

Killer Influences #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on July 1, 2026.