The cuties are back, and as cute as ever.
There is a lot of salivating and daring heart and humour to this gloriously cartoony, gothic and macabre comic series. Add in strong LBGTQ content, and other diverse and woke material, and I am a big fan.The second volume of 'Kim Reaper' is basically about Kim, Becka and Becka's college roommate and best friend Tyler going to a vampire island (hence the title) for a party, pretending to be vampires for their safety (yeah, that goes bats-up spectacularly and quickly). Shenanigans ensure, and the group encounter an old best friend of Kim's, Charlie, who is now a vampire, and who saves our bumbling heroes. And they're nonbinary! I love how normalised and unassuming this is treated. Kim's backstory on how she became a grim reaper is revealed.
After the vampire island episode, Kim, with the enthusiastic and tireless help of Becka, finally stands up to her stupid grim reaper boss, whose lazy and indifferent skeletal underlings never made her life any easier, either. Who knew Death could be so funny?
Then, in a way, Becka becomes a reaper herself, with a scythe, to save Kim from the actual second level of hell and the most incompetent boss ever!
The ending panels are what completely sell this volume for me, though - too lovely for words. Becka and Kim are a transcendent pair, literally braving life and death for each other. While also being kissy and cuddly and aww!
Grim Reaper girl love FTW!
'Kim Reaper' is certainly more heavenly than hellish.
Tyler - the normal, shy and overly-emotional guy who looks like he could be a werewolf - grows out of merely being a third wheel in the w/w relationship and establishes himself as a funny, three-dimensional character in his own right. There is a hint of a romantic relationship between him and Charlie that builds up towards the end. In addition to Tyler's development, he is learning to sagaciate with Kim, accepting her as someone who Becka loves and is happy with, despite all the danger in the supernatural.
There is a TV vampire teen romance parody theme playing throughout the story. And Becka is sick of Kim's arbitrary and unreasonable work hours that are keeping her cutie girlfriend away from her, and so she wants to fix it, business style (Becka is so random, hilarious, adorable and headstrong, it's beyond endearing).
There is a lot going on in this deceptively simple and silly, kiddie-like plot. I haven't even gotten to the running gag of the same poor, overworked guy never receiving payment from our skimping heroes, who are always on the rush and run. You'd think the hassled and harassed Kim would relate...
I love Kim's new haircut, too.
Did I mention there's a nonbinary vampire? READ THIS!
What a new and sating comic book sequel. What fun, hilarity, cuteness and heart! There is character development and relationship development galore - and gore!
"No time to talk about morals, we've got a goth to save!"
Thanks, British comic series! Your appeal is bountiful.
Final Score: 4/5
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