Jill and the Killers #1 Review: A New Twist on True Crime

Jill and the Killers #1 delivers a 48-page introduction to a new teen thriller from writer Olivia Cuartero-Briggs and artist Roberta Ingranata at Oni Press. The debut issue introduces readers to the eponymous Jill, a high school student returning from a yearlong absence in the wake of her mother's mysterious disappearance, and discovering even further mysteries. She purchases Box Killers—a mystery box investigation tailored to each customer—in an attempt to reconnect with old friends. Before they're finished with the box, they've stumbled across two additional mysteries as body parts are discovered and someone goes missing.

 The debut wisely provides space for these overlapping plots to unwind and overlap. There's little doubt that these three distinct mysteries are part of a larger conspiracy, but introducing each element in such a condensed format leaves some underdeveloped. It's difficult to imagine 20 pages providing sufficient space for this approach to capture reader interest. 

Even with the extra space, there's only room to characterize a handful of individuals. Jill is given the nuanced portrayal of a young adult heroine with conflicting interests and genuine flaws; she's the most compelling element of the issue by far. Her friends present clear types, including potential romantic interests and rivals, but don't fall easily into stereotypes in this issue. Yet no character outside of Jill provides much for readers to connect with and the disappearance of someone broadly characterized as "nice, but harmless" doesn't carry much impact near the issue's end.

Perhaps I am too close to the source material as a high school teacher, but the premise of Jill and the Killers #1 is too covered in contrivance for its strongest element—Jill's various struggles—to shine. Her year-long absence from school and sudden return mid-semester to the same routines and grade level raises questions that will leave a young adult audience scratching their heads. It's acknowledged only when convenient and prevents the reality of these mysteries from functioning.

The general absence of suspense is only partially due to the story's plot-driven narrative as the issue's artwork fails to do more than render the story clearly. There are few panels of note and inconsistent detail between similar pages leaves parts of the comic reading as half-baked. Character age is a consistent problem as Jill's father often appears as though he could be part of his daughter's teenage cohort if it weren't for the familiar dad-isms coming out of his mouth.

This is especially problematic in the mystery where detail counts for so much. Throughout the first issue, the clues that are placed (like banana taffies) stand out plainly. It's plain to see there's a conspiracy afoot (as plain as a human foot, really) and, with so many strange and disconnected pieces, it could be an alluring one. But the story built around these questions is too obvious to draw much interest beyond answering those questions. Jill possesses interesting problems but fails to ever inhabit a recognizable reality on multiple levels. So why are we interested in seeking answers?

Published by Oni Press

On January 31, 2024

Written by Olivia Cuartero-Briggs

Art by Roberta Ingranata

Colors by Warnia K. Sahadewa and Bebecca Nalty

Letters by Haley Rose-Lyon

Cover by Sanya Anwar