MURDER KINGDOM

This collection of the first five issues of a comic-book series, written by Van Lente and illustrated by Panda, lays out its thesis early (“Growing up, then, is this not, also, a kind of death?”), then mashes up elements of corporate satire, dark fairy tales, and a whodunit soaked in theme-park nihilism. Directionless Tanith Leigh is the conductor of the Rock Candy Mountain Railroad roller coaster at a Disney-like theme park that’s filled with saccharine fantasy and festering dread. Her apathy curdles into horror when she’s doused in someone’s grandma’s cremains, midride, and then thrust into the starring role of Briar Rose after a fellow princess has an Instagram breakdown; the former princess then turns up stabbed to death. Tanith, now trapped in a corset and told never to break character, begins investigating. The story weaves together critique of corporate infantilization and the original, bloody purpose of fairy tales: to prepare young people for maturity’s terrifying arrival. There’s labor unrest, shady human-resources machinations, and the unsettling resurrection of obscure Brothers Grimm fairy-tale lore in the form of a Handless Maiden, now stalking Tanith’s colleagues in the park. Panda’s art serves the tone well; its crisp lines, expressive faces, and set pieces walk the line between whimsical and grotesque. Tanith uncovers the use of sedatives, a blackmail plot, and a secret affair, all pointing to a toxic kingdom built on secrets and suppression. A few clunky red herrings and an on-the-nose Agatha Christie reference threaten to trip up the pace, but the final unmasking delivers. The gore could be gorier, and the mystery twistier, but the themes resonate. In one lightly progressive note, union talk bubbles behind the park’s facade. This comic may not reinvent the horror genre, but it’s a clever, timely tale of growing up in a world designed to keep one helpless—and of the blood one must spill to break free.

May 20, 2025 - 05:26

This collection of the first five issues of a comic-book series, written by Van Lente and illustrated by Panda, lays out its thesis early (“Growing up, then, is this not, also, a kind of death?”), then mashes up elements of corporate satire, dark fairy tales, and a whodunit soaked in theme-park nihilism. Directionless Tanith Leigh is the conductor of the Rock Candy Mountain Railroad roller coaster at a Disney-like theme park that’s filled with saccharine fantasy and festering dread. Her apathy curdles into horror when she’s doused in someone’s grandma’s cremains, midride, and then thrust into the starring role of Briar Rose after a fellow princess has an Instagram breakdown; the former princess then turns up stabbed to death. Tanith, now trapped in a corset and told never to break character, begins investigating. The story weaves together critique of corporate infantilization and the original, bloody purpose of fairy tales: to prepare young people for maturity’s terrifying arrival. There’s labor unrest, shady human-resources machinations, and the unsettling resurrection of obscure Brothers Grimm fairy-tale lore in the form of a Handless Maiden, now stalking Tanith’s colleagues in the park. Panda’s art serves the tone well; its crisp lines, expressive faces, and set pieces walk the line between whimsical and grotesque. Tanith uncovers the use of sedatives, a blackmail plot, and a secret affair, all pointing to a toxic kingdom built on secrets and suppression. A few clunky red herrings and an on-the-nose Agatha Christie reference threaten to trip up the pace, but the final unmasking delivers. The gore could be gorier, and the mystery twistier, but the themes resonate. In one lightly progressive note, union talk bubbles behind the park’s facade. This comic may not reinvent the horror genre, but it’s a clever, timely tale of growing up in a world designed to keep one helpless—and of the blood one must spill to break free.