Dying is Easy #2 // Review
It’s not every noir comic that throws a Harold Lloyd reference at the reader in the first five pages, but it’s appropriate for Dying is Easy #2. It is, after all, about comedians, and Harold Lloyd is one of the greatest comedic minds of the 20th Century. And if you don’t know who Harold Lloyd was, do some research and get off my proverbial lawn.
Dying is Easy #2 picks up with its protagonist, former cop and aspiring comedian Shit-Talk Homes, on the run from the police. He’s the prime suspect in a murder he didn’t commit; the killing of another comedian who’s known for stealing jokes. So, of course, Homes is going to prove his innocence by solving the case himself.
Writer Joe Hill, usually a horror guy, crafts this madcap noir adventure masterfully. He’s created a cast of well-rounded, interesting characters with deep and complex backstories, which he reveals as the story goes on. Even better, Hill’s writing is bizarrely funny; Harold Lloyd references aside, this is a comic that has its protagonist chasing a Jeep in roller skates.
Artist Martin Simmonds is allowed to really cut loose this issue. The first issue was mostly set in and around a comedy club, and the action was fairly static; not so this issue, which includes at least two fantastic action set pieces, which Simmonds executes masterfully. Colorist Dee Cunniffe’s work is gorgeous as well, looking like its watercolor. The letters by Shawn Lee are solid, accentuating the gritty atmosphere of the art with borderless word balloons and messy sound effects.
It’s a treat to see Joe Hill breaking out of his comfort zone and into a new genre, and Dying is Easy certainly seems successful gamble for IDW Comics. A good mystery is only as good as its solution, though, and right now, it looks like Shit-Talk Homes has found his culprit at the end of the second issue; here’s hoping that there are more twists ahead.
