Killadelphia #4 // Review
Writer Rodney Barnes has been meticulously building the world of Killadelphia up to this juncture. The father-son drama of the Sangsters has been playing out against the backdrop of a covert vampire revolution led by former President John Adams. In Cry for Revolution, President Adams finally lets all hell loose on the city of Philadelphia. Previously, we'd been shown the 300-year history of President Adams's plan to organize his vampire Revolution. His intentions were inconspicuous at first, but as the story plays out, his dark army is coiled and ready to strike. Blood is spilling all over Philadelphia as Adams coldly ponders the fate of the inhabitants. Adams discerns the similarities in his modern vampire revolution and the American Revolution as he reminisces on the failures of the first and those it left behind.
Adams's plan is unfolding on multiple fronts as it is revealed he has internal assistance from a Philly government official. The Sangsters and Jose Padilla are forced to lay low and wait for daybreak to make their next move as vampire hordes are overwhelming the city of Philadelphia. James Sr is suffering from a debilitating hunger and gets help from an unexpected new ally in Tevin to satiate it. This also gives Jose and Jimmy some time to get deeper into the different facets of Jimmy and James Sangster's strained relationship and reflect on their own past ordeals. Their revelations and commonalities bring Jose and Jimmy much closer emotionally as they find solace in each other through their shared feelings of loss and guilt. The conversation also provides the background for the first time of the cause of James Sr and Jr's animosity and strained relationship. It also gives some background on a profound tragedy in Padilla's life that has left her guilt-stricken since childhood.
Tevin has been disillusioned with the Revolution from the start, and he might have found the perfect ally to help him resist Adams. The dialogue between James and Tevin is extraordinary, and the wisdom and lost hope Tevin remembers from his grandmother is a straight gem and adds another layer of truth and reality to this horror story. Tevin is giving James not only food to satiate his vampire hunger, but also some much-needed soul food to sustain his humanity.
Abigail Adams is revealed to be part vampire, part seductress, and part manipulator. As she reminds Adams of his shortcomings and reminds a new conspirator of his sharing melanin with the very people, he is selling out, which is just good writing and storytelling. She is impatient with how long it has taken Adams plan to unfold, and her antagonizing of Adams is driving his fascination with remaking the world in his image. He wants to prove to her and the world that he was not a footnote in history and that he is a man of conviction. Adams wants to advance his Revolution beyond Philadelphia and to prove to Abigail and the world that through his patience and planning, the man once mocked will be the Saviour of mankind. Adams wants the respect that he feels he never received as an American Revolutionary war hero, and he will use his vampire army to achieve it. The vulnerability of the relationship between new vampire James Sr and the young Tevin's evolution will also be interesting to watch. It will be interesting to see how they navigate all of the violence and mayhem tearing through the city. The new alliances give the Sangsters an ally on the inside of Adam's scheme. But is it too late with so many vampires already running loose in the city?
Killadelphia has been extraordinary up to this point. The added dimension of emotional attachments adds a layer of humanity to this horror story. The socio-political undertones of Tevin helping out a cop that sees him as the enemy is a relevant discussion and terrific to see play out. The way Tevin wants the truth, real freedom and answers from the elder Sangster speak directly to the black experience. Jason Shawn Alexander's cover is a vampire homage to the Spirit of 76 and conveys the zeitgeist surrounding the American Revolution and the new vampire revolution. Alexander's technique works well with the pace of the story. The violence and horror of the vampire hordes spreading chaos through the city is epic work. The Luis NCT colors compliment the lines and are splashed across the pages in the violent horde attack panels with blood-stained walls. The glowing yellow eyes of the vampires are subtle but effective and scary. Killadelphia is an excellent read whether you're into horror, noir, or just a vampire geek.
