Cover A: Vanesa Del Rey
Cover B: Christian Ward
Cover C: Tula Lotay
Writer: Simon Spurrier
Artist: Vanesa Del Rey
Colorist: John Starr
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Published by: Image Comics
The stunning splash page, heavy with ink, shows a feral naked man in the Louisiana Bayou. As he stands over a pair of dead raccoons, he swigs from his hip flask. His eyes glow. While Del Rey serves a visual feast, Spurrier and Otsmane-Elhaou show us a far-off conversation where Sergeant Marie Burgau mocks her coworker for needing a sick day. The humdrum and the horrible promise to meet in issue 1 of The Voice Said Kill.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
It is a deliberate start, as all seeds are slow to germinate, but these first few pages contain everything that will set the story in motion, and these disparate shoots flower when the mothers of the two opposing factions meet. Marie, a wildlife agent, and Mrs Watters, the matriarch of a crime family, talk. Mrs Watters is a powerful woman who has her underlings line up to take their punishment: a lit cigarette to the back of the neck, delivered from inside her RV. We find out about the spiked punch which all of Marie’s department drank, and all of whom are now sick. We find out about Buck Watters, who hasn’t been seen since the previous day.
“Besides–.”
The conversation ends with a begrudging drink, and Marie sets off to deal with the day’s emergency: Buck Watters. This is what Mrs Watters’ parenting style produces. A naked wildman clothed in fresh raccoon skin. The way Marie deals with Buck reveals a great deal about her character.
John Starr’s colour makes me sweat. I can feel the heat of the bayou, and not just because this Scottish Summer makes my flat feel as humid as a dog’s mouth. A combination of cool, dry tones mix with warm ‘n’ wet hues to bring it to life.
The Voice Said Kill is an old handkerchief which has been bundled up, stuffed in a log, and soaked in swamp water, but if you trust this team, they will take it out and wash it and show you something seriously special. It’s a book about the lengths mothers will go to for their child, and I can’t wait to find out what Marie and Mrs Watters do to each other.
The Voice Said Buy Now.
Overall: 9/10
Tony Holdsworth is a comics writer based in Dundee, Scotland, who reviews 2000AD each week.
His comics can be found here: https://tonyholdsworth2.wordpress.com/category/portfolio/
