Where Monsters Lie vol. 2: Cull-De-Sac

Connor Hayes thought he had avenged his mother’s death after he helped burn down serial killer enclave Wilmhurst and nearly every monster in it.  That turned out to be incorrect as not only did its grandmotherly leader Zee survive, but it turned out that his pregnant wife was also part of a murderous family.  Which is how Connor finds himself press-ganged into being part of the killers at another enclave and forced to join psychos like the Holiday Killer, Beastmaster, and Mr. Wrinkly in their evil actions.  Oh, and there’s also Vilmos – The Dream Master – who can see inside his dreams, thereby making any attempt at resistance futile.  It sure sounds like Connor is screwed and he’d best get used to his new life as he becomes everything he trained himself to fight against.

Vol. 1 was a lot of fun as writer Kyle Starks and artist Piotr Kowalski delivered a horror-comedy that riffed on a lot of trappings and archetypes of the slasher genre, andt did so with affection and smarts.  That’s true again here as the new and returning faces inhabiting Site B are just as entertaining to see in action in terms of both writing and art, as Connor tries to find some way to escape his fate.  While his efforts there involve some genuine cleverness, there are also times when they feel too easy, and that detracts from the overall package.  Still, vol. 2 ends on a satisfying note of closure while also setting up a potential third volume.  Even if that volume fails to materialize, the two we’ve got so far are definitely worth your time.