I don't know that the book is as original as the press release claims it to be, but that's really neither here nor there. Tynion's story does what it needs to do and Walsh's art does the rest. It's a fun slasher, and that's enough.

Perfect for fans of gore, horror, slashers and serial killers, and also perfect for a Halloween read! This is graphically gory, viciously violent, and has trigger warnings for: death, gore, deaths of children, deaths of infants — though in this first volume, the dog does not die. There are hints of intricate backstories for all of the players, from the rich and powerful to their hired killers descending on a small town to wreak havoc for fun and profit, and the small town characters are, for the most part, just normal people.

The book ends on a cliffhanger — which means that fans will have to either wait for the next collection or find the individual volumes. The art is gorgeous, the character designs allow for each of the thirteen villains and their respective thirteen killers to have a uniqe flair while also giving the citizens of this doomed town time to shine. The dialogue is good, but it goes a little heavy when the villains are monloguing about their evil plans.

The action scenes are easy to follow and the gore is well done; enough to convey the violence and horror without making it gratuitous. The killers all have names and gimmicks, which each one having a different weapon type (gun, knife, electricity, hands, etc;) making some very nice challenges. All in all, I had a lot of fun with this and will be eagerly looking for the next one.

Thank you very much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

Every five years on Halloween night, the wealthiest families in America hold a contest to be the top family. Each one selects a killer to be dropped into a small, unsuspecting town, where they battle until only one remains. But the assassins, serial killers and other psychopaths don't just try to take each other out; they're free to satisfy their darkest urges on anyone they run into.
The story starts out dropping the reader right in, wondering just what's going on. While it takes a little while to properly set the scene, once everything starts to click into place, it becomes a non-stop thrill ride that only amps up more and more. To a degree, it brought to mind Kyle Starks' "Where Monsters Lie," though this was much more nuanced and carefully plotted out. The story is almost like The Purge mixed with The Hunger Games mixed with Halloween. Even with all the wild, out there and unique horror comics Tynion has written before, this one may just be his most gloriously messed up one yet.

I am one of those people who has anything that James Tynion IV writes automatically on my pull list. But when Exquisite Corpses was announced it sounded a little too The Purge but with the billionaires pulling the trigger. AKA something I didn't really want to engage with. So when Image Comics put up at ARC on NetGalley I realized it was my chance to see what this series was all about. I was thankfully wrong on what I thought the series was about, it's far more in line with the film Ready or Not. The United States is secretly controlled by thirteen families, each representing the original thirteen colonies. Every five years they have a cutthroat competition where they choose a killer to enter "the area" AKA an unsuspecting small town, and they get points for their kills but more importantly, the victor gets to control the United States until the next competition. The problem I have is that I don't see a way for the townsfolk to succeed against the institutionalized cruelty, and I'm too jaded to think that any of the thirteen would be willing to destroy the system from the inside, though Massachusetts is maybe leaning that way. I thought it was well done, the art was great, I just don't think it's something I'll add to my pull list and instead I'll wait for the TPB releases. But it's worth checking out because it's eerily got the pulse and the blood and the guts of America right now.

This was absolutely amazing and I adored every second of it. This is battle royal x Alice in borderland. I’ll definitely be buying this and the rest of the series.

Please, consider me for the arc of future volumes. This was amazing.

I want more! Exquisite Corpses Volume 1 tells a story of the 12 wealthiest families in the U.S. and the deadly game they play every 5 years on Halloween. Each family selects a killer to play on their behalf to win them power over the other families. The killers are dropped off in a small town with the goal to kill to win.

What a fun read! I really like how each killer was introduced and the how the story unfolded. I enjoyed the characters' design and illustrations. The colors pop out of the page. Looking forward to volume 2!

Thank you, NetGalley and Image Comics, for the ARC.

Every 5 years, the 13 richest families that rule the USA, get together to play a game on Halloween. Pick a weapon from the previous years’ games, pick a place in rural America and seal it off from the world, and pick a killer to represent the family. Kill each other until one survives and that family will rule America until the next game. Some pick professionals, some pick the seriously unhinged. Oak Valley has no idea what will happen in their small town this Halloween night.
OMG I need to read the next volume NOW!

#ThxNetGalley #JamesTynionIV #MichaelWalsh #PornsakPichetshote #ExquisiteCorpsesVolume1