Graphic Novel Review: Slash Them All by Antoine Maillard

Posted on January 3, 2023 at 6:28 am by Gene Ambaum

Slash Them All by Antoine Maillard. Fantagraphics, 2022. 9781683966579.

Two high school friends are on their way to a party when a man kills them with a baseball bat. That same night Dan, another student, dreams of stabbing someone and burying her in the woods. The next day school is closed, but Dan would rather hang out at his house and play video games anyway. His friend Pola heads to the shitty, sketchy beach nearby, and witnesses two murders there, which makes her withdraw and question everything. Dan’s mom thinks Pola is bad news and wants him to avoid her. Pola has a strange encounter with the killer, and Dan seems to be rapidly heading to a bad place (and maybe becoming a serial killer too). It all leads to a dark, violent scene at a party that I’m still trying to figure out.

Maillard’s art is black and white and looks as if it was drawn in pencil — it really works with the story, and looks particularly great because of his choice not to use panel borders. Overall the illustration style makes the book seem realistic and straightforward, which is why the more unreal moments seem shocking.