Kill or Be Killed is a graphic novel by Ed Brubaker set in modern day New York City about a boy named Dylan who makes a deal with the devil, or some sort of powerful demon unknowingly after trying to commit suicide one night.
Dylan's best friend ended up dating his best girl friend and one night hears them talking about him and hears her say that she felt bad for him. After being in a depressive mood for a while and overall hating his life, Dylan decides to go up to the roof and end it.
After he jumps off the building, he manages to get caught in some clothes lines and falls 10 stories into the snow without any harm. After he gets up relatively unharmed, Dylan has a new lease on life, but as soon as he returns to his room, he is greeted by a demon who tells him his life was spared at the price of another life per month.
So Dylan has to go out and kill a bad person once a month in order to keep living or else the demon will take his life away. Volume 1 is about Dylan coming to terms with this new pact and ultimately how he needs to pick people and decide who dies and who lives. For Dylan he wonders what crimes should warrant him to take a life.
The artwork is fantastic within the novel and the story is told in a great way of flashbacks so you get a feel for the character and the relationships he has with those in his life. The book is mature, so there is nudity and a ton of blood, but definitely worth a read. It may be a bit expensive for the actual amount of content you are getting, but it is definitely worth it to support the artist and to add to your collection. Definitely will be picking up more volumes and based on other reviews I have high hopes for them.
-Calaber24p