By Thea Srinivasan

The amount of internal dialogue in this comic makes me want to burst into tears of happiness. “Any One of Us” by Killian McKellen and Nikita Vasilchuk is a piece that’s got enough art, mystery, and bloodthirstiness to make me satisfied for the next three months. There really isn’t much to say about this piece. Rather, it’s more about the growth of one character only compared to one character interacting with several others.  Unfortunately, this story is violent enough that anyone under the age of 13 SHOULD NOT read this book without the consent of a legal guardian. So for any young readers, ask your elders for permission before reading this book.

Our assassin’s name is Adrestia, a being who has seemingly come back from the dead and has a lovely penchant for killing people all with the goal of vengeance in her mind. Her past is ambiguous, and all I seem to know is that she’s on her own. It doesn’t seem like there are any other characters she interacts with. Rather, it seems like the plot discusses her own journey to get the answers she’s looking for.  

The first thing that drew me to the story was the artwork and action McKellen and Vasilchuk presented.  The black and white with the use of shadows made me fangirl at the personal art choices Vasilchuk used for this work.  The bold use of light makes the action scenes and emotions on the characters faces a lot starker, sharper and angular.  The artistic effect seemingly reminds me of the “Newgrounds” games logo.  With the logo’s ease of being remembered, it’s no wonder why this particular art style was chosen. From the brief coloring for blood to the lights in her mask, it shows the amount of emphasis McKellen and Vasilchuk for on making a statement with the art.

Not only was it the dramatic art style that made me fangirl, but it was the brooding, sardonic side of Adrestia that makes me feel giddy about what comes next for her. Compared to other kick-ass female characters, Adrestia is a lone wolf with a mission for some type of vengeance.  She doesn’t seem like the type of person to make allies along the way. Even she did, who knows how she would use them in her pursuit of her victory. The first few pages deal with nothing but her internal dialogue and the contemplation she has of what type of being she is. She has firm beliefs that she is a monster, but her actions seem to say otherwise.  As I look further, I begin to understand that she is a symbol for every single person in the world. She represents the self-drive that exists within everyone and the angry rush we feel come to life when we truly want something done. The actions she takes for herself say one thing. But to the bystanders in the story, it says something else.  

The blood and gore is not to the level of a zombie apocalypse. But it leaves enough detail to make me understand that she is certainly something different to the people around her. Her action scenes are on-par and show the sadistic side she takes to make sure to get what she wants. The writer could have made her the silent and deadly type. But it goes to show the amount of crap she is willing to put up just to keep moving forward with her goals.

I can’t wait to see what both creators have in store with Adrestia. Both McKellen and Vasilchuk have done a wonderful job of showing a tale with a sense of sensational vulgarity and crass characterization. I would wholeheartedly recommend this piece to the reader who wants a huge serving of action with a side of a long-winding adventure with a mysterious guide as your chauffeur.

Score: 4/5

Any One Of Us #1
Writer: Killian McKellen
Illustrator: Nikita Vasilchuk