A being of unknown origin and power who is drawn to scenes of human suffering, Kilroy is an avenger of the innocent and protector of the weak. With topical stories focusing on the little known or forgotten atrocities of the real world, Kilroy Is Here has become a cult classic series where a number of today's top creators honed their craft.

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Image

Why is it that all eternal wanderers in the comics and fantasy world are doomed to wear the same ragged trench coat and sport the same haunted eyes and face-shading hair? Pruett's Kilroy is just such a wanderer, a nocturnal figure of vengeance who is drawn to suffering and misery like a vampire to a fresh wound, and feeds off taking revenge on the evildoers he finds there. This collection is written by Pruett but features a variety of different artists, including Tim Bradstreet, Michael Avon Oeming and Phil Hester. The stories jump from one historical atrocity to the next, be it the Cambodian killing fields, Tiananmen Square or Sarajevo, imparting a modicum of historical knowledge along with Kilroy's tedious speech making about man's inhumanity toward man. Looking like nothing so much as a cut-rate Sandman, Kilroy deals out death in satisfyingly hideous ways to the killers of the innocent.

A legend was born during World War II. In the mid-'40s, "Kilroy Was Here" graffiti began appearing across Europe in the strangest places. It came to symbolize that Americans had been to (and assumedly liberated) a town. While some found it an amusing joke, because Kilroy's signature wound up in unexpected places, others took the myth a bit more seriously. Could Kilroy have been an Allied super-spy or perhaps something far more mysterious? In the '90s, writer Joe Pruett took the legend of Kilroy and imagined him as an ethereal being who appears wherever there is catastrophic strife.

Killroy is Here collects Kilroy's various publishing appearances, from limited series to Negative Burn shorts. For most characters, this hodgepodge of disconnected stories might be better served in separate trades, but the collection serves the character well. Some may find the lack of continuity and follow-through a tad frustrating, especially since the origin of Kilroy is never fully explored.

The first half of Kilroy is Here is divided into two multi-issue stories, "Revelations" and "Pride, Prejudice and Persecution". "Revelations" introduces us to the idea of Kilroy, a supernatural being who hungers for souls. He feeds, as much as possible, on the worst of mankind and finds himself draw to the greatest moments of 20th-century evil.

"Revelations" is intriguing, but misleading. Its set-up feels like the beginnings of an epic series filled with surprising reveals that will eventually get to the core of Kilroy. In "Revelations" we discover that Kilroy is hunted by both devils and angels, who seek to destroy him for unknown reasons. However, this storyline remains unresolved for the rest of the graphic novel. The remainder of the book switches gears, becoming an episodic re-telling of Kilroy's historic appearances. I have no problem letting the mystery of Kilroy remain a mystery, but it's a little unfair to build up as if future revelations are forthcoming and then give us nothing.

The next story, "Pride, Prejudice and Persecution" is the strongest in the collection. Kilroy arrives in Sarajevo and provides a frank testimonial on the horrors of the Bosnian War. Only Joe Kubert's Fax from Sarajevo has been as powerful, direct and accurate. Kilroy's potential is laid out in this story and yet the rest of the book fails to capture the essence of the "Pride" story arc.

Much of the shorter stories that follow are little more than exercises in revenge. Though Kilroy is portrayed as a sympathetic character, his adventures get a tad repetitive. He doesn't learn, he doesn't grow, he just sees violence and devours villains. Sure, he's a lonely little force of nature, but that doesn't excuse a lack of dynamic stories. A few of the shorter tales manage to be poignant, but none reach the gravity of "Pride."

There's quite a variety of talent on display in this trade, including Mike Oeming and Brian Bolland, which should interest just about any comic-book aficionado. Kilroy is an interesting character, infused with remorse and an inexplicable duty to balance the darkest moments in human history. The trade is worth it almost strictly for the "Pride, Prejudice and Persecution" story arc.

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