[Review] Issue #1 of Joe Hill’s ‘Dying is Easy’ Introduces a Marvelously Dark and Very Funny Noir Tale

“There was this one guy, we got him sitting in front of the TV with his mother’s head in his lap. We asked him what happened. He said she did it to herself! Cut her own head off, man. We asked him how she did that. He said, ‘Quickly’.”

In addition to writing a number of acclaimed horror novels, inspiring movies and television series, and even appearing as the angry, funnybook-loving tyke Billy in the classic George Romero/Stephen King horror anthology film Creepshow, writer Joe Hill has gifted our favorite genre with a number of impressive horror comics for over a decade now. While he recently launched his own horror line with DC (dubbed “Hill House Comics”), Hill’s comic work has been published primarily through IDW, the publisher who gave us such Hill-penned works as The Cape, Thumbprint, Road Rage, and his acclaimed long-running tale Locke & Key. Now, Hill has teamed with IDW once more for the noirish, darkly humorous murder mystery Dying is Easy.

Opening with a lengthy standup bit that introduces us to ex-cop turned comedian Syd “Shit Talk” Homes (“The Insulting Detective”), the first issue of Dying is Easy quickly establishes itself as anything but a run-of-the-mill murder mystery comic. The initial pages are dominated by Syd’s routine, which plays out not only as a genuinely funny set, but also reveals loads of detail about our protagonist. It’s a ballsy way to open a tale of this sort, but Hill’s confident, razor-sharp and funny-as-hell writing makes it all work beautifully.

”People ask me the difference between TV cop work and real cop work. I always say you never meet any evil geniuses in real homicide. We had this one guy who shot two people so he could be intimate with their cocker spaniel. We told him we could prove what he did to the dog with DNA evidence. He said, ‘No way! I pulled out!’. Evil geniuses, man. I never met one.”

Hill’s character-heavy approach continues on in the following scene, which presents Homes alongside two fellow comedians as they discuss a young up-and-coming comic who’s been coasting on material stolen from his contemporaries. In allowing these characters to simply chat with one another rather than forcing in a plot device straight away, Hill deftly paints a detailed picture of this film noir-tinged world of standup comedy that he’s created. Professional jealousy, pointed racial commentary, period references (the story presumably takes place in the 90s, what with its nods to Leno and “Friends”), a very dark episode in Homes’ past, a potential femme fatale, and loads of red herrings for the murder that closes out this initial installment all fill out this setting, laying the groundwork for a unique take on tried-and-true tropes. I’ll refrain from noting any more about the comic’s plot (I realize that I’ve said very little already), for fear of ruining the book’s final moments.

Aiding Hill’s writing in this venture is artist Martin Simmonds, whose scratchy, beautifully imperfect linework recalls both Bill Sienkiewicz and Ben Templesmith. Simmonds’ art, aided by colorist Dee Cunniffe (who brings a noirish touch to the proceedings with an impressive mix of moody blacks and soft neons throughout), wonderfully conveys the world that Hill has crafted in his writing, fusing a near-contemporary setting with antiquated genre tropes to superb effect. It’s a perfect pairing of script to art, and makes one hope that the two will continue to collaborate with one another well into the future.

Ultimately, while Hill’s newest may not tread into horror territory, it’s nevertheless a marvelously dark, damned funny excursion into an urban hellscape that promises plenty of fascinating reading ahead. This writer, for one, cannot wait to take another trip into this world alongside Shit Talk and his pals. Here’s hoping that this initial tale, which will run for five issues, will lead to many more adventures for the Insulting Detective.

Be sure to pick up the first issue of Dying is Easy at your local comic book shop (find one here: www.comicshoplocator.com), or you can order direct from IDW Publishing here.

“I’ve always wondered what was the last thing to go through your sister’s mind when she stepped in front of that truck. Probably the hood ornament, huh?”