Who Will Be the Deadliest? ‘Those Not Afraid’ Review

There’s something uniquely unsettling about a story that treats murder like a scoreboard, two people racing toward a number instead of running from what that number actually represents. Now that Those Not Afraid has finished its run, let’s talk murder, competition, and that ending (spoiler-free, obviously).

The Team Behind the Body Count

Written by Kyle Starks, who already won us over with I Hate This Place and Where Monsters Lie, and illustrated by Patrick Piazzalunga, this four-issue miniseries brings together true crime vibes, messed-up humor, and a dark little competition that spirals fast. Starks is a three-time Eisner Award nominee whose other credits include Sexcastle, which has actually been optioned for a film adaptation, Peacemaker Tries Hard, and From the World of Minor Threats: Barfly. He’s talked about deliberately setting his usual sense of humor aside for this one, wanting to lean fully into the genuine terror of true crime instead, and the title itself is actually pulled from a real, chilling line attributed to serial killer Richard Ramirez about how few people are willing to fully embrace violence. That’s a heavy inspiration for a book, and it shows in just how straight this one plays it compared to some of Starks’ more comedic work.

Piazzalunga, whose other credits include Monsters Are My Business, has said he pushed his art somewhere new and darker for this series, leaning heavily into black across the page to match the tone. Main cover artist Glenn Fabry is a legend in his own right too, known for his iconic covers on Preacher and Hellblazer, and that pedigree shows in just how striking this series looks on the shelf.

What Is Those Not Afraid About?

The story follows two active serial killers who realize they’re just a few victims away from breaking the state record. Instead of laying low, they dive into a murder competition, feeding information to a true crime podcaster and staying one step ahead of the cops. What starts as a grim game gets very messy, very fast.

A Twisted Game of Cat and Mouse

I was fully into it from the start. The dynamic between the two killers is weirdly fun to follow, especially when they start leaking info about what they’re doing. The tension ramps up with every close call, and I kept wondering who was going to get caught first. The characters are well done, and I love a good cat-and-mouse story, especially when the mice are this unhinged. It’s a genuinely tricky thing to pull off too, making a reader root for the tension between two killers without ever asking you to actually root for either of them, and Starks and Piazzalunga walk that line well across all four issues. The final issue leaves things on a surprising cliffhanger, and we’re really hoping it’s not the last we see of these twisted characters! Those Not Afraid will be available in collected format on August 26, 2025, or if you don’t want to wait, you can always ask your LCS if they still have the issues available!

More Serial Killer Comics Worth Reading

If Those Not Afraid worked for you, we’ve covered a few other comics that dig into serial killers from very different angles. Where Monsters Lie: Cul-de-Sac, also written by Starks, imagines a gated community where slasher-movie monsters go to unwind between kill sprees. Killer Influences pairs an actual serial killer with the true crime podcaster trying to build a platform off him. And The Deviant is a much colder read, a psychological horror miniseries centered on a killer Santa Claus and an investigation reaching fifty years into the past.

FAQ

Is Those Not Afraid worth reading? Yes, especially if you’re into true crime and want a comic that leans fully into that world’s terror instead of playing it for laughs.

Do you need to read anything before Those Not Afraid? No. It’s a standalone four-issue miniseries with no required reading beforehand.

Who is writing and drawing Those Not Afraid? Kyle Starks writes the series, with art by Patrick Piazzalunga, colors by Marco Brakko, letters by Jim Campbell, and main covers by Glenn Fabry.

Is Those Not Afraid a one-shot, miniseries, or ongoing series? It’s a four-issue miniseries, running from January to April 2025.

When is the collected edition out? It’s available in collected format starting August 26, 2025.