The One With the Murder: Review of “Six of Us” Issue One – Collectors Confessions

The One With the Murder

A review of “Six of Us” Issue One

By Brian VanNostrand

In the eyes of the majority of people, comic books and superhero stories are synonymous. This is a bit of a misunderstanding, but one that has been earned by the comic industry and most fans and collectors. One glance at the racks of new comics at a local comic shop, like JHU on New Dorp Lane, and any shopper will see mostly tales devoted to the exploits of the colorful and powerful heroes already familiar to the public through television shows and movies.

However, the comics medium does produce comics in other genres; horror, science fiction, fantasy, humor, and crime. “Six of Us”, the first issue of which was recently published by Dark Horse Comics, fits pretty comfortably in the crime genre, but it distinguishes itself from the noir tales and mystery stories in that it is clearly based on a very true and very recent celebrity death – the overdose of Matthew Perry.

Along with serving as the title of the series, “Six of Us” is also the title of the fictional sitcom that ended its run twenty years before the events of the story. “Six of Us” (the television series) told the story of six young adults and their comedic misadventures while trying to make their way in the world. It had a catchy theme song about friendship called “We’ve Got Your Back”. The episode titles all started with the words “The Thing with…” One former cast member went on to be a huge movie star, while the others met with lesser success.

You see where this is going, right?

The first issue begins at the funeral of Tim McQueen, the actor who portrayed Taylor (described as “the funny one”) on the show. Tim was found dead on the bottom of his empty swimming pool and a suicide note found in his bedroom lead the police to believe he intentionally jumped to his death. As each former cast member rises to throw dirt on Tim’s coffin, we hear the final remarks of each character, and are meant to infer that there was a lot of drama and intrigue going on between the six actors.

The series is written by Tom King, a very good writer who had a great, and occasionally controversial, run at DC Comics. King tells “Six of Us” non-linearly, weaving behind-the-scenes character-developing moments with the bleak fates waiting for the young actors in the present day. Gabriel Hernandez Walta pencils the series and does a fine job of keeping the characters interesting and consistent over different time periods, and the coloring by Jordie Bellaire does a wonderful job of conveying the emotional subtexts of each scene. Based on the first issue alone, this series has the potential to be a masterpiece.

But you don’t have to believe me…Next time you’re at JHU, after you’ve picked up the latest Amazing Spider-Man and the twentieth printing of Absolute Batman Number One, grab a copy of “Six of Us” and give this unusual story a try. You can thank me later!

Banner Image: Six of Us promo image. Image Credit – Collectors Confessions