Review: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys

By Gerard Way and Shaun Simon
Art by Becky Cloonan
Available now from Dark Horse Comics
Review copy

I really enjoy concept albums.  I first became aware of the My Chemical Romance album Danger Days: True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys when I caught the music video for "Na Na Na" on late night television.  I was caught up in the world, so it was pretty exciting when I saw that MCR front-man Gerard Way had teamed up with comics writer Shaun Simon to explore what happened after the album and the videos.  I think only the "Na Na Na" and "Sing" videos are absolutely necessary, but I'd still recommend watching those and listening to the album before picking up THE TRUE LIVES OF THE FABULOUS KILLJOYS.

The Girl, the sole surviving member of the Killjoys, joins up with a new group at the beginning of the comic.  But this group's leader might be a little off his hinges.  Meanwhile, back in Battery City, Korse is starting to no longer perfectly follow orders for Better Living Industries and a droid is desperately trying to save her older-model-droid girlfriend.  There are a lot of characters to follow in six issues, but things come together by the end.

The focus really is one the Girl and her coming into her own.  One of the questions raised by the music videos is why the Killjoys were protecting her.  It's something she's wondered herself.  But she can find and forge her own path even as she discovers the answer to that question.  It's paralleled by company-man Korse questioning the path that he's followed for so long.

I liked seeing this world fleshed out farther and getting some answers to lingering questions.  I thought Becky Cloonan's art did a wonderful job of capturing the look of the videos and translating it to a 2D medium.  At the same time, if you aren't already a fan of the world, there is a lot to pick up.  There is very little time spent rehashing information from the album.  I'd say this is a yes for fans of Danger Days, but a pass for everyone else.