No Mercy, Vol. 1

Seasoned creators De Campi (Grindhouse) and McNeil (Finder) deliver a bleak and dark-humored take on teens thrust into a war of survival, %C3%A0 la Lord of the Flies or Battle Royale. The title of the series accurately sums up the pacing, kicking off with a school bus veering off the side of a cliff in the middle of the desert%E2%80%94and then things really start going literally and figuratively downhill. Acclaimed artist McNeil seems to have a downright gleeful time depicting the series of extremely unfortunate events that befall the privileged American high schoolers as they battle the elements, a pack of ravenous coyotes, and%E2%80%94probably worst of all%E2%80%94each other. De Campi's story isn't just brutal, it's virtually non-stop, with a new bit of extreme violence behind every turn of the page. (Sept.)