Johnny the Homicidal Maniac (issue 5,6 & 7 ) by Jhonen Vasquez

The series focuses on the 20-something year old anti-hero Johnny C, also known as "NNY" (pronounced 'knee'). He is a deranged serial killer, mass murderer, and spree killer who interacts with various other characters, generally by murdering them. He elaborately kills anyone who even slightly irritates him, then drains their blood and paints one of the walls in his house with it. Johnny is also willing to murder "innocent" people who, in his twisted mind, deserve their fate for some reason or another. The number of Johnny’s victims is in the dozens, if not hundreds — or perhaps even thousands. Authorities are unable to capture Johnny and seem unaware of his existence, even though his crimes are often witnessed in public and reported by the few who manage to survive.(from Goodreads)


JTHM #5 An A Scent in Hell

You know, I honestly didn't think things could get anymore weird. However every time a person thinks that, things go the other way. Johnny has literally lost his mind......well, I know that's not saying much because he's a maniac. But hey, this time he's literally lost his mind. I mean in the sense that his brains are all over the wall and floor, there's a hole in his head! A  black hole of darkness.  In the previous issue Johnny seems to have succeeded in killing himself. However, we see in this issue that he's not dead (yet) even if he has a hole in his head. He's still saying crazy stuff. Meanwhile two of Johnny's victims are trying to  escape (another douchebag and the girl he dated in issue 2). They're being chased by a tentacled creature and eventually these two escapees come across Johnny lying on the floor with a big black hole in the back of his head and blood everywhere.
The douchebag mentions how Johnny tortured him by forcing him to  read the Happy Noodle Boy comics and quizzing him on what they meant. It's odd but this was the most terrifying thing in the comic: I freaking hate Happy Noodle Boy....

This comic is really gory and is taking a darker turn. Reader discretion advised.

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JTHM #6 A Brief Failure at Living

So Johnny does die and ends up going to heaven and hell. In the end he doesn't belong in either. The authors note in the beginning sounds kind of ironic. He addresses some of his fan mail in which many have shared their suicidal feelings. Vaquez says he does not condone suicide and yet Johnny has tried to kill himself several times and has succeeded in issue #4 and #5...However he is a fictional character that was resurrected which of course should be taken into account if you're contemplating killing yourself. YOU are not fictional!




How heaven and hell are depicted is interesting.  Heaven is very unhygienic and hell seems more like the real world where people are left to their own miserable devices, God is depicted as a fat lazy entity hovering around on a couch. When Nny attempts to get some questions answered God refuses to answer them like many unanswered prayers often go. Johnny goes on a killing rampage in heaven and ends up in hell and is then resurrected.

I prefer this issue to issue 5 but that doesn't mean it's less gory. Other than the main story there are some pretty fun strips there's a Meanwhile strip with a biographical tread: Vasquez answers fan mail again "if he's anything like his character". It starts off good but then goes down the hill of plausibility when he fights a clerk that is actually  Satan and saves the Pope from aliens. The scene with the clerk reminds me of the scene in issue 2.

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JTHM #7 In Control of a Broken Machine

Not much of an ending to the comic. Johnny has been resurrected after not belonging in hell or heaven guess the only place he can go back to is his former life on earth. He comes back with a new haircut though..so that' new.

I can only describe this issue as a bit confusing especially the crowded speech boxes and the font used in the introduction  These have always been an issue. Digital versions of this comic aren't as fun as the physical one. Zooming in only distorts the text and little interesting things in the comic that are written very small also are lost to the reader.

However being a not so direct ending it is still filled with twisted old psycho Johnny goodness. Fun strips and an attempt at closure with the girlfriend he tried to kill in issue 2 and saying goodbye to the kid from the very first issue.  Which if this was an ending is a plus point. Going back to the beginning and all.

I feel like I should point out that since issue 5 I've been skipping the Happy Noodle Boy strips. I'm sorry but my disgust with this character has gotten to the point that even seeing the strip or that goddamn stick figure makes me want to hurt somebody.

Finally Johnny's last dear diary entry? Is  this  really the end..or will Johnny one day return.

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