Succession with Swords? A Deep Dive into Kill All Immortals

Alright, you modern-day berserkers, let's talk about a high-concept pitch that sounds almost too good to be true. What if a family of ancient Viking explorers became immortal, and a thousand years later, they were operating as a ruthless, modern-day billionaire empire? That’s the world of Kill All Immortals, a comic that smashes the dynastic power struggles of Succession together with the visceral, bone-crunching action of John Wick.

At the heart of it all is Frey Asvald, the only daughter in this clan of ageless warriors. After a millennium of watching her family conquer boardrooms with the same brutality they once used on battlefields, she wants out. She’s tired of the cruelty, the secrets, and the endless cycle of power. But her desire for a normal life puts her on a direct collision course with her brutally efficient family, forcing her to fight for her own freedom and threatening to expose the secret that has kept them on top for centuries.

This is a deep dive, an issue-by-issue breakdown of the first, explosive story arc of Kill All Immortals. We’re going to explore its core themes of family, power, and morality, and celebrate the absolute powerhouse creative team that has crafted one of the most compelling indie comics of the year.

The Creative Dream Team

Before we get into the blood and betrayal, we have to talk about the creators who brought this saga to life. This isn't just a team; it's a gold medal contender, with every member operating at the absolute peak of their craft.

Writer: Zack Kaplan. We know Kaplan for his brilliant, hard sci-fi concepts, but here he’s wading into the action-hero genre with spectacular results. He’s on record saying this is the first series since his early work that he felt could be an ongoing story, and that confidence shines through in the rich world-building. Kaplan masterfully uses immortality as a metaphor for the modern billionaire class, exploring how that kind of untouchable power makes them seem like gods in our world.

Artist: Fico Ossio & Colorist: Thiago Rocha. This art team delivers a style that is cinematic, brutal, and utterly vivid. Ossio’s art has a kinetic energy that makes every action sequence leap off the page, feeling raw and alive. Rocha’s coloring brings it all home, delivering blood-soaked pages that create a muddy, harsh world perfectly reflecting the violent nature of the Asvald clan.

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. An Eisner-winning legend who frequently collaborates with Kaplan, Otsmane-Elhaou’s lettering is the final, perfect touch. His work flawlessly captures the emotional tones of the dialogue and adds a percussive impact to every axe swing and gunshot.

Together, they’ve created something cohesive, stunning, and dangerously addictive.

Issue #1: "No Reporters, No Press."

The series opens with a statement of intent. We’re in a lavish Wyoming mansion, where the Asvald patriarch, Erik, and his three sons are closing a business deal. When it goes sour, they don’t call their lawyers; they pull out their axes. They slaughter their rival’s entire family with cold, Viking efficiency, immediately establishing the barbaric nature simmering just beneath their tailored suits.

In stark contrast, we meet Frey Asvald. She’s introduced as an altruistic philanthropist, first at a Paris fashion show and later providing humanitarian aid in Kenya. She seems to want a simple life, far from her family’s cruelty. But Kaplan cleverly adds a layer of critique here; her philanthropy is a performance within the very capitalist systems her family exploits. She only truly acts against their cruelty when it crashes into her own life.

That happens in the form of Owen Jabari, a BBC reporter profiling Frey, with whom she’s started a romantic relationship. During an ambush in Kenya, Frey survives an attack completely unharmed, the first hint of her secret. This forces her to bring Jabari home to Iceland for protection, leading to a tense family dinner where the core family rule is laid bare: "no reporters, no press".

Jabari is a liability. The family tries to kill him. In the chaos, Frey’s throat is slashed, but she heals just in time to save him, shoving one of her brothers off a cliff into the icy ocean below. The secret is out. Frey confirms it: they are all immortal descendants of Erik the Red. This debut issue is a masterclass in setup, blending high-stakes corporate intrigue with visceral, supernatural violence. It’s no wonder many called it a favorite debut of 2024.

Issue #2: "Never Turn Your Back on Family."

The war is on. The issue opens with a flashback to 101 AD, where a young Frey refuses her father's order to kill, establishing that her moral compass has always been different from her family's. In the present, she and Jabari are fugitives.

As they run, Frey explains their life: living in the shadows, changing names, and killing anyone who gets close to their secret. She also reveals the source of their power: a thousand years ago, they found a Scandinavian goddess named Idun who fell from the sky. They hid her away, and in exchange, she grants them immortality. This twist injects a fascinating sci-fi element into the Viking lore.

Frey’s goal is now clear: find the family’s ancient records, locate Idun, and find a way to end her family’s immortality for good. Their search leads them to an old family home, a library of their bloody history. But her younger brother, "Thor," is waiting. Frey’s attempts to appeal to his better nature fail, and when he threatens Jabari, she taps into a deep well of rage and kills him. This death feels chillingly permanent. Frey has now taken down two of her three brothers and officially declared war on her family. The action is cranked to eleven, delivering silver-screen-worthy brawls while deepening the lore and Frey’s desperation.

Issue #3: "Whom Can You Trust?"

Another flashback, this time to 1072 AD, shows Frey's father forbidding her from forming attachments to mortals, reinforcing his cold, controlling nature. In the present, the story pivots from a straightforward action narrative to a tense thriller. Doubt begins to creep into Frey and Jabari’s relationship. Is he really helping her, or does he have his own agenda?.

Frey tracks her brother Steinn to a club in Oslo. This confrontation is one of the most compelling, as Steinn is the most morally conflicted of her siblings, the one closest to her own worldview. But it’s a trap. After an insane fight sequence involving chain whips and axes, Frey manages to decapitate Steinn, incapacitating him.

Her real purpose in Oslo was to find a shaman to help locate Idun. The trail leads them to an ancient family bolt-hole in Greenland, and this is where the series drops a bombshell. Inside, they find not just a Viking longship, but a massive, ancient alien spaceship.

The reveal is staggering. "Idun" isn't a goddess; she's an alien. The Norse mythology is a sci-fi story. This twist dramatically expands the scope of the world, recasting the Asvalds as something closer to Marvel’s cosmic beings than figures of myth.

Issue #4: "Three Sides to Every Story."

A flashback to 1109 AD shows the moment Frey, disgusted by her family’s violence, chose to leave them for the first time—a direct mirror of her present-day struggle. Back at the alien ship, her family catches up to them, and Frey surrenders.

On a boat, her father and brothers work on her, trying to manipulate her into believing Jabari is just using her for the story of a lifetime. This issue is a crisis of faith for Frey. Does she trust the family she’s trying to escape, the man she’s trying to protect, or her own fractured morals?.

She makes a choice. She engineers an escape, knocking Jabari into the ocean to save him. But once he’s safe, he reveals his true colors. He has photos of the ship. He’s going to publish the story. "The truth is more important than you," he tells her.

Heartbroken, realizing her father was right all along, Frey does the unthinkable: she kills Jabari. This is the moment the story transcends a simple good-versus-evil narrative. Frey, for all her desire to be different, proves she is just as untethered from normal human morality as the rest of her family. It’s a shocking, tragic, and brilliant twist that solidifies her isolation.

Issue #5: "The End of an Age."

The finale brings us back to where it all began: the site of Idun’s landing, now marked by a giant, mystical purple tree. Frey arrives, determined to cut it down and end their immortality.

Her family is already there. Having killed the reporter, Frey is "forgiven" and offered a place back in the family—an offer she furiously rejects. As the final battle ignites, something incredible happens. First Thor, then Steinn, convinced by Frey’s unwavering resolve, turn against their father to help her. The last brother, Leif, switches sides at the last moment, realizing he has no real agency under his father's thumb.

The four siblings unite against Erik in a true battle of titans. They manage to overpower him, and Frey chops down the tree, sending a psychic wave across the world. "You have no idea what you've done," Erik screams, hinting at a greater danger unleashed. The siblings, believing their immortality is gone, choose not to kill their father, leaving him to the slow, painful fate of a mortal death. They walk off into the sunrise, seemingly free.

But it’s not over. An epilogue reveals another immortal with his own tree in China: Genghis Khan. This jaw-dropping cliffhanger blows the doors wide open, revealing a much larger world of immortals and setting the stage for an epic future.

The Future of the Immortals

Frey Asvald’s journey in this first arc is brutal, emotional, and unforgettable. She goes from a disillusioned philanthropist to a reluctant rebel, forced to make impossible choices that leave her utterly alone but finally in control of her own destiny.

The series has been a massive success, selling out its initial print run, getting reprints, and earning a promotion to an ongoing series from Dark Horse—a rare and well-deserved achievement. A second arc is already on the way.

More than just a bloody action comic, Kill All Immortals is a full-throated indictment of corrupt systems and the corrupting nature of absolute power. With a compelling heroine, a brilliantly executed concept, and a universe that has just revealed its true, terrifying scale, this is an absolutely must-read series. The war against Erik the Red may be over, but the war against history’s other immortals has just begun. The future for Frey and her brothers is uncertain, but we can guarantee it’s going to be bloody. Get this in your collection.

If You Enjoyed Kill All Immortals, Try:

The Old Guard by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernández.

If you're looking for more brutal action centered on soldiers who just can't die, this is your first stop. The Old Guard is a "fairy tale of blood and bullets" that follows a small, tight-knit team of immortal mercenaries led by the millennia-old Andy. It's a brilliant exploration of the emotional weight and violent reality of living forever, and it's an absolute must-read for fans of immortal warriors.

Northlanders by Brian Wood, Davide Gianfelice, and others.

Want to dive deeper into the Viking world? Northlanders is a critically acclaimed Vertigo series that tells a variety of standalone stories set throughout the Viking Age. From an exiled prince returning home for revenge to tales of siege and survival, each arc is a historically grounded, bloody, and modern take on the Viking saga. It's the perfect chaser if the Viking aspect of  

East of West by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta.

If the epic, world-ending scale and complex family drama got you hooked, then welcome to the sci-fi western apocalypse of East of West. In a dystopian, fractured America, three of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are hunting the fourth, Death, who has gone rogue after falling in love. It's a story of revenge, prophecy, and warring nations, all driven by a powerful emotional core and some of the most imaginative world-building in modern comics.