Friendship and bloody murder abound in this review of I Was A Fashion School Serial Killer #2.
I Was A Fashion School Serial Killer #2
Written by Doug Wagner
Art and Main Cover: Daniel Hillyard
Variant Covers: Daniel Hillyard, Dani
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: May 14, 2025
I Was A Fashion School Serial Killer #2 starts off with Rennie relaxing a bit after her most recent blood bath, enjoying some Pocky, flipping through some fashion magazines (even finding something she’s pretty sure Sofie would love) as she muses on how the entire routine would always soothe her.
In class the next day, after a moment of silence, Rennie is stopped by the teacher while going to join Sofie, Betts, and Bodhi for lunch. The teacher has noticed Rennie’s new outfit made from materials she’d gotten from the creepy security guard she’d killed last issue. The teacher honestly loves the whole thing, giving her own interpretation of the theme and encouraging her to keep pushing and evolving.
A few minutes later, she’s invited to a movie with Bodhi, Betts, and Sofie. She makes various excuses not to go, but is given that fourth ticket just in case she changes her mind. Even at home, she has her misgivings, knowing how different she is from them. But then Ms. Porschia’s encouragement from earlier on comes back to her and she meets up with them.
We see a couple scenes of the group hanging out, and get yet another moment of silence in class. At some point, Rennie and Sofie are planning to study together. Rennie’s cleaning her place up a bit in preparation for this, and Sofie shows up. However, the girl’s an absolute mess, having been ambushed on a delivery and managing to get away before things got worse.
Rennie’s there for her right away, telling her outright that she considers her a friend, explains why she’s been so distant, showing some worry for her safety… She asks for Sofie’s phone as Sofie goes to clean up, finding out where that last delivery was supposed to be.
As I Was A Fashion School Serial Killer #2 comes to an end, Rennie’s vengeance begins as she infiltrates the location. She eliminates Sofie’s attackers individually before indulging herself in another blood bath.
So, getting into the story elements of I Was A Fashion School Serial Killer #2, first and foremost, we really get to see the friendship between Rennie and Sofie in play. Right from the first page, Rennie’s thinking of the other girl during her post-bath routine, finding a design that reminds her of her.
With the movie invite, the whole group is quite welcoming to Rennie, but Sofie’s the most excited about the idea of her being there, being the one to wait for her outside while Bodhi and Betts get a few seats reserved for them. She’s the one that never loses faith that Rennie’ll show up (and she’s rewarded for that faith soon enough). During one panel where the four of them are all lounging together, Sofie’s head is resting on Rennie’s lap.
But the biggest moment of all with their friendship: when Sofie shows up after being attacked. First off, there’s no implication that anyone else had been invited to study with them. Secondly, the immense worry and the outright admission that she’s a friend. And then finally, taking swift and brutal revenge on her friend’s attackers. In the previous issue, we’d seen Rennie consider Constance as a target, only to see the security guard being a creeper and deciding: ”Yup, he’s worse.” With this group, it’s definitely premeditated. As Rennie’s hugging Sofie, assuring her that it’ll be okay, her facial expression says it all. She knows all she’d need is a location.
When Rennie goes for her revenge, I find myself thinking that she’s got to be fairly strong, with how she takes one of these guys out with his own necklace (with significantly more blood than a strangulation), not to mention transporting the bodies to a second location.
If this were meant to be super-grounded in reality, that implied strength would likely be outright terrifying, but when one’s dealing with the camp factor, it provides for a fun time. Her kills of these attackers feel like they’re right out of a horror movie. I especially love the dramatic, colorful lighting that’s used to further emphasize each kill. I can practically hear a sting of synth music with each one.
As for who might be closest to figuring out what Rennie gets up to, it felt like Ms. Porschia might have been close for a moment. Instead of being suspicious, though, it turns out she’s just very appreciative of the creativity in the new outfit.
When Rennie goes off to get revenge, there’s no indication as to if Sofie’s still at her place or if Rennie walked her home first. But if she was alone at Rennie’s and got curious and started poking around, she’d probably stumble upon the skinless corpse, leading to a bit of an awkward conversation.
The artwork in I Was A Fashion School Serial Killer #2 was well-done in this one. As mentioned, I especially liked the color work on the kills. Things get a bit brighter, sort of like how the act and its aftermath are a bright spot for Rennie, making the itch go away and bringing her peace. The panel compositions frame everything well, and the facial expressions are great.
Final Thoughts
I Was A Fashion School Serial Killer #2 is a stylish slasher with heart. If you’re a horror fan, you come for the blood, and stay for the friendship.
