Grief manifests itself in all kinds of ways; some very visible, others less so.

For Mary, losing her husband was just the latest tragedy in what had been a tough few years.

In the wake of her terrible loss, Mary focuses on collecting and hoarding junk, unable to get rid of anything she collects.

Perhaps this is Mary’s way of holding on to everything she possibly can, after losing so much.

In any case, the one thing that seems to be keeping Mary somewhat grounded is her beautiful dog, Cindy.

Cindy means everything to Mary; she’s a constant and faithful companion, who Mary is able to love and care for even more, arguably, than she takes care of herself.

So when a catastrophic series of events results in the loss of Cindy, Mary convinces herself that she knows who’s to blame – and sets out to avenge her beloved companion.

This is an incredibly well written first issue; to add to that, the naturalistic art style perfectly complements the moving and – at times – heartbreaking script.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this comic – having been given the issue in return for my honest thoughts – especially because it has a rather sensationalistic title, but it’s a well paced and melancholy trip through an all too believable case of extreme grief and loneliness.

Though Mary’s response to the loss of Cindy may seem extreme – particularly in her determination to seek revenge – we’re given enough information to know that Mary’s had an awful lot to deal with, before and after losing her husband. So losing Cindy just feels like a tragically inevitable breaking point for her.

Though this issue does end with a ‘The End’ caption, it finishes on a cliffhanger and further issues in the story do follow.

I found the first issue of The President Killed My Dog to be a deeply involving, if incredibly tragic, read. It’s very compelling; I can’t wait to see how the story develops over the course of the series.

Many thanks to Chris Kostecka – the writer of The President Killed My Dog – for giving me a copy of the first issue for review purposes.

You can buy The President Killed My Dog #1 from Bad Aura Comics here.