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Crocodile Black – A Deep Dive into Mental Health and the Monsters It Creates

Crocodile Black, written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson with art by Somnath Pal, is a haunting psychological thriller from BOOM! Studios that examines how, in the most severe cases, mental health struggles can create monsters—both figurative and literal.


Crocodile Black TPB from Boom Studios
Crocodile Black Mini-Series

Set during the COVID-19 pandemic, the story follows Danny, a young man whose life is spiraling. A routine delivery job leads him down a dark and unexpected path when he stumbles upon a crime scene and a pair of black crocodile-skin boots. From there, his descent into obsession, identity crises, and violence unfolds, blending noir, psychological horror, and raw human emotion into a gripping narrative.


Mental Health: When the Mind Becomes a Monster


At its core, Crocodile Black is a chilling exploration of how untreated trauma and mental illness can push someone beyond the brink. Danny’s life has been shaped by past tragedy—the loss of his brother, a fractured relationship with his father, and the crushing isolation of the pandemic. These factors don’t just weigh on him; they shape his reality, distorting his sense of self and morality.


The book doesn’t just depict mental illness—it forces us to confront what happens when a person’s mind turns against them. Danny’s fixation on Leo, a dead man he begins to confide in, and his obsession with the boots he takes from him, symbolizes his desperate need for transformation. He doesn’t just want a new life—he wants to shed his own skin entirely.


Johnson’s writing, paired with Pal’s eerie, atmospheric art, makes this descent feel all too real. The world around Danny is painted in shadows, reflecting his unraveling mental state. The story never loses sight of the terrifying reality: when left unchecked, the mind can become a monster, turning its host into something unrecognizable.


Final Thoughts


Crocodile Black isn’t just a crime thriller—it’s a horror story about the human psyche. It shows how the most dangerous monsters aren’t always external threats; sometimes, they’re the ones we create within ourselves. This book doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable truth that in the worst cases, mental health struggles can destroy a person from the inside out, leaving behind something new—something dangerous.

If you’re looking for a story that combines psychological horror with crime noir and deeply personal storytelling, Crocodile Black delivers.


You can pick up a copy of the Trade Paperback HERE: https://amzn.to/3WXe9RR


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