It's always creepy when the killer is a kid.

It's a little creepier still when the killer is a dead kid.

Ashley, a selfish little boy, was smothered to death with his own teddy bear after his violent rages struck down his own brother. Now Ashley is killing through dreams, driven by a burning desire to have all the toys for himself. Cassie and Vlad are on the case.

Death by Sequel, the second volume of Hack/Slash, begins with "The Land of Lost Toys," and it's a humdinger. The story by Tim Seeley is, anyway; the art by Dave Crosland looks rushed and sloppy, a weak follow-up to the strong art in volume one of the series.

"Trailers" is a series of "movie teasers" for Hack/Slash stories that haven't been written, placing Cassie and Vlad in scenarios ranging from a manga brawl to a lesbian sorority, from a shark hunt to outer space. Some cute, some tedious -- this section, to me, was largely a waste of time.

"Slice Hard" closes out the volume with an intriguing twist: a pharmaceutical company, seeking the key to a rejuvenating drug to repair skin damage and stave off the effects of aging, has captured several slashers in hopes that their twisted DNA holds some useful secret. They want Cassie and Vlad to help them catch more. Of course, once inside the building, the slashers escape -- led by the twisted mind of Ashley, now housed in his own teddy bear. The story, again, is good; the art, however, is handled by several artists and the result is uneven.

But the story is what matters the most, and Seeley is making the most of these characters. I'll keep reading ... but I hope he settles in with a good artist or two and stops mucking about with some of these less-talented folks.