Although the central character of the graphic novel is a future serial killer, Backderf makes it explicit that he views Jeffrey Dahmer as a tragic figure. This doesn’t mean that the author in any way espouses Dahmer’s fantasies or justifies his behavior; he simply believes things could have ended differently had there been educational and social support for Dahmer. Such a system could have registered Dahmer’s state of mind and reacted in time to prevent him from becoming a killer—and potentially help him lead a healthier life. The author frequently emphasizes his belief, his hope, that his high school friend might have walked a different path with some help, thereby saving 18 lives (those of Dahmer and his 17 victims).

Backderf doesn’t seek easy answers to this failure to act and support—nor does he find them. At a familial level, the Dahmers are dysfunctional and lacking in warmth; Dahmer’s parents are framed as neglectful. Dahmer’s father is distant and elusive, while his mother is unstable (i.e., prone to depressive episodes and violent outbursts). In such an environment, Dahmer’s deteriorating mental health goes unseen and unchecked; Backderf often depicts him alone in his room, listening to his parents argue, or staring at a wall in silent agony. The author can only speak for himself, but he believes Dahmer would have benefitted from having a stable home.

Backderf depicts the school system in rural America (during the 1970s) as greatly lacking in administrative, pastoral, and pedagogical support. Dahmer starts drinking at an early age, especially in school—during school hours and on school grounds—yet not a single adult notices or curbs his behavior. The author supplies quotes from school staff who claim they never found Dahmer’s behavior unusual—despite him imitating epileptic seizures and cerebral palsy tremors to amuse his peers. At the time, students were largely left to their own devices, this crack in the school system leaving Dahmer unsupervised and vulnerable. This fatal flaw proves detrimental to both Dahmer and his 17 innocent victims.

In Part 5, a police car stops Dahmer while he’s en route to dispose of his first victim’s remains. Backderf emphasizes the police’s lack of professionalism as they fail to notice Dahmer’s suspicious behavior. Even with a kill to his name, he could have still received medical and psychiatric help (and his crimes prevented) had the officer stepped in.

Derf the narrator also implicates himself and his schoolmates as responsible for not alerting adults of Dahmer’s disturbing behavior. While Dahmer’s peers interacted with him to a degree, Derf claims that everyone felt a “creepy feeling” that prevented them from getting closer to the boy. Derf frames his friend group as young and taught not to ‘narc,’ but the fact remains that they failed to act—that they chose to ignore the issue staring them in the face. The author implies that many people—at school and beyond—likely registered Dahmer’s instability but failed to take that extra step.