[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Kyle Starks
Artist/Inker: Erica Henderson
Letters: Deron Bennett
Summary
There is this guy named Rankin, who used to be an Assassin called Chekhov’s Gun. Hew was a big deal. The issue now is, someone is actually trying to kill him. In issue one he gathered 21 of the best assassins in the world to protect him. There was a huge carnage and expletive filled battle that left only 9 of them. They have agreed to protect Rankin from the hit.
Each of them has an agenda. Bishop is on the job because someone killed his husband and he wants to find out who. The Mamba twins just want money. Smoke and Connie want to prove that women can do pretty much anything. The rest of the teams’ motivations have yet to be unveiled, but we can be assured they will be.
As the team figures out how to be a team, because except for the twins, they are all loners, they decide to do an ice breaker where they share their first kills. It is like a demented summer camp at the Hotel Artemis just down the block from The Continental Hotel. So, you know, really pleasant.
Positives
Do you remember when you saw Wanted and though, I bet that comic is great and then you read the comic and were like “What!?” Well, this is the comic you wish Wanted was. It is funny. Genuinely funny. I laughed out loud several times. There are people you like and there are people you hate. (I’m looking at you Fingerman). No one is guaranteed safe passage to the end of the book and the art is understated and glorious.
Take a look here at these “first kill images by Erica Henderson.” There is so much going on that we can learn about the characters without much dialogue. We see just enough facial expression to know who the people are and we see their actions played out in a way that makes them look real.
This is a not a superhero comic and no one here is drawn as though they could survive one day in a superhero comic. The colors are muted and this world looks like the world. Other than the crazy premise, this could be happening right up the street from you and that makes this book both chilling and compelling
Negatives
This is NOT FOR CHILDREN. Seriously, do not even leave this lying around if you have anyone in the house under 15. There is a character called F@(K. That is his first name. I am not sure what the shelf life this book has either as we lose a few more of our characters in this book. Hopefully, Starks and Henderson will slow down a bit. I would hate for this to see too many of these folks kick it too soon, although, we can expect it to be a bloody mess each month no matter what.
Verdict
If you like bloody comedy, you will LOVE this book. I do and I do. It is only two weeks in. Get going. Start reading.
