Hardcore #1
Image Comics
Written by: Andy Diggle & Robert Kirkman
Art by: Alessandro Vitti
Colors by: Adriano Lucas
Letters by: Thomas Mauer
If Hardcore #1 is an accurate depiction of what’s to come, this series is going to be a must-read. Agent Drake and this lunatic Markus have some serious potential, but more on them later.
First, the mere concept of the Hardcore Program is unbelievably alarming. Imagine there being technology that allows anyone to take full control of your body so easily. It’s pretty damn terrifying. Hopefully, no one is actually researching nanotech that enables remote neural bypass of the human body. Because, honestly, this ventures into that legal gray area, as Bonnie Pierce from the Department of Defense put it. That might be the understatement of the century.
Sure, it’s great the Hardcore Program uses scumbags to kill other ones, but if it falls into the wrong hands, like this Markus guy who claims to have created the program, things could go sideways.
From the looks of it, there’s a chance Markus does, in fact, regain control, thanks to Pierce, who probably didn’t actually work for the Department of Defense. (Shooting up everyone in the Hardcore Program was kind of a dead giveaway.)
Looking at Andy Diggle’s work in the first issue, he did an excellent job of efficiently explaining how Hardcore works. And he didn’t take forever to do it either. Diggle wastes zero ink in Hardcore #1, setting a fast-paced tone for the series. However, nothing is rushed. Every single detail and moment is necessary to the development of the story.
Drake, the main character, appears to be the no BS, “I’m here to do my job” type. No frills, not a ton of patience or depth. There’s not necessarily anything wrong with that, especially with the direction Diggle seems to be headed, putting Drake’s life on the line already.
Markus is an interesting case. He has the potential to be a heavy-hitter, but It’s hard to imagine both he and Drake survive this ordeal.
And it really is a mano-a-mano showdown, since Pierce killed everyone in the Hardcore Program and Markus killed her because of one mistake—at least, that’s what we’re led to believe.