Hit-Girl #1
Image Comics
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Ricardo Lopez Ortiz
Colorist Sunny Gho
Lettering: Melina Mikulic
Hit-Girl is back, and this time it’s not quite as personal.
There’s not much Mark Millar can’t do. Besides creating multiple franchises, writing some of the most influential comics of the past decade, and teaming up with Netflix to bring Millarworld to the screen, he has had time to dust off some old favorites. Following the retirement of Dave Lizewski, Hit-Girl a.k.a Mindy Macready heads south where she will bring her own brand of justice to the criminals of Columbia. After staging a prison break, “hiring” a henchman, and finding her very own “Oracle”-type comrade, Mindy is painting the streets red with her arsenal of high-tech weaponry.
Millar has always had a knack for telling driven stories that keep readers hooked issue after issue, and Hit-Girl is no exception to the rule. The action never stops and fans of Hit-Girl will assuredly relish the chance to see her shoot and slice her way through crowds of goons. A new addition this time around is an armory stolen from a rival gang. It sounds small, but more than once throughout the issue, we’re treated to unique weapons that even their wielders don’t know the effects of. Other highlights include Hit-Girl vs wild animals on cocaine and the answer to the question, “Ever wonder what a microwave gun does?”
While there are many fans of Millar’s style, others may be turned off by the ultra-violent images that spill across every page. Whereas earlier Kick-Ass entries were intercut with the personal stories of Dave and his friends, Hit-Girl seems to be more on the blood-and-guts side of the spectrum. In a way it’s a celebration of grotesque violence; an exploration of grindhouse cinema in graphic novel form. Via the fresh art style from Ricardo Lopez Ortiz (Wolf, Civil War II: Kingpin, Zero) the effect is lessened a little, as he has taken the original gritty art style of John Romita Jr. and added a cartoonish embellishment to the more vicious pages. However, there are still some disturbing images including bodies raining from the sky and the aforementioned “microwave gun”. This will assuredly create a divide with readers, so those less accustomed to graphic violence may want pass on this material.
Over the years, Mark Millar has proven time and time again that when he has an idea it deserves to be read until the end. The witty and self-referential nature of his writing allows stories to be told from a unique perspective and each issue propels the plot forward while simultaneously leaving readers with more questions. Will Hit-Girl’s henchman, Mano, be forced to kill his friends? What is Hit-Girl’s endgame with his brother? Most importantly, will this series connect with the new Kick-Ass title? Looks like we’ll have to keep reading to find out.