In Comics: Kick Ass

Written and Mark Millar

Art by John Romita Jr.

One of my all time favorite super hero films is Unbreakable.  I think that movie came out before its time.  It's a unique take on the whole super hero genre of storytelling.  Kick Ass is like that film in that it's a very unique take on the idea of a super hero.  This book also ahs a cool name.

The Book

Kick Ass appears to be set in modern real world times where there are no super heroes in tights jumping around saving the world from evil.  A kid, a geek that doesn't even realize he's a geek wonders one day with his friends why no one has tried to become a super hero.  He asks them why no one has done it and they reply with the obvious answer; it's impossible.

He believes that it's not impossible though, and he begins to believe that it's his destiny.  So, he designs a costume and slips out to pose and look heroic on building ledges when his father leaves their home for his 10 o'clock shift.  Finally he decides to do more than just pose and he approaches some evil doers.  The problem is things don't go as he expected.

The whole super hero theme is fun and an interesting twist on the genre but what's just as interesting is the character himself.  We get a lot of background in just a few panels and I hope that we see more of how that background plays into his decision to be a super hero. 

What's also fun about the book is just how meta it is.  The character and his friends talk about current pop culture phenomena such as Heroes, and popular misc too.  None of it feels forced though, it feels current and it fits the characters giving them a level of realism not common in many mainstream comics.  By "meta" I'm actually referring to all the comic book references in the issue including how great Wheadon's Astonishing X-Men is and a discussion of the Spider-Man web shooters in the movies.  Sure it's a wink to comic book fans but more importantly the character's love of comics plays an important part in his decision to be a super hero.  We even see him dressed in a familiar costume before designing his own.

The story, at least so far, is well written and a lot of fun for comic book fans and fans of just good storytelling.  This book already ahs a movie deal in the works and I believe that's a mistake.  I think Kick Ass might actually make a better television series.

9/10

The Artwork

The art is a fantastic amalgamation of indie simple art but gorgeously colored mainstream Marvel books.  The art is clean and crisp but still simple.  I really appreciated the art for the simplicity.  I could always tell easily what's happening in each panel which is not always the case with mainstream books from Marvel and DC.  The big two are so gripped with making their comics cinematic they often shove too much into each tiny panel that it's often hard to see what's happening.  A problem with indie books is often non costumed character design where people all look a little the same ( I'm winking at you Luna Brothers and Sword) but here the characters all look unique and they ride the line between realism and comic book art. 

Artist John Romita Jr. takes the best of his father's style and his own modern spin on comic book art to bring us another great book.

9/10

Overall ( Not an Average) 9/10

The Review

The Story 9/10

The Artwork 9/10

Overall (Not an Average) 9/10

-Stephen Lackey