KICK-ASS #1 REVIEW
Summary: Kick-Ass is back!
5
Killer!
Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. join forces once again to spin another kick-ass, Kick-Ass tale. This time there is a new green and yellow spandex-wearing vigilante, stalking the streets at night as they hunt down the city’s criminal scum. The question is: Who is the new Kick-Ass?
The story follows Patience, an ex-military veteran who has recently finished serving in Afghanistan with her unit, the Night Stalkers. After eight years she is finally heading home to her family, where she hopes to finally study and get a degree in engineering. However, her plans quickly come crashing down, as she discovers that her shitty husband has left her for a floozy that he works with. This new development in her life forces her to alter her plans dramatically, as she is now forced to abandon her hopes of going to university, and instead look for a job so that she may support her two children. Going from leading a team in Afghanistan to doing waitressing work that barely covers rent is a huge adjustment for Patience. To solve her financial woes, Patience plans to steal cash from the people ruining her neighbourhood, and give at least half of that money away to the people who need it most. She then decides to don the green and yellow spandex of Kick-Ass, thus becoming the new vigilante superhero!
I’m absolutely thrilled to have Kick-Ass back, and as a single mother who is an ex-military veteran. Wow, things are indeed different with Mark Millar completely changing the dynamic of what people are used to when they dip into a Kick-Ass comic. Millar has a bit of a knack for writing really well-rounded and convincing female protagonists, with Emporia from Empress and Bonnie from Reborn coming to mind. Immediately, I found myself connecting with Patience, relating to her trials and tribulations as she tries to deal with this massive upheaval in her life. She has been dealt a bad hand with her husband abruptly leaving her in a selfish and cowardly way. Her dreams and desires must be put on hold, as she must focus on her main priority: her two young children. I really love and admire her fighting spirit and her unwillingness to give up, and seeing her face these challenges head-on by embracing a rather unorthodox method is, to put it bluntly, badass! Millar has created a bit of a legacy character through Dave Lizewski’s Kick-Ass, and in the previous story arcs we see other people embrace this vigilante lifestyle, as he inspires others to do what he did. In a way, Patience is another one of these people, wishing to venture forth and fight crime for a good cause, enabling a kind of extended legacy that will continue through people like her. The only difference is that Patience is also doing this for the cash, so it’ll be interesting to see how things will unfold for her and whether this personal motivation will taint her good nature in any way.
Whilst the story is dramatically different, one thing that is the same is the art by the legendary John Romita Jr. His distinctive blocky art style, with his fine and detailed linework is always a pleasure to see. I’ve always loved the effortless flow of Romita’s layouts, finding them to be both powerful and dynamic. For me personally, I believe that what makes Kick-Ass such an enjoyable visual experience is the fluid sense of movement that is achieved throughout the action scenes. Seeing Patience literally kicks-ass in the most epic way, as she uppercuts and gouges out eyes IS wonderful! The inks and colours by Peter Steigerwald work well in giving everything a textured and gritty quality. The colour palette, which is muted and delicately subtle, helps to heighten the overall moody and atmospheric quality of the narrative.
Overall, I loved the introduction to the new Kick-Ass story arc, believing it to be a solid and impactful start. I find the new direction, new characters and new setting to be a refreshing shift in the Kick-Ass saga. I’m really looking forward to seeing Patience grow throughout her journey as Kick-Ass, and seeing where her new life will take her.
I’m giving this issue 5 out of 5 stars!
COMIC DETAILS
CREATIVE TEAM: Mark Millar, John Romita Jr, Peter Steigerwald and John Workman
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PUBLICATION DATE: February 14, 2018
REVIEWER: Dana Folkard
About the Author
Dana Folkard An absolute nerd with a passion for all things sci-fi! Lover of comics, coffee and Geralt of Rivia. Mother of Dragons!
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