Hit-Girl #4 Review

Hit-Girl may be one of my favourite comic book characters of all time. I absolutely adore her.I adore her so much, I was worried that this mini series may not be as good as I hoped it to be. I was wrong. It has been everything I expected it to be and more.

Mark Millar has done a great job with this series. It has everything. Some people assume that it is just going to be blood and gore in a typical Hit-Girl sort of way. That is not true. This book has so many different factors and so many different story threads running through it which are all interlinked, which really makes it a joy to read.

The way Hit-Girl escaped from the drugs warehouse which she found herself in at the end of last issue was genius  She used her brain as well as her bullets!
Now what stood out for me in this issue was the race home that followed her escape from the warehouse. Her stepfather was racing home on a different route from Mindy in order to catch her on out in the act of being Hit-Girl. This led to a few tense panels, and I really didn't know how it was going to pan out.
What I also liked was the brief scene of Mindy in school. It is brilliant to see how her character has developed from being a loser, to the girl everyone wants to be at school. Obviously Mindy has her own reasons for acting like she is doing, and what this shows is just how easy it is to become popular in high school. Well, as long as you fake everything about yourself.

We only have one issue left of this series and I cant wait to see how it ends. The final panel of this book shows that we are in for a tense finale. However, I am slightly worried it is going to end a different way than what I would like. But if it does end this way then I think we may even get a Hit-Girl 2 at some point. Which would no doubt be just as epic as this series has been. Here's to #5 next month!

Rating: 8.5/10

Revival #4 Review

So, for those not too familiar with this series, allow me to explain a couple of things first. Lets start with what a "reviver" is. In this book it is a human being that got killed on a certain day, only to come back alive again. This day is known as "revival day". Unfortunately it looks like some of these revivers may be a bit dangerous, as they have caused deaths within the small community of a town in Wisconsin. This town is now under lockdown from the CDC.
There are a large range of characters which have been introduced to us in this series, so I am not going to go through them. But what I will say is this is a book you need to become more familiar with if you have not picked it up yet.

So what makes it so great? The writing for starters. We are only four issues in yet all the characters feel familiar. It is difficult not to get invested in their lives in the book as they attempt to find out more about the revivers as well as the events surrounding them. The art? Just as special. Make no mistakes about it, this is a horror book, and the art really helps to build the suspense up as you read it.

This particular issue gives you more questions than answers, which for some series frustrates readers greatly. However, Tim Seeley is doing a great job at making you want to find out more. I finished this book and became immediately saddened that I had to wait another month until the next issue. Some people would argue that it maybe then this book should be picked up in trade, however I disagree completely. The mystery and intrigue helps make this series what it is.
This issue also gave us a lot of character interaction which was great to see. It may have been low on action this month, but some of the character moments were great.

It is hard to review this book and not give away the story. It just has to be read to have the effect that it was intended to have upon the reader. Therefore this month and this month only I am not going to give any spoilers, be it major or minor. However next month I am going to start giving some small spoilers so pick this up. Also, considering the time of year, this is a really fitting series to start to get in to.


Rating: 9 / 10

Punk Rock Jesus #4 Review

We are now past the midway point in this excellent mini series from Vertigo, and it is not letting up one bit. I really cant wait until the last issue comes out so then I can read this from the start all the way through. Yes, if you have not been on board from the beginning of this series then you will not have a clue what is happening in this issue, however if you have then this is yet again another great issue. Within the first few pages of this book there is a major death. The character who dies is Chris' mum, Gwen. Murphy has teased a couple of times in this series that Gwen would be killed off, so there is no surprise that it actually happened. However, it is the circumstance, as well as the cause of death, that are very shocking.

Since Gwen has left the confines of J2 she has become very close to the New American Christians (NAC). So close in fact, that the start of the issue see's her and the NAC army making an attempt to save Chris from Rick Slate and other people associated with J2. Unfortunately for her she ends up getting caught between a remote controlled steel door and therefore getting crushed to death. This door was controlled by the founder of J2, the wicked Rick Slate. Even though he hardly featured in this issue, Rick has been built up throughout the series to be a character who the readers truly love to detest. He is a vicious manipulative man, and him having something to do with Gwen's death is no shock at all. Murphy has done such a good job building this character, that it actually seems like a normal thing for him to do. Yes, he really is that evil.

The way Chris develops in this issue is really something. After his mothers death he starts going against Slate by listening to, and reading things that are banned. He listens to punk rock music, and reads about Darwins'  theory of evolution. Chris also starts taking interest in atheist theories, which is something Slate never let him get his hands on for obvious reasons. He also changes his appearance to match that of a punk rocker. This new appearance of his is premiered at the Grammy Awards as he is the host of the event. While on stage he makes an anti-Christian rant, before making his escape to New York where he ends the book becoming a member of a punk rock group. Chris' anger throughout the book jumped off the pages, as we feel him simmering about the events that take place. He finally erupts at the end and you can not help but root for him. It was great to read, and the reader can relate to the situation in some way as we have all been teenagers at some point, maybe even currently. We have not gone through the pressures and oppression that Chris has had to endure, but we have all been teenagers at some point. At the end of the day that is what Chris is, an ordinary 14 year old boy who hates being told what to do so ends up rebelling. However, his rebellion has wider consequences than the average teenager.

What was also great to see in this issue was a bit more of Thomas' back story. We knew he had an IRA background of some sort, and it is very interesting to see what he went through when he first joined this group. The scene where he murdered a large group of an enemy faction in their own bar was brutal. The art also ensured that it flowed very nicely, and helped show the true aggressive nature of Thomas perfectly.

The art in this book, and throughout the series, has been a major highlight for myself. It is in course in black and white. Before I read the first issue I was actually really worried about this, however it works so well. In fact, I don't think it would have had the same desired effect if it was coloured. It just wouldn't be the same.

The only think going against this series is that the story is so in depth that it is easy to forget what happened in the previous issue. Therefore, I think that this may be best read in trade format, hence another reason why I am going to read it all back before the last issue hits. Saying that, I am glad I got involved in this from the very start, as after reading the first issue I could not wait until the next issue was released. There was no way I could have waited until it got released as a trade.

As I mentioned at the start of this review, if you have been reading this from the start then this issue is a treat. This is another solid issue in what I believe to be the best mini series of the year. I don't think anything else comes close. There are two issues left and it will be a sad day when this has to end, however I can't wait to see how this concludes. It should be epic.


Rating 8.5/10