Best Shots Extra: Kick-Ass #4

Kick-Ass #4
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: John Romita Jr.
From: Icon Comics

Now that was unexpected. Based on his work on The Authority, I knew Mark Millar had a love for extreme violence and, dare I say, reveled in it. But for him to corrupt the talents of John Romita Jr. is not only irresponsible, it is bloody genius! Kick-Ass #4 opens with balls-to-the-wall, no-thought-necessary violence that could only come from the mind of a demented Scotsman. Who else would think to turn a 10-year-old girl into a sword-wielding assassin?

I honestly believe that when Mark Millar was writing the opening scene of this issue, he had the smile of a Cheshire cat stretching across his face. There are no punches pulled as Hit-Girl takes a Punisher-like approach to doling out justice. The opening scene of this issue reminded me of the recent Rambo movie in the way that it reveled in graphic violence. There are many artists who could have rendered the scene effectively, but, to Millar’s credit, he chose an artist for this title whose name is not really synonymous with that kind of material.

JRjr displays another level to his already accomplished skills with some of the most astoundingly visceral pencils I have ever seen from him. Romita’s complete understanding of graphic storytelling comes into play this issue as he is tasked with rendering a variety of scenes and characters in various settings throughout New York. The art in the opening scene unfolds in such a fluid manner that for a moment you forget you’re reading a comic book.

A great opening should set the reader up for a good story to follow, and Millar/Romita deliver. Millar moves a lot of players around in rather quick order and expands Dave Lizewski’s world as Kick-Ass begins to comprehend the effects, good or bad, he has had on others (due to his YouTube video). Throughout the issue, Dave is really a secondary character; yet, due to the nature of the narrative, the effect is minimal as Millar gives necessary story time to his anti-heroes, wanabes and villains-in-training. I thought it was rather funny of Millar to give Hit-Girl and her much older partner, Big Daddy, a familiar superhero concept; Romita joins in the fun as he draws their rooftop exit in dynamic fashion.

Millar tells a tight story utilizing the three basic concepts of superhero comics (hero, anti-hero and villain), but in a somewhat real-world setting. There are moments when Millar’s words seem a bit to tongue-in-cheek, but he manages to keep it limited to the first half of the book and allows the second half to carry the tone necessary to come across as believable. I do have to take issue with Millar having Dave use a phone to call someone as Kick-Ass; caller ID – hello!

In addition to his action-packed panels, Romita also brings an emotional weight to the story when required. From the haunted look on Big Daddy’s face as he leaps across the rooftops to the anger of Johnny G as he tries to deal with his new found vigilante problem, Romita efficiently captures their emotional states not only in their body language, but in their expressions. As simple as Romita’s style may seem when compared to a lot of other A-list artists, it never comes as a surprise at how subtly his characters display their emotions and how easy he makes it look.

By utilizing Romita’s distinct style on this title, Millar has smartly given the book a super-hero feel while injecting the story with some real world consequences. The intermingling of Romita’s classic comic book art with Millar’s unflinching writing has really worked well throughout the series, but in this issue their distinct styles just seem to sync naturally. As the story unfolds and characters vacillate on their destinies while others maintain their steadfast crusades, Kick-Ass continues to be a refreshing take on the usual weekly dose of capes and spandex.

While Kick-Ass may not be for everyone, the overall effort makes the read worthwhile and the story is definitely moving in interesting directions.