Kick-Ass 2 #4 – Review

By: Mark Millar (writer/creator), John Romita, Jr. (breakdowns/creator), Tom Palmer (finishes), Dean White & Michael Kelleher (colors), Chris Eliopoulos & Clayton Cowles (letters) & Aubrey Sitterson (editor)

The Story: Following the wicked crimes from the previous issue, Red Mist and his crew to continue run amok.

Review: This was a tough comic to read for some reasons that I’ll get into in the spoiler section.  It’s hard to say that it’s “terrible” due to the content because Mark Millar isn’t trying to write Watchmen here, nor is he trying to make it superhero funtime like Amazing Spider-Man.  He’s trying to punch you in the guts and get a reaction.  And he understands that comic readers and consumers of popular culture have been exposed to so much, that we’re just immune to normal mayhem.  He’s writing this comic to get a rise out of people like me, who just kinda shrug off beheadings, damsels in distress and big bombs blowing up piles of civilians.  *Yawn* Seen it before… Bring me something new.

So from that standpoint, Millar and Romita are very successful with this series and this issue in particular.  But, that doesn’t mean it was a fun comic to read.  This comic is kind of a train wreck, where you can’t take your eyes away because you know that something else shocking is going to happen next and you kinda want to see what it is.

From a technical standpoint, this comic hums along.  In fact, that’s why the shocking scenes are so shocking; they’re so well done.  The dialog flows smoothly and the storytelling is just impeccable even if it is a little shocking to see Mr. Marvel – John Romita, Jr. – drawing this kind of screwed up content.

WCBR’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Batman #1 – That was pretty easy.  Scott Snyder pens a script that is both a good starting point for someone who heard about this new 52 thing and fanboys who have read hundreds of Batman comics over the years.  That’s no mean feat and what helps him do it is that he’s a really gifted writer!  Comics isn’t just about having nifty ideas or clever dialog….sometimes it comes down to whether the writer can string sentences together well enough to power through a wordy portion like Bruce Wayne’s speech about rebuilding Gotham in this issue.  A lesser writer falls on their face during that sequence.  Of course, it helps that Snyder is paired with his most recent A-list artistic talent in Greg Capullo.  Capullo has been a favorite of mine for a long time and it’s great to see him getting some mainstream love.  He’s an incredible visual storyteller and his slightly cartoony and expressionistic style is so superior at capturing action and emotion.  This will be a must-read for a long time.  Runner-up: Hulk #41

Most Anticipated This Week: American Vampire #19 – Of course, I’m excited to see what’s next for Scott Snyder’s vampires, but I’m just about giddy to see some Jordi Bernet interior art!  If you aren’t familiar, do a Google image search and behold the beauty and then consider how gifted Snyder is at feeding his artists what they’re good at.  This is going to be a great issue.  Special Mention: Kamandi Omnibus – Jack Kirby goodness for WAY less than you could buy the first ~20 single issues.

Other Picks: All-Star Western #1, Elephantmen #35, Amazing Spider-Man #670, Brilliant #1, Kick Ass 2 #4, Secret Avengers #17, Rachel Rising #2, Fear Itself: Hulk vs. Dracula #2