Hitgirl 1 by Millar and Romita

Writer: Mark Millar

Artist: John Romita Jr.

Publisher: Icon

Well we just finished a series involving Hitgirl with the completion of Kickass II, where I give away all the plotlines because I’m Evil.

This new series featuring Hitgirl, although Kickass has an important starring role it would appear, would seem to take place between the first and second Kickass series, where even though it appeared that she had hung up her girly blood stained spandex we now learn that she hadn’t. This kind of makes sense because its clear that she had been training Kickass in the martial arts, plus she seemed to have access to all kinds of money, cars, equipment and even multiple safe houses. Its revealed that Hitgirl has access to about a million dollars or so that her and her dad stole from gangsters and such.

We discover that, thanks to the slaughter of one very prominent Mafia gang, that it has become a very dangerous world  for people that dress like superheroes. In fact this book starts out with the slow methodical torture and then murder of someone who actually dresses up like Kick Ass. It even features a statement from someone representing the Real Life Superhero movement, which, if you’ve been reading my previous reviews, then you know that this actually exists, even though some of them look like frumpy somewhat paunchy comic con attendees.

Or at least that’s how this book starts. It seems like its a lot safer for our world’s real life superhero movement in that no one has been killed, yet. Of course, the kind of crime they fight doesn’t really merit that kind of response. Again, if they really want to be dangerous they would learn about network security and mimic Julian Assange or Kim Dotcom. But I digress.  We also learn that they have a new target. Turns out that the new mafia don runs his crime syndicate from prison, where he pretty much lives like a king. I had read that the New York prisons had cracked down on the “Goodfellas” days of incarceration but I guess not.

Here’s a scene:

It looks like Hitgirl has a plan to take these guys down. I wouldn’t bet against her. Our villain from Kickass 2,  and sort of the first one, “The Motherfucker” also makes an appearance and begins his ascent to criminal glory. I presume he’ll do something bloody and dangerous.

4 out of 5 stars. Look, there’s something essentially dumb on how Mark Millar defines criminal activity especially when international bankers can get away with stealing billions and no one even gets charged. But these books are so well executed you just don’t care. They’re just fun to read.