The Virgin Read: You Can Consider Kick-Ass An Anniversary Present Because It's Made Out Of Paper

Kick-Ass # 6
Written by Mark Millar
Art by John Romita Jr., Tom Palmer & Dean White
Published by Icon/Marvel Comics

Before I launch into tell you why I haven't picked this comic until now, I'd like to go on record saying that I really enjoyed this issue of it. A lot.

Why, you ask, do I need to tell you that right off the bat? Because I feel like some of the comments I'm about to make will sound like I didn't like it, and that's just not true.

I hadn't picked this comic before because each time I saw the cover, the little girl covers reminded me of Chucky form those Child's Play movies. I'm not a fan of stupid horror flicks. While actually reading the comic, I found her really well drawn, but on the cover of this one, and the covers I can remember? There's just something about her proportions and the look in her eye (and the fact that she's covered in blood) that was just not-quite-right and very Chucky-ish. You know, I think it's that her face and hair are so grown up and her body is so young. Face and hair? Yeah, you read that right, her hair - not because of the style, but because of its thickness, quantity and quality--it seems to be the hair of someone who's gone through puberty, whereas her body is clearly that of someone who is prepubescent, at best.

But anyhow, that's really neither here nor there. Covers are covers, I'm starting to get that now, and like I said, I really enjoyed this comic. It starts off with a tightly scripted set-up, where there's just a few words about how her father is going to shoot her in the chest, for "practice." That's a pretty intense hook. All the backstory, which is just plain old NEW story to me, gets told while she kicks the life out of a whole bunch of people. All of that? One whole set of interesting.

Then there's the whole comic book nerd turned superhero, who I guess is the lead. You know something? That's kind of clever. It could've gone a couple of different ways--it has the potential to be a set-up for try-too-hard-ness--but it gives just the right amount of real-world cultural references, and just the right amount of "comic book nerd" references. Seriously, I even got all the comic book references. ME! I got your jokes! I was so excited.

I gotta give it credit for that--nicely done. The first part of the comic is the back story leading to the present versions of the little girl and her wacked-out-for-revenge-and-justice father; the second part gives us a little insight into the life of our friend Kick-Ass and his buddy, Red Dirt. (Red Dirt?)

And then BOOM!! CRAZY REVERSAL ENDING!! How cool was that? Not the twist by itself, but together with the way it was drawn? To turn the page and have these two kids walk in to find "Big Daddy" and "Hit-Girl" on their knees, covered in blood and surrounded by the Mafia?! And the perfect set-up of making it clear how opposed to hardcore violence Kick-Ass is, which makes him the wrong person to walk into that particular room at that particular moment?! And, as if it hadn't gotten pretty twisted already, he's all of a sudden got a gun on the back of his head?!? What's he gonna do? How's he gonna handle this? Will he be all anti-killing when his life is at stake? Will he -- holy shit?

The last page reveal: his friend, Red Dirt (Red Dirt?), holding that very gun. Sucker punch!

Do you have any idea how quickly I turned the page hoping against logic for just one more panel? And how I kept turning? I mean, I'm praying (and from only reading this once, mind you), that the opening panel of the next issue has Red MIST (Sorry!) and Kick-Ass in the same position and Red Mist saying under his breath, "Just play along. I'll get us out of this. My cousin's in the Mafia." Something like that. I don't want these kids to lose.

Oh yeah, and don't let me forget to mention that I love who all the costumes are drawn on these all baggy, ill-fitting, stained--that's hilarious. Of course that's what would happen to those outfits, they can't have that many of them, they probably make them at home--I'll be thinking about that next time I read a super-hero book, for sure. 

...

God, I just really liked all the art. I wish I had the vocabulary to explain why. Maybe it's all the sun I got today. I loved it though, I just kept flipping through and going, "I like it. I just like it."

I'm sorry, but this comic book is kind of right up my alley. I can imagine it's not for everyone, that maybe it's too in-your-face for you connoisseurs of comic books. But it's perfect for me. I don't know if I'd say it's a good starter comic, there's a lot of inside jokes, and nobody likes those. But it was perfect for the Virgin Reader 2.0. I found it cute, clever, enjoyable, suspenseful, action packed and original. I need to come up with some kind of award for when I like one this much. For now, I'll just steal from Roger Ebert.

Two thumbs up!

-Nina Stone, 2009

Comments

[Kenny]

I honestly never thought I'd see the day when a Mark Millar comic got a positive review on The Factual. Nina, I love you! I think you should rub Tucker's face in your awesomeness!

[Tucker Stone]

Hey, I gave the dude some love in the Olympus post! That's like two days ago!

[Kenny]

OK, true confession time - I skimmed the Olympus post and only really read like the last paragraph! Nothing against you or your work, Tucker. It's more that I wanted to read that Humanoids stuff *so* badly when it was announced and other than the first issue of I Am Legion, I just *never* saw it. So, it was making me sad to read your reviews. I realize that sounds silly, but it's true.

And I know you give Millar a fair shake, I just like busting your chops over it! lol

[Matthew J. Brady]

You definitely picked a good issue of Kick-Ass to read, since it's got some funny stuff with the little girl, and the whiny main character is kept to a minimum. Any of the previous five issues would probably have just annoyed you. Well, they annoyed me, at least. Good points about the art too; Romita definitely gives it a fun style, with ill-fitting clothes and general dirtiness.