Advance Review: Kick-Ass #2

One of the foundational assertions of the modern superhero genre is that with great power comes great responsibility. It sounds clichÃ© because at this point it is, but clichÃ©“s aren“t born that way. Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. have been trying to deconstruct the great power-great responsibility staple of comic book wisdom for some time now. Thankfully they“ve taken another crack at it with their latest installment of the Kick-Ass superhero concept.

Issue # 2 of this installment of Kick-Ass finds our shero ”“ Patience Lee — kicking ass right from the first panel. John Romita Jr.“s pencils are impressive and Peter Steigerwald“s finishes will make readers feel like these two have been collaborating forever. Romita Jr. is known for the kind of visual kinesthetic he is often able to project through his pencils. He has crafted classic visual moments of motion and action in battles across titles and for all of the major comic book companies. But much like the first issue of this re-launch, Millar and Romita spend significant time – and panel space ”“ developing their protagonist and building the context within which Patience Lee will become a hero.

This time and space is required. Millar and Romita are in uncharted territory in terms of their extensive body of work. In this volume of Kick-Ass they are pushing themselves to bring to life an African American woman as their protagonist ”“ a feat that will require some nuance given the popularity of this title and the combustible nature of the diversity debate in comics right now. Already, Lee“s storyline is locked in a clumsy two-step with some unfortunate stereotypes. Her partner and the father of her children is — as far as we know at this point — a deadbeat dad with aspirations of being an artist. He has left their family of young children for Los Angeles just as Patience is discharged from her elite military unit.

Single Black mothers are inherently heroic ”“ in real life. Casting a protagonist in a popular comic as a single Black mother is risky (and courageous) given the ways in which reified stereotypes of absent Black fathers dominate our national narrative. But Millar is a great writer ”“ a master of dialogue. And Romita Jr. has some of the most distinct and recognizable pencils in all of comics. Their collaborative magic is enjoyable and engaging; new fans of Kick-Ass will want to come onboard here and visit previous volumes to better understand why this kind of storytelling is so valuable in the superhero genre.

If the stakes of this iteration of Kick-Ass seem higher that“s because they are. Patience Lee is a dynamic, likable, if slightly reluctant, hero who is kicking ass with a decidedly deliberate purpose. She is the Robin Hood we need right now. For every bit she takes from the criminal underworld she shares her bounty with causes greater than herself, her education, or her children“s wellbeing. She may not have super-heroic powers, but she certainly has a super-heroic sense of responsibility. 4/5!

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(W) Mark Millar (A/CA) John Romita