The tension mounts in this chapter! The deeper Hammer gets into this thriller, the more dangerous it becomes. I had been waiting forever for a comic book adaptation of a noir classic in the vein of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler or Mickey Spillane and, thanks to the great staff at Titan Comics I finally got it! It’s only fitting to adapt a Spillane novel since Spillane had written for comics and Mike Hammer has the no nonsense hard edge of someone like Bruce Wayne or Tony Stark. This issue opens with Velda demanding that Hammer help their client, Helen Venn. Mike assures her that he’s been doing just that. Carmen Rich is looking for his ten million dollars and he’s convinced the Helen has it. She swears she didn’t take the money and Mike Hammer wants to belive her. In this issue it is revealed what happened to the ten million (no spoilers here.)
The Creative Team:
Max Allen has worked with Mickey Spillane and had Spillaine’s blessing to complete his last novel and take over the exploits of Mike Hammer before he passed. So it’s only fitting that Allen write this comic book, no one knows the character of Mike Hammer better than Allen, except, of course, the late Mickey Spillane. And Allen doesn’t dissappoint. This one ain’t for the kiddies, if it were a movie it would be rated R. Lot’s of nudity and violence permeate these pages and it fits the character, showing not just his good side but his “warts” and all. I love my noir fiction and this type of story telling just comes with the territory. But this isn’t just a tale to emphasize gore for the sake of emphasizing gore. Allen’s pacing is top notch and his story telling helps build the suspense within these pages. Great stuff includes Hammer’s tender moment with Velda which offsets his penchant for a gruff exterior and shows that he really cares about the people in his employ and the cautious approach that he has towards his client. He wants to belive that she didn’t steal the ten million dollars, but also doesn’t want to blindly follow a woman just because she’s attractve and sounds sincere, even when she’s intimate with him, he remains cautious.
The two Marc’s have what it takes to develop this story. The art has to be gritty and realistic. No cartoony style will do here and these artists do great justice to the charector of Mike Hammer. The atmosphere has to be dark and the characters relatable. We can read the expressions on these characters and know what they’re thinking. Highlights include the confrontation between Hammer and Buddy Whiteman also the climactic rescue of a woman that Hammer actually cares about. Great pacing in these pages.
In Conclusion:
Does Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer fit into todays world? We’ve got violence, nudity and the rescue of a damsel in distress. Many of todays politially correct critics would frown upon these tropes. But Quentin Tarrantino and Martin Scorsesee still make movies that incorporate them and as far as the damsel in distress goes, is it wrong to show weak women? there are strong men and weak men. There are strong women and weak women. I have nothing against a strong female lead and I loved the role reversal in the Wonder Woman movie where Gal Gadot’s Dianna Prince has to rescue Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor from a watery grave. But I don’t think it undermines women to show some that still need a little help. Portray people realistically and not always in an idealized way. And besides, this damsel in distress ain’t so weak after all…to be continued. **** (9.5 rating)
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Writer – Mickey Spillane, Max Allen
Art – Marcello Salaza, Marcio Freire
Letters – Tom Williams
Publisher – Titan Comics / Hard Case Crime
Author Profile
- Kevin Given has studied with “ Longridge Writers Group †and “ Writer’s Boot Camp †a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the “ Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter †franchise which includes novels and comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of “ Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter †# 1 and “ Files of Karl Vincent †# 1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series “ Dracula Rising †(working title) and developing “ Foul Blood †into comic book form. Don't forget to check out the YouTube show " Comics: Let's Talk " hosted by Kevin Given
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