M3

M3- issue 0 and 1

Publisher-  Vice Press M3comc.com

Writer- Erica Schultz

The Hook- Young Machiavella Maria Marcona parents were assanated in front of her when she was a child. It left her with only one person to take care of her..the man who assainated her…DUH DUH. Grown up the hitman try to keep her out of the lifestyle but to no avail. She become an assain and goes on a mission of revenge while an FBI agent chasing after her. All while a conspiracy happens around them that they both need to figure out.

To book took me by surprise. I was leaving the comic con and basically the last book I grab before catching the train. I figure 3 dollars why not. When I read the name of the character and find her name was Machiavella…I thought this was going to be a bucket of stupid. I assume it would be hitmen talking about Philosophy while they sip on wine. But it better then that. Its really cool. First the art if pretty good. It very stylish and fit the dark action movie tone. It has a lot of style. The style is realistic but with a bit of a heighten tone. It’s a painted, almost photo and cell shaded style. The style makes you buy it as an action movie thriller.  The main character is sexy but not in a Charlie Angel skimpy clothing type of way. Nor is she unstoppable. If she tries to Leroy Jekins her way through 30 arm guards it will end badly for her. So she is force to be smart. It is a nice scene in issue 2 where, her plan messes up due to a rather small error and she freaks out a bit.  It makes her force to use her brains to get out of things and you get to see her plan her hits. So it gives it an Authenticity. This is not to say it doesn’t have big character that happily chew the screen. It leaves room for cool dialogue for you to enjoy. The relationship between her and the hitman who adopted her is pretty interesting. Now I only got issue 0 and 2. I don’t know if there an issue 1. So I may be missing some details. But I may not get why should I root for this particular killer over the others at time. Nor why should the surrogate father who killed the parents in the first place get off the hook

Dead Man's Party

Dead Man’s Party
Written- By Jeff Marsick
Illustrated- Scott Barnett
Publisher- www.MulhollandBooks.com
                   www.deadmansparty.org

The Hook- A hit man is told by a doctor he is going to die.  So he decides to go out swinging and puts a hit out on himself for millions. Apparently it something done regularly in the high paid hit men filled to point is had a name referred to as A DEAD MAN’S PARTY. But wait there is a TWIST. He finds out his doctor been killed, and that he wasn’t on Death’s door After all. He wants to call it off but hitmen go by a very strict NO TAKES BACK rule. And now he much fight off an army of hitmen, and figure out who killed them

I read two issues. The story is drawn black and white and pretty well written. It has a realistic look, very smooth line and thick ink. It is drawn and paneled out with a very cinematic vibe.  This may be a spec script for a movie because it written likes that with action scene that could fit into a movie with a rather modest budget. In car chases, cool kills, and some cool dialogue. It a pretty sweet kill with an Iphone in one scene. Of course it runs into the normal issues of the genre. I never really brought why he could call it off, by just moving some money around so they wouldn’t get if even if they killed him. Anytime they make that explanation it sounds fishy. Also like most stories of this type it in a world with no cops. Or if they are cops they have the skill of the cop from the Cookie Crisp commercials. But they avoid the normal hurdles of these things. The hitmen aren’t making pop culture references. Also they don’t try to soften him up by saying “Yea he may kill people for money but he spends all that money on Orphans. Granted there orphans because he killed their parents but still”. Although, he is mostly going after other bad guys so you don’t hate him. He hasn’t shot a kid or anything yet to make you go against him too much. It is not really that much of a morality tale. They just pushed you into a story real quick and let you enjoy the ride and it’s a good ride.
B+