Rating: 3/5 – Predictable? Or Will It Take an Unexpected Turn?
by ComicSpectrum EiC Bob Bretall
The Hangman #1 is a really tough book to do a spoiler-free review of, but I’ll try my best. At its core we have fairly simplistic story with some really over-the-top violence and harsh language. We’re introduced to hit-man Mike Minetta as he carries out a contract in a particularly gruesome fashion and, as one might expect from the title of the comic, has a run-in with The Hangman.
Frank Tieri’s fairly standard story was saved for me by Felix Ruiz’s superbly dark and moody art. Ruiz really sets and maintains the right atmosphere for this tale of really reprehensible criminal characters. I enjoyed the scratchy linework Ruiz used to add character to many of the panels. That said, in some places the coloring and use of black made the scenes so dark that a degree of detail and storytelling was lost.
The story up to and especially including the last-page reveal really seem like they’re leading the narrative down a fairly predictable path. It may be too early to judge and perhaps in issue #2 writer Frank Tieri will switch things up and do something unexpected. I’ll certainly read #2 and give Tieri a chance to surprise me. As it stands, this looks like a great comic for people who like a straightforward “criminals must pay the price for their crimes” story with a supernatural enforcer angle and some outstanding art. I want to see where the story takes me in issue #2 before I decide whether to add this to my pull list or not.
Reviewed by: Bob Bretall
(bob@comicspectrum.com)
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