X #0
In the city of Arcadia, crime is a way of life, officials are corrupt and criminals rule with an iron fist with brass knuckles. For a city this brutal, you need a hero who’s just as depraved as the crooks & murderers who run it. Introducing X, a costumed hero whose methods are devastating, but affective. As the criminals tighten the noose on Arcadia’s neck, X will give the scum of the city a new reason to fear justice or at least X’s idea of justice.
I rather enjoyed this comic, but having a comic with guts & guns isn’t enough to hook me in month after month. Now having said that having never read the original X from the 90’s, I really don’t know much about this character, so the room for a potentially large background story is there. Who’s X? What’s his motivation? Does he have enhanced strength? A healing factor? Lord knows after this issue’s events, he could use one. The villains are mafia bosses & crooks. All ruthless and cocky, but thankfully not complete idiots either which presents a challenge for the hero. They are a little one- dimensional, but I really don’t have a problem with that, they’re just meat for the grinder.
Writer Duane Swierczynski has written for characters who are no strangers to violence and have a warped sense of truth & justice. Check out his recent work on Bloodshot and Judge Dredd to see what I mean, those characters wear their violent nature proudly on their sleeves. With X, it’s as if the powers that be at Dark Horse said “Go ape shit and give us your worse” or best depending how you look at it. My favourite OMG moment has to be when X uses a nail bomb in the most creative ways. I’ll bet Frank Castle never thought of that one.
I’m new to Eric Nguyen’s illustrations, but I’m eating it all up. Dark, scary & messy and with Michelle Madsen’s colours, the grit is black and you can almost feel the blood spray as X dishes out his own brand of justice. I also love how the mafia bosses look like caricatures straight out of Dick Tracy.
The Team
Written by Duane Swierczynski (Bloodshot, The Wheelman, Judge Dredd Vol. 1) & illustrated by Eric Nguyen (X-Factor Forever, Tales of the Fear Agent). Published by Dark Horse.The Pros & Cons
Like the character Ghost, X makes his bloody return to Dark Horse and it’s not for the faint of heart. Imagine Batman with violent decencies who has absolutely no scruples about torturing criminals for information and eventually executing them in gory & creative ways. Mix in some Punisher style brutality, Marv’s (Sin City) savagery and Kick-Ass stabbings that’ll make mark Millar lose his lunch and you’ve got one messed up anti-hero.I rather enjoyed this comic, but having a comic with guts & guns isn’t enough to hook me in month after month. Now having said that having never read the original X from the 90’s, I really don’t know much about this character, so the room for a potentially large background story is there. Who’s X? What’s his motivation? Does he have enhanced strength? A healing factor? Lord knows after this issue’s events, he could use one. The villains are mafia bosses & crooks. All ruthless and cocky, but thankfully not complete idiots either which presents a challenge for the hero. They are a little one- dimensional, but I really don’t have a problem with that, they’re just meat for the grinder.
Writer Duane Swierczynski has written for characters who are no strangers to violence and have a warped sense of truth & justice. Check out his recent work on Bloodshot and Judge Dredd to see what I mean, those characters wear their violent nature proudly on their sleeves. With X, it’s as if the powers that be at Dark Horse said “Go ape shit and give us your worse” or best depending how you look at it. My favourite OMG moment has to be when X uses a nail bomb in the most creative ways. I’ll bet Frank Castle never thought of that one.
I’m new to Eric Nguyen’s illustrations, but I’m eating it all up. Dark, scary & messy and with Michelle Madsen’s colours, the grit is black and you can almost feel the blood spray as X dishes out his own brand of justice. I also love how the mafia bosses look like caricatures straight out of Dick Tracy.
The Outcome
Like I said, I like this comic and I totally recommend it, but as a monthly series… we’ll see.A Look Inside
