Crime pays in Hollywood, especially when it comes to the movies, but what if you combined the two? Image Comics has themselves a self-professed crime/comedy on their hands with a new #1 out today; so in all its killing, is it good?
One-Hit Wonder #1 (Image Comics)
I’m not really sure what to make of this comic. Nothing about it is very funny, as it follows a once child star as a hitman who publicly kills folks. He kills with impunity but it’s never very clear how he gets away with it. He’s also drawn with a big serial killer smile at all times, which doesn’t help his likability. In fact, there’s really nothing good or likeable about this character as he doesn’t seem to have much of a moral core and is only capable of comparing life with movies in a very immature way. He does bad things and doesn’t seem to care who he hurts. This is the hero? It’d make sense if the book was funny, like Deadpool, but it isn’t unfortunately. That spells disaster when it comes to the chemistry of the book.
At one point the character says, “Move over Tarantino, there’s a new snuff movie king out there…” and I’m not sure writer Fabrice Sapolsky understands what snuff movies are. Last I checked Tarantino hasn’t directed a film where someone is actually murdered ever, so this statement only makes the protagonist seem stupid.
Make this guy say “winning” and we’re jumping the shark for sure.
The basic plot of the book is lacking too. Our protagonist is supposed to kill a woman, and after some half-hearted question asking decides to do it simply because of the money he’ll get. The remaining pages of the book follow him as he goes and attempts to kill this woman and truthfully he’s pretty bad at his job. It doesn’t help that his swagger and arrogance seem to suggest he thinks he’s the best killer with absolutely nothing backing it up. The creators aren’t conveying that in a sarcastic way. It’s a confusing balance that doesn’t strike the right chord, not once in the book.
I’m not so sure the art is a good choice for this story, especially since it’s not a very funny script. Artist Ariel Olivetti does a good job as always, with a Mad Magazine-type feel here and there, but the grin he puts on our protagonist is toes the line between creepy or downright odd. It’s like a mask, which doesn’t help humanize the character in the least. There’s some nudity in the book that looks nice, as well as some great colors which fit the Hollywood scene, but really it doesn’t seem to fit the unfunny and twisted nature of the series.
Boo hoo.
Is It Good?
It’s very hard to be interested in a book that’s all about a sociopathic egomaniac especially when played with no humor whatsoever despite its billing. The balance of art and premise don’t seem to fit and the overall book doesn’t read well.
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