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Image has launched a sequel to the Kingsman series made famous by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons. Kingsman: The Red Diamond #1 follows Eggsy on his path to become a superspy, despite his not so privileged upbringing. The new series-a 6 issue-plans an exploration into the torn mind of our hero as he balances his new lifestyle with his working class history. The debut issue frames the journey as we get to see what can happen when a new, better life intersects with the old one. Is it good?
I loved the concept of the first Kingsman movie and am also excited about Kingsman: The Golden Circle, so I’m happy that the characters are completely entertaining in this new series. The opening is an overview of how great Eggsy has it now: hot girl, great car, and no concerns. It’s a fantastic introduction to how our hero wants to be portrayed. You do get a feeling that it’s not all honest and I like the deception, even in personality.
Writer Rob Williams does a great job with the arrogant dialogue and genuine emotion. The “kidnapping” premise is hilarious. I don’t want to go into much but the plot line works at being as current with events as it can; I was actually surprised as I was expecting more fantasy but it works great. If you’re into one-liners, the rescue mission is jam packed. I also learned royalty can be “snooty pricks”.
The artwork fits extremely well with the story, with Simon Fraser providing amazing visuals. There’s a bit of loss in definition with almost all the panels closer to the end of the issue, but for the most part the solid color backgrounds really make the action pop. About the time Eggsy meets up with his mom is when the facial expressions start to looks a bit less expressive — and befittingly, the story is still good but it loses something.
Overall, though, the debut issue of Kingsman: The Red Diamond is pretty great. There’s a scary, evil antagonist closer to the end that definitely has my attention. This is a series to keep an eye on for sure. The creative team has a lot they can do with Kingsman: The Red Diamond #1 and hopefully they go a bit darker as well.
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