Customer Reviews

Kick-Ass

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

My goodness, no wonder there's a movie coming out. What Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. have done here simply calls for a cinematic adaptation, and I am salivating. If you've ever wondered what it'd be like if some fool - and an untrained kinda nerdy high school fool, at that - decides to don a superhero costume and prowl the slimy streets in search of mischief, this'll be an eye-popper.

John Hughes never dreamed of something like this in his high school flicks. The central figure is comic-book-reading 16-year-old Dave Lizewski who doesn't boast that tragic a past; no radioactive insects bit him; he wasn't exposed to a magic word; and he's not an orphan from an exploded planet. To quote Dave Lizewski, his origin is he was bored. But under Mark Millar's insanity, Dave's story takes on this dark, outrageous, ultra-violent turn while still staying somewhat in the periphery of what's realistic.

This trade collects the first eight issues and lets you into an urban bloodbath. Because when you put on a wet suit and start looking for trouble, odds are you're gonna end up bumping against some seriously hard mothereffers. And when your only super powers are perseverance and some talent for soaking up punishment, you'll most likely end up hitting the floor really hard. Dave gets severely pounded his first time going up against some thugs, and then he gets bowled over asss over heel by a hurtling car.

Months of recovery from his injuries, and you'd think Dave's learned his lesson. But then Dave puts on the costume again and resumes his night patrols. And then, while bracing some muggers, Dave becomes an overnight online sensation, the first real-life superhero. The Internet even gives him his superhero code name. And soon other costumed freaks are following in his footsteps, including a badasss ten-year-old girl expertly wielding swords. Go throw your hands in the air for the lethal and potty-mouthed Hit-Girl. And, okay, with Hit-Girl, Millar does wander past what's believable. But she's such a cool character that we have to, have to give her a pass.

Despite the Rob Liefeld intro, this trade is a jaw-dropping read, but it's horribly suited for children, nuns, and perhaps Armenians. Profanity and nudity are a healthy presence. Let me say that KICK-ASS is bloody and brutal and subversive and simply in your damn f----- face, and Millar shows you why no one's actually gotten away with putting on a costume and stomping on amoral lowlifes in real life. Artist John Romita, Jr. comes in with some of his best stuff and there's even that smidgen of that Frank Miller vibe in his art. Saying that this series is violent is to understate matters, kinda like suggesting that Big Daddy exhibits questionable parenting skills. I've already said that Mark Millar is insane, and I'm sticking to that. But the guy is also a master of his craft, and so we eat up his dish of bloody visceral bombast, and I also relish how Dave and, later, Red Mist go about on their new careers (Meanwhile, Big Daddy & Hit-Girl's relationship is really too dysfunctional to be relatable). So is this an unflinching, credible look at costumed vigilantes in the real world? Probably more so than not. The dialogue, by the way, rings true, as does Dave Lizewski. And the story is funny as well. I laughed my titmice off at what happens when Dave arrives at the moment in which he feels he ought to start leaping rooftop to rooftop. Dave Lizewski is a compelling character, but I think the kid is seriously disturbed. Still doesn't keep me from saying that his alter ego absolutely friggin' rules!

Well written, brisk pacing, fantastic art, fun twists, and great characters all combine to make this one of the best reads out there right now.

Is it shocking? Sure, but that's part of the fun of it! However, the "shock factor" is only one small part of what makes this book feel so fresh.

For me, Millar and JRJR kncoked this book out of the park. You can tell how much fun they're having telling their story, and I love being along for the ride.

If you're sensitive to violence or to underage kids using guns, swords, and adult language, this book may not be for you; but if you can appreciate it for what it is, you won't be disappointed. Don't worry -- it's nowhere near as "shocking" as many other comics out there such as Preacher or The Boys (or pretty much anything else Garth Ennis writes), but it certainly is edgy.

Overall, it's a surprisingly fresh and unique take on superheroes, geek culture, and adolescence, masterfully illustrated and perfectly paced.

I love it!

If it's one thing Mark Millar (Wanted, Wolverine: Enemy of the State & Old Man Logan, Ultimates, Civil War) knows, it's how to shock the audience. The much anticipated, and much delayed, Kick-Ass does just that and more. Published under Marvel's Icon imprint, Kick-Ass reunites Millar with his Enemy of the State partner and Marvel artist mainstay John Romita Jr. (World War Hulk, Amazing Spider-Man), and once again finds Millar poking fun at the sort of comic book conventions he did with Wanted, although the results are not nearly as nihilistic. Dave Lizewski is a comic book obsessed teenager who decides to take his love for superheroes to a new level when he dons a green costume and decides to fight crime. Naturally, things don't work out quite so well for him at first, and eventually, he finds that he isn't alone in the superhero business as he encounters Hit Girl, Big Daddy, and Red Mist. That's really only scraping the surface of Kick-Ass, as Millar presents the humdrum and dreary existence of Dave with such dark comedic flair that it's hard not to admire the series as a whole. That, along with the great artwork by Romita, makes Kick-Ass all the better. Word of warning however, Kick-Ass is definitely not for the squeamish: it is ridiculously bloody, violent, and will be more than likely deemed offensive by some. With that in mind though, Kick-Ass should be checked out at the very least regardless, and if the upcoming film adaptation is half as good, there will be even more reason to celebrate.

The film adaptation of the creator-owned, Marvel-published Kick-Ass, by writer Mark Millar and artist John Romita Jr., just hit movie theaters around the U.S. Cue new collected edition of the book with "Now a Major Motion Picture!" emblazoned on the cover. And while many hardcore comic enthusiasts might find themselves reluctant to purchase these tie-ins, the Kick-Ass book is actually a very nice collection.

The "Premiere Hardcover" edition collects issues #1-8 of the comic, comprising the entirety of the first major story arc. Though its cover does include the aforementioned text, effectively outing purchasers as "fans after the release of the film," it opts for new artwork by Romita on the dust cover rather than movie poster images, which is a nice touch. One version features Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl, weapons in hand, covered in blood. The other features a downtrodden Kick-Ass, sitting on his bed without his mask.

Aside from the black hardcover with yellow letters, and the collection of chapters 1-8, fans get two pages worth of bios of the comic's creators, a two-page spread of "Kick-Ass's Greatest Hits" (the most ultra-violent moments from the comics that comprise Book One), a few variant covers and a poster drawn by Romita of the characters in the movie versions of their costumes. It doesn't offer any behind-the-scenes in-depth features a la DC's Absolute editions, but it is a nice set at $24.99 to help fans get caught up with the series before or after seeing the movie.

For those unfamiliar, Kick-Ass's creators have dubbed it "The Greatest Superhero Comic of All Time." While this may be a bit of an overstatement, the book is quite entertaining. Kick-Ass tells the tale of Dave Lizewski, a comic-book nerd just like you or me. Like everyone else, he has fantasies of being a superhero. Unlike the rest of us, he wonders why after years and years of comics no one has really given it a try. Putting on a mask and helping people doesn't sound like such a far-fetched idea to Dave.

So he orders himself the most badass scuba suit he can find on eBay and takes to the streets. For the first several weeks, he does little but patrol the rooftops. After a while, he decides to encounter a trio of hoodlums causing trouble. It doesn't go well, and he winds up with a knife in the gut; a car hits him as he stumbles away; and he wakes up severely injured in the hospital. But despite having some metal plates put in his head, suffering numerous broken bones, and burning his comics collection in defiance, Dave eventually winds up back in the suit and on the street.

His next encounter goes a bit better than the first. He gets his ass kicked again, but this time finds a way to stave off a gang of bad guys to protect their target. Someone just so happens to be recording it, and the video becomes a YouTube sensation. Embracing the modern age, Kick-Ass starts a MySpace page to learn the problems of the world, as patrolling just isn't efficient enough. It also inspires a wealth of copycats of varying qualities, and, of course, villains.

The main success Kick-Ass finds is in its "superheroes in real life" premise. Despite dealing primarily with children in costume, Millar (Civil War, Wanted) pulls no punches when it comes to the reality of a child fighting crime. It often ends in pain, and sometimes even death. It both accepts and comments on modern culture and how people become stars, and in doing so makes its premise that much more believable, as absurd as it is.

And Millar finds humor in the absurdity as well, creating some well-paced inner monologues and dialogue for big laughs that are truly earned. But its humor can also often be very high school in its tone. And as many people as there are who will embrace both this aspect and the ultra-violence of Kick-Ass, there will be just as many who find it childish and morally reprehensible. Make no mistake, Kick-Ass is brutally violent, and a 10-year-old girl who slices and dices without remorse and uses just about every swear word in the book isn't for everyone. In fact, it really shouldn't be, but Millar finds a way to make it endearing, or at the very least good fun. Kick-Ass features a "Mature Content" warning on the back, and it's not without reason, as much credited to John Romita Jr.'s gritty art as Millar's writing.


Kick-Ass also has its fair share of flaws. As much as Millar paces certain chapters, action scenes, and jokes incredibly well, he also sometimes fills panels with needless side notes and extra adult content for the hell of it. It's not perfect, and definitely not for everyone, but when it's on, Kick-Ass can be one of the more entertaining comics around, and definitely earns a unique spot in the medium, doing something new with the concept of superheroes. The greatest of all time? Probably not. Kick-ass? For sure.
-- William Jones

Dave Lizewski is your typical comic book reading high school nerd, he always been a loner with only few friends and a hardworking dad who always loves to score with the ladies since his wife died. He notices New York has the most crime than any other city, he decides to become a real life superhero named "KickAss" as he becomes a sensation on youtube and myspace all thanks to his antics of beating criminals and saving lives. However, he has competition with other superheros like Red-Mist to all the way to a former cop turned assassin named Big-Daddy and his foul mouthed little girl named Hit-Girl, he has fallen in love with a fellow girl in high school which he wants to get with and deal with the mafia.

A balls to the wall and ultraviolent dark comedy graphic novel from Mark Millar (Wanted) who wrote the storyline and drawn nicely by John Romita Jr. who did artwork for Iron Man, Amazing Spider-Man, Uncanny X-Men, Wolverine and World War Hulk. This is the next "Watchmen" in terms of a mature superhero story that feels realistic and very dark, this comic series is NOT for everyone due to it's graphic bloody violence that includes brain slicing to mutilations of sorts, foul language, some mild nudity and subject matter. It's totally un-PC and is totally funny in a weird kind of way. I also love the social commentary thrown in it, no wonder this was meant to be a movie even though the movie was different from this including the ending but who cares.

A must have for fans of graphic novels and Marvel.

I don't get out to the theater much, so when I saw the positive reviews for the film adaptation of Kick Ass I decided to give the graphic novel a try. First of all, it's a fun, very quick read, because it's heavy on the "graphic" and light on the "novel". Lot's of well-drawn, "graphic", colorful images with blood spurting everywhere as well as other bodily fluids.

The story is very well written and flows superbly. I got through the entire book in just about an hour. The story introduces us to a high school kid whose favorite pass-time is, you guessed it, comic books. Specifically, comic books with superheroes. And this kid's fantasy is, you guessed it, to be a superhero. So what do you think he does? (Okay, I'll stop saying "you guessed it" now.) He puts on a costume and he goes out looking for trouble. And he finds it.

The story is pretty believable up until he starts to develop super strength in some situations...perhaps not super strength, but maybe super-resilient powers is a better way to put it. Then when 10 year old HitGirl shows up and exhibits superhuman power (for a 10 year old anyway) and resolve, the story gets a tad--wait, no--a lot unbelievable.

But overall I enjoyed the ride and I'm now truly looking forward to seeing the film adaptation when it comes out on Blu Ray. So would I recommend the book? Sure. Absolutely. Especially if you've not seen the movie.

Mark Millar's "Kick-Ass" series is truly one for the ages and this book (a compilation of the first 8 issues) crackles with intensity, wit, savagery and eye-popping visuals thanks to John Romita Jr's fantastic penciling. If you've already seen the movie, you will still enjoy this book immensely and find appreciation to the film adaptation for hewing so closely to the original plotting and sense of mayhem. The last dozen pages of this book presents alternate covers, profiles of the creative team and an amusing 'greatest hits' section with highlight panels that demonstrate the extreme violence.

I guess it says something about me that I loved this depraved collection of Kic-Ass 1-/. The artwork is terrific, and the story is very original. If you saw the movie you'll enjoy how the scriptwriters wove the disparate threads of the comics together to make a more cohesive narrative. I thought this was a terrific graphic novel, but need to keep it out of my kids' hands for a few years.

Rated R by me.

I saw the film adaptation before I read the graphic novel, which maybe why I'm biased toward the film. I loved the movie and thought it was the best I had seen in a long time. I was less impressed with the graphic novel. What I loved about the film was the dark, sometimes quirky humor; the insane, but fun action sequences; the heartfelt, sometimes tragic story; and the complexity of the characters. Little or none of these things are in the novel. It is darker than the movie, which is to be expected, but since almost all the comedy is in the beginning, the later part of the story is very bleak. The fight scenes are grisly slaughters that are too gruesome to be cathartic. The pacing and plot transitions make the story confusing at times. For instance, Dave appears to be sick in bed, then on the next page he is suddenly in his Kick-Ass costume. A page or two later he mentions in passing that it is a wet-suit he bought on e-bay. The characters are far less likable than in the film. Big Daddy and Hit girl have a completely different backstory, and Dave and Katie's relationship is far less happy. Despite what Dave does as Kick-Ass, he is still as much of a loser at the end as he was at the beginning. You feel like he accomplished nothing at the end. I suppose, though, that this was the author's point. Dave and other superhero wannabes were trying to make life more exciting, but didn't have a real superhero vision.

Unfortunately, I cannot evaluate this book on its own merits. I was and still am a huge fan of the film, and that taints my judgment. If, like me, you are a fan of the movie, you will probably not enjoy the source novel as much, if at all.

Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr.'s "Kick-Ass" is hyper-violent, subtly humorous, and thoroughly enjoyable. It's not quite as brilliant as Millar seems to think, but it's certainly a bloody good time. The novel (or series, what-have-you) follows Dave Lizewski, a comic book fan who decides to don a crime-fighting costume. It's not as simple as he thinks, however; when he meets Big Daddy and the ten-year-old Hit Girl, he realizes that real-life superheroes exist in a kill-or-die world, and there's a lot of blood, a lot of pain, a ton of lies and betrayal, and very few happy endings.

The graphic novel is a little too self-aware at times, and Millar's writing is only so-so; some dialogue sticks out as memorably funny, but the rest gets buried beneath Romita's amazing illustrations, and the overall concept: What kind of person becomes a superhero? The answer, of course, is that only screw-ups, only people who've lost everything or are mentally unbalanced become masked crime-fighters. Millar never really explores this line of thought, but he gets kudos for presenting it, and that's really the point: we're left to create our own theories.

Now, like a lot of people, I came to the novel via the movie, so I figured I should include a little bit about how they compare. Truth be told (and as a fellow writer and a life-long reader, it pains me to say this), I preferred the movie. The novel has a few things the movie doesn't (namely, the masterfully graphic illustrations), including a darker undertone about Big Daddy and Hit Girl's origins. However, the movie capitalizes on the humor, which serves as a wonderful counterbalance to the violence. This IS funny stuff. Millar seems to realize that, but never fully explores it; he references it here and there, but the humor--just like any intelligent theories/concepts--takes a backseat to the violence. Millar is out to shock you. The film does so, but brings caries more fully-realized aspects of humor and concept. That being said, fans of the film--and comics in general--will get a kick out of "Kick-Ass." There's certainly nothing else like it out there.