Review: KICK-ASS #7 (The New Girl)

KICK-ASS No. 7 (2018)
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Steve Niles
ART: Marcelo Frusin
COLORS: Sunny Gho
LETTERS: John Workman
EDITOR: Rachel Fulton
COVER: Marcelo Frusin.
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Jock; Rafael Grampa
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (September 2018)

Rated M/Mature

Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl created by Mark Miller and John Romita, Jr.

This year, writer Mark Millar and creator John Romita, Jr. revived their wildly popular superhero comic book series, Kick-Ass.  The duo transitioned from the story of Dave Lizewski, and Kick-Ass (2018) began the story of the “New Girl” who became Kick-Ass, Staff Sergeant Patience Lee, a combat veteran in the Afghanistan part of the “(Global) War on Terror.”

Both Millar and Romita moved on to other projects after the sixth issue of Kick-Ass.  The seventh issue introduces a new creative team.  It is comprised of writer Steve Niles; artist Marcelo Frusin; colorist Sunny Gho; and letterer John Workman.  At this point in the series, the new girl is still kicking ass, but she is making new and even more dangerous enemies.

Kick-Ass #7 finds Sgt. Patience Lee Kick-Ass moving along quite nicely in her new life.  As Kick-Ass, she has taken over and consolidated several criminal gangs.  She takes down drug operations and divides the spoils among the criminals who have joined her new gang.  Lee does this while keeping only $800 from her Kick-Ass operations for herself, and she still works as a waitress at a diner.  The latest self-styled crime lord that she has targeted is Hector Santos, who mostly seems to stay in hiding.  Santos is also a little more savvy than most of the criminals that Kick-Ass has been kicking around, and our anti-hero may be walking into a trap.

I loved and still love the original Kick-Ass comic books, which were published by Marvel Comics' Icon imprint.  Kick-Ass is my favorite work of artist John Romita, Jr., and it is my favorite work of Mark Millar, although his new comic book, The Magic Order, could overtake it.  I was not excited to hear that a new creative team would take over the series with the seventh issue of Kick-Ass (2018).

However, Kick-Ass #7 turns out to be a thoroughly enjoyable comic book.  Writer Steve Niles and artist Marcelo Frusin do not miss a beat in keeping the series consistent with the momentum Millar and Romita, Jr. built over the previous six issues.  The transition from originals to the new creative team for the “New Girl's” story is for all intents and purposes seamless.

In his story and script, Niles slowly builds the tension before exploding the story with a surprising change of plot.  No one can duplicate John Romita Jr.'s unique visual and graphical style, but Frusin makes Kick-Ass his own graphical storytelling feat.  This is still Kick-Ass (2018), but now, this gritty crime story is a gritty crime comic book.  Instead of Romita's explosive pop comics illustrations, Frusin gives us art that recalls recent popular crime comic books like 100 Bullets and Criminal.

Colorist Sunny Gho, who always seems to be offering something new with his comic book coloring, heightens Frusin's sense of tense drama and explosive action with subdued colors.  As always, John Workman proves that he is a master letterer with indispensable fonts and word balloons that are as beautiful as the art and are perfectly placed.

So I need not worry.  Steve Niles and Marcelo Frusin will make sure that Kick-Ass keeps kicking readers' imagination.  I am ready for the next issue.

8.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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