The Drink Tank Hitman Spectacular! Cover by John Mccrea, the Comic I’D Most Like to See Originally an Unused Cover Revived
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The Drink Tank Hitman Spectacular! Cover by john McCrea, the comic I’d most like to see originally an unused cover revived. They seem to bring for Hitman #14 back every other character (like Barry Allen! I can’t Starting in 1995, I believe they brought back discovered that Starman, by Barry Allen!) but yet we’ve James Robinson, was the not seen Hitman return. best comic ever made. The There’s more to be done main character was basically with him. me, if I’d had my druthers I’ve never fully and fought crime. It was an embraced Garth Ennis. amazing comic and I have Like I said, Preacher wasn’t every early issue. I would buy my thing, never big on his it even if it meant not paying Hellblazer stuff, enjoyed True my bills. I loved it, and was Faith a bit, liked The Pro, buying it every month. but hated his Punisher stuff In 1996, a new comic (though to be fair, I’ve never hit the stands, and I was only a liked The Punisher). Hitman bit curious. I remember going was his masterpiece. A piece to Brian’s Books and seeing it of writing that was beyond on the racks, a guy with guns Hitgirl by EJ King anything else. McCrea’s work blazing and Batman. Batman was just as powerful. His on the cover never really worked to get me to buy images made Tommy. There’s a certain block-power to a comic, but this one looked interesting. I bought it, Tommy that calls to mind the other great DC heroes: took it home and read the hell out of it. Batman and Superman, while at the same time making This was Hitman, and it had instantly replaced him seem more human than any of the others. The Starman as my favorite monthly reading. writing mixes with the images wonderfully. It wouldn’t be until Powers came around that I’ve often envisioned my own comics imprint. I fully immersed myself into a comic. The writing was I’ve always dreamed of being able to create characters, absolute genius. Garth Ennis, whose Preacher had give them a set-up and then let others play with them, let me down every time I’d borrowed an issue, was tell their stories, create their worlds. The first team at the peak of his powers, writing a non-superhero that comes to mind is Waid writing with the art of book (arguably) in a world of Superheroes. His world the sadly-departed Mike Weiringo, but a close second, was enhanced by amazing art. The style of Hitman and the only ones I’d want to do anything that was was instantly recogniseable. That was John McCrea really dark, would be Ennis and McCrea. and his coveres were especially fantastic. I fell in love So, this issue of The Drink Tank is dedicated to with the over-all package. what is still my favorite comic of the 1990s. Someday, Hitman’s main character is a hitman named I’ll do one for Powers, and then another for Starman Tommy Monaghan. and then one for how Vertigo made me realize I’ve Hitman was one of those titles that stuck with no possible chance for success in this life. Until then, me. There are some legendary moments that have enjoy this look at one of the greatest series ever just held on to me for ages. The classic is Superman made. showing up in the pages before a star-struck Tommy. That’s a scene that sticks with you. The association of Superman with Hitman is just so strange and it shows where the weakness in the Superman character and the power of Ennis’ take on Tommy. It’s amazing how Hitman, Batman, Superman, and the rest are all brilliantly the entire scenario played out and that it’s trademarks of DC Comics. Except where noted, all still in my memory is even more incredible. Hitman art is by John McCrea All DC Comics char- I sadly did give up on Hitman after about issue acters and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are 50. Not due to the content, just because the money Trademarks & Copyright © 1939-2010 DC Comics, wasn’t there anymore. I came back to the trades Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. once or twice, and I’ve often mentioned Hitman as Ennis very cleverly brings in many brilliant What Isn’t There To Like? angles to the stories, from Zombie Penguins in Gotham Aquarium, to the Dinosaurs coming through By James Bacon a time portal, because of the nearby research lab. I liked Hitman. There is no end of possibilities, no end to the absurd, It was a skewed take on the DC world, a as Tommy and his friends become embroiled in little out of kilter and synch with the rest of this another adventure. There is a real sense of adventure established and proscribed universe. about some of the stories. A Boys Comic element Tommy Monahan, is instantly likeable, which that really excites and catches the imagination. There is good for a hired killer, but then, that’s the true is also the element where Ennis brings in professional character of this killer showing through. The story killers of a wide variety, whether it be gangster, or of Hitman, a modern tragedy, with much comedy military orientated, in this world of Superheroes and and mirth is really the story of Tommy and his derring-do, there is still room for crime and cold mates, and it really goes far deeper than the average callousness. The issues that featured SAS men, showed DC Universe comic into the character of the main that trained professional soldiers, are in essence very protagonist. There is something palpably real about tough. The homage paid to various genre’s whether the friendships, and the upsets that occur throughout it’s the western, in the Pulp Heroes annual, with art the story, and despite the sometimes bizarre and by Carlos Ezquerra, or the Tommy’s Heroes issue, incredible comic book situations our friends fall into, again Ennis manages to pull of fantastic nods to there is an underlying back bone about friendship, its great works, without being shallow or derivative in a importance and its complexity which permeates the disappointing way. whole series. Tommy’s history that catches up with him That Tommy is a meta-human with powers, is sorrowful, well thought out and very sad. That a that give him headaches, but which can indeed assist character could have his mother and siblings killed by his father, that so much trauma could occur to him, does not put him in an individual, in such a the league of super heroes, heartfelt way, just adds to and in actual fact he is the character and helps far from them, looking us understand him a bit onward, with an objective more, understand, or try and at time disrespectful to understand his psyche, or fanboyish eye. Issue 34 what he is made of. of Hitman, is perhaps one Of course on of my favourite Superman the sadness stakes, the comics, better even than ending of Hitman, the the ‘What Ever Happened last issues, are really to the Man of tomorrow’ quite phenomenal. If story. It deserved it’s you have read the story, Eisner Award. from word go, if you have Tommy has a very travelled with Tommy, cynical and wry sense of Natt, Ringo, and Hacken humour, the way he deals and seen his friends and with Batman, or the way he loved ones die, as his and his friends talk about world seems to implode, the annual ‘events’ that despite everything, it befalls the population of quickly crescendos into Gotham City are examples one of the most moving of the fourth wall, just for and upsetting endings in a moment slipping, as the comics. As I say to friends reader smiles knowingly and my wife, each time I at the purposeful jibe read it, it’s my chick flick against a bigger unseen of comics, I can’t stop commercial system. how it makes me feel. As usual, MAJOR SPOILERS abound in this Comics You Should Own: post. That’s just how I roll! Hitman Of course, Dogwelder isn’t the only reason these are Comics You Should Own. Dogwelder by Greg Burgas comes from Steve Dillon’s twisted imagination, which All art by John McCrea from gave us a man ... who welds dead dogs to bad guys’ faces. What the hell, indeed. But Hitman is so much the Hitman DC series more than twisted jokes. Hitman, more than Preacher, more than The Punisher, is Garth Ennis’s masterpiece. orignally appeared as a part of Comics You Should He has never been as good, and he might never be Own on http://www.comicbookresources.com/ as good again. That’s kind of a shame, but we can still re-read this and marvel at just how good it is. One word makes this a Comic You Should What makes this comic Ennis’s masterpiece? Own: DOGWELDER! Preacher, with its Vertigo sensibility, its marketing push, and its lofty themes, is often cited as a comic Hitman by Garth Ennis (writer), John McCrea non-comics readers would like. Preacher, as good as (artist, Demon Annual #2, issues #1-20, 22-60, it is (and it’s quite good), is ultimately somewhat of 1,000,000; JLA/Hitman #1-2), Steve Pugh (artist, issue an immature work. Throughout, it feels as if Ennis is #21; inker, issue #22), Gary Leach (inker, issues #23- rebelling against a Christian upbringing, and while 27, 29-30, 32-60), Andrew Chui (inker, issue #31), there’s nothing wrong with that, it limits the comic Steve Haynie (letterer, Demon Annual #2), Willie somewhat.