Black Mask Studios has yet another hit on their hands.
Not a fan of wordy reviews or slight spoilers? Here’s a quick take: Ballistic ranks among the best premiere issues that I have read in a long time. The book is violent, irreverent, and completely absurd, and I can’t recall the last time I’ve experienced such a fantastic mixture of those three things.
Years in the making, Ballistic‘s infectious, humorous script comes from writer Adam Egypt Mortimer, while the superbly detailed, oft-disturbing artwork (right from the very first panel) has been created by HAPPY! and Transmetropolitan alum Darick Robertson.
Ballistic‘s memorable opening begins with a unique issue: bad dudes have bad things to do, and it’s too freaking hot. Naturally they call in Butch: an HVAC repair man with dreams of becoming a criminal, whose best (and possibly only) friend is his talking, living gun. The dialogue shared between Butch and his firearm are some of the standout pages of the book; they speak as though they’re best friends, they act as though they simply couldn’t function without each other, and this relationship takes Ballistic to a completely new level.
That gun isn’t the only typically inanimate object that’s alive in Ballistic… every piece of technology is. This leads to some original problems (and solutions) throughout the course of the book, and gives Robertson’s artwork a very particular and distinguished feel. From pulling an optic nerve from an A/C unit, to a building with spines instead of pillars, all the way to an attempted bank robbery (which fails because the gun can’t fire due to having an overage of drugs in its system), Ballistic‘s slick writing and phenomenal art are both to be celebrated.
Ballistic is set to hit shelves tomorrow (Wednesday, July 10th). The five issue miniseries began with a bang (in the biggest sense of the word), and I’m unbelievably excited to learn what comes next. If you can pick up one comic this week, make it this one! Ballistic scores a clear 5/5; this book is bound to sell out fast, so you may find it advantageous to call your LCS and add Ballistic to your pull list.
If you’re in the Los Angeles area, Ballistic writer Adam Egypt Mortimer will appear at Meltdown Comics tomorrow (July 10th) at 7:30PM for a signing. It’s a great opportunity to meet one of the creators of one of the best new miniseries’ of 2013. I wish I could be there, but unfortunately, I don’t fly down for a few more days!
