Penciller Leinil Yu
Inker Gerry Alanguilan
Colourist Sonny Gho
Full Colour
Hardback
128 pages
Dimensions 258 x 170mm
Publication date: 24 October 2012
ISBN: 9781781165829
£14.99
When the market is flooded with competition and the authorities are always on your tail, what’s an all-American super villain to do? Go to Spain, of course! Johnny Bolt convinces his villainous pals to pull off one last heist but will culture shock get to them before the policia do? And when Johnny’s target is revealed as the greatest super villain of all time, things go horribly wrong – but it’s too late to turn back.
A massive secret in the American superhero community might just work in their favor, and if the Supercrooks can survive, it will mean an enormous payday! From the writer who brought you KICK-ASS and the artist of SUPERIOR and SECRET INVASION!
Okay, not a big fan of much of Millar’s comic work but this, despite the expletives, is quite good. Yes, Millar fans expect the “realistic language” so that’s out of the way. Although I actually saw the main plot twist at the end coming it still surprised me.
No surprise that this reads like a cross between the movie Ocean’s Eleven and The X-men since Millar saw it as a movie –hence calling in Vigalondo (buy the book –it’s all explained). The sniper rifle-scope scene was so obviously a cinematic touch because you can visualise how they might use that in a movie –in the comic it just looks and sounds plain daft.
But, hands up here –it was a good read.
The art itself is superb and the colour work enhances it even more. No faults there. So, I’ve recommended a Millar book (crap –does this mean the Mayans were right??).
My criticism is that it’s all “super heroes with pervie secrets that are no better than crooks” and the excessive head explosions, blood and gore and anti-hero crooks are just so old hat. Seriously, this started in the mid-1980s –Marshal Law, Watchmen –I could write a bloody long list.
I always thought that, if he wanted to, Millar could sit down and write top-notch original or standard super hero stories with his own “touch” to them. No obscenities, no excessive blood and something that might inspire some kid(s) to say “This is cool –I want to write comics like this one day!”
I may just be an old fart and, yes, I know that certain factions will love certain genres that they expect to see such-and-such in. Hey, I’m a horror comic film buff so I know the score (and I can tell you most zombie films now have literally the same plot and endings, which is boring). So I get that certain people expect certain things from Millar books. I’m just like to see him write one I could pass along to my nephews one day and say “you’ll enjoy this” (knowing full well they’ll probably prefer the other stuff!).
So, recommended.
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