REVIEW: Hit List #1 of 5

Writer: Ralph Tedesco

Pencils: Sami Kivela

Colors: Bryan Valenza

Review: Arthur Black

The cover Hit List #1 really attracted me to picking this book up. Who could resist two very well drawn ladies standing ass-to-ass in short black skirts holding pistols? Since my return to reading comics, this has been my first book from Zenescope.

Sami Kivela and Bryan Valenza have done a great job with the art. It contains page after page of great panels. Next to the cover, my favorite is page one. It is a full page drawing of one of the ladies (the one on the right from the cover to be exact) sitting in a car. The image is one I would love to have as a full size painting on the wall in my living room.

The action scenes are very well drawn with great detail. I am a great fan of comic blood shed when it is drawn in good taste. This book is a perfect example.

The first time I read this comic; I had a hard time following the story. The writer seems to bounce around a lot and does not concentrate on developing a cohesive narrative. All of the clichés used in the story detract heavily from the dialogue.  

I gave it a second read to see if maybe I missed something or forgot the English language temporarily. Nope. Actually the second read showed no depth to the characters at all. Another thing I noticed was the lack of a real plot. Seriously, this seemed like combination of a few good ideas that were never fleshed out properly, akin toa ball of Play-Doh made by a child by mixing three or four different colors. The story is obviously about hit men and a supposedly botched hit. The problem lies in the lack of details and reasons.

As stated before, the cover tempted me to pick this one up, and fortunately, I feel the cover is worth the $2.99 I paid. It is my personal opinion that Mr. Tedesco should do some research on the meaning and purpose of a plot. He has written other titles for Zenescope, and I would hope that they were better works than this.

Props are to be given to the artists as they are supporting the book. Great job on the artwork, Sami Kivela and Bryan Valenza.