Comic Vine Review

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Bad Ass #1

4

Dead End is a gun for hire who is pretty bad ass.

The Good

BAD ASS is about a mercenary named Dead End who needs to get his Deadmobile fixed, so he needs to talk to a giant, green lizard to get the goods. That may not be the actual plot, but that's what I took away from it. On paper, describing the issue is probably the funnest issue. This is in no way a strike against the writer, Herik Hanna. That's what makes this first issue work. It's so out there and weird, yet insanely familiar.

Our first introduction to the character is in the opening scene where Dead End eats a lunch and doesn't tip the waiter, which eventually leads to a car blowing up. How we got there isn't important, but Hanna does a great job at giving us the essence of this character right off the bat: he's self-absorbed, a bit of a jerk, but looks good doing it.

Interlaced throughout the issue are scenes from Dead End's childhood where he was beated and bullied by almost everyone for being a pimply-faced nerd, which is a fine tribute to almost every single super-hero in American comic books. Hanna nails the "geek turned ultimate bad ass" theme right on the head.

Bruno Bessadi (art), and Gaetan Georges (colors) do a superb job at providing art that really fits the tone of the book and the writing. It's vibrant, bright, and a bit cartoony. The scenes move very well, and the color transitions, in shaded areas, was incredibly smooth. Visually, this was a very impressive book.

The Bad

It's weird to see something that is one-part parody of Deadpool, since Deadpool is a parody of Deathstroke. The character is a bit more carbon copy, minus breaking the fourth wall, than a tribute or parody of the character, except not really funny or witty at all. Sure, there's a bit of humor here, but nothing you could really call funny. I'd say it's more fun than anything else.

The Verdict

BAD ASS was a pretty fun read. It really nails the reader over the head with the "Check this out! It's a parody of Deadpool and American comics!" to the point of the reader wanting to pass out, but it's still a very satisfying read. It was a bit more fun than funny, and it was an issue I strangely couldn't put down, even though I had a few problems with it. The color and art are fantastic and while there's something about this book that really bugs me, overall, I really enjoyed it. I recommend trying this issue out for yourself.