Review - Hit #1

"Just because you're not proven guilty...doesn't mean your innocent."

Believe it or not, the idea of a corrupt cop is fairly old. For every good cop, there's another cop on the take so to speak, looking to get ahead in their own personal lives by using their position of power. Sometimes though, those characters are actually ordered to be "corrupt" to better deal with the evil on the streets. BOOM! Studios offers Hit #1 as one such work.

The first issue is written by Bryce Carlson, illustrated by Vanesa R. Del Rey, colored by Archie Van Buren and lettered by Ed Dukeshire.

Harvey Slater is a detective in 1955 Los Angeles. He's part of a secret Hit Squad, taking to the streets and taking out the mobsters who have been running the streets as part of the clandestine operation. They're quite good at what they do and business is good. That is, until an old flame in Bonnie Brae. Things get a little crazy after that, with Slater in a whole new world of trouble.

Stories set in the time and place of Hit #1 aren't quite as frequent as they used to be, but Carlson manages to revisit that world in style. Slater is very much tough as nails and capitalizes on the leverage afforded him as part of the hit squad. He's just as comfortable beating up another cop who disrespects his mom as he is drinking at a bar to celebrate a big win. As a first issue, the work really moves along briskly, getting the reader everything they need to get up to speed and have knowledge of what's going on.

Del Rey's art is fantastic. There's a newspaper texture to the characters and settings, which really helps to immerse the reader in Harvey Slater's world. She does a great job in the panels as they focus on certain things: a flicked cigarette, people's mouths as they talk, a quick gunshot. The story itself doesn't really feel very fast-paced, but Del Ray's art makes the book feel like it's moving a lot faster. She does an excellent job framing the action and really helps the book stand out.

Hit #1 is a pretty gritty book that deals in danger. The duo of Carlson and Del Rey work very well together, with the art speeding up the methodical pace of the script. The first issue definitely leaves the reader intrigued as to what will happen next. Slater makes his living on his own rules, but the ending reminds the reader that rules can change in an instant. This is a book that has a noir sensibility to it that is definitely worth checking out.

Hit #1 is in stores now with interiors below.