Written by Mark Millar
Drawn by Pepe Larraz
Published by Image Comics
PREVIOUSLY: Big Game #2
Mark Millar is pulling no punches with this, his first big Millarworld crossover event. In the second issue, The Fraternity’s armed soldiers gunned down Ethan Crane and the Chrononauts, just as they returned from a brief time travel mission with the mysterious Bobbie Chase (whose also murdered). Then Nemesis personally slaughters The Ambassadors, including their founder Choon-He.
In this issue, the targets are Huck, Night Club, Simon Pooni, the boy who previously transformed into the “fictional” superhero Superior. And, of course, Eggsy and Hit-Girl are still on the loose.
I won’t spoil the details, but just add that Huck is targeted while in the midst of performing one of his extraordinary good deeds, and Amy and Danny are dispatched using one of the traditional methods of killing vampires (Sam is still at large, as it’s mentioned that he doesn’t hang out with Amy and Danny anymore, as we saw at the conclusion of Night Club #6). Simon’s death was particularly disturbing, just because he’s simply a poor kid (well, an adult now, it’s mentioned that the Superior miniseries took place in 2010) still stuck in a wheelchair, and therefore no threat to The Fraternity. Eggsy and Hit Girl get caught while trying to break into Wesley Gibson’s HQ.
We also see Dave Lizewski again, he’s putting on his old Kick-Ass costume, heading to join some meeting of the other superheroes that’s been called by President Joe Biden (we see “Vote Jodie” posters, so presumably it’s the next election where Jodie Christensen from American Jesus gets elected). Although clearly outclassed for a threat like this, Dave still has his childish self-confidence, and thinks he’s going to be the “Batman” of this event. I kind of look forward to seeing how Millar has him knocked off.
All of this action is once again beautifully drawn by Pepe Larraz, whose images leap off the page and help make this one of the most exciting comics of the year.
I am left with a few thoughts, though.
First, I have to say that this is all so daring for Millar, the Big Two crossovers don’t generally have this type of mass slaughter of their main characters unless it’s an out-of-continuity story. Still, I have to believe that most, if not all, of these characters will be returning somehow. Mark Millar had already given interviews in the past about future plans he’s had for some of them, most recently The Ambassadors and Night Club.
And this story clearly takes place in between the two Chrononauts miniseries, as when we meet them last issue their project has been suspended due to lack of funding, but we know it is all running again in the second sequel and they end up traveling to the far future where they choose to stay.
And that’s what I’m guessing will be the solution in the end, time travel will be utilized to reverse many of these deaths. I could be wrong, but we’ll see.
I also question how The Fraternity co-existed with the other global conspiracies we’ve seen in some of the Millarworld books, like the child-killed alternate universe-descended cabal in the first Prodigy miniseries, or the amoral intellectual cabal in the second one. Did The Fraternity have any connections to either group? We do get a brief appearance of The Magic Order, who know exactly what’s going on, and existed before the original superhero purge in 1986. But since they only deal with supernatural events, they’ve stayed out of the first attack and are doing so again. I wonder if The Fraternity are aware of their existence?
Thinking about it, maybe one of them eventually decides that they have to intervene, and use magic to revive the dead heroes?
I don’t know, and I love the fact that I don’t know. The unpredictability of this miniseries is what makes me anxious to read each new issue. Bring on Big Game #4!
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