REVIEW: ‘Kick Ass vs Hit Girl,’ Issue #3

Kick Ass vs Hit Girl #3 is published by Image Comics, written by Steve Niles, art by Marcelo Frusin,  colors by Sunny Gho, and letters by John Workman. Hit Girl has caught up to Kick Ass, and she’s looking for some answers. With bullets and blades doing the talking, this argument may get a little rough…

I’m going to make myself feel old, but here we go. Action sequences have come a long way as storytelling has matured. Whether it be comic book or cinema, how fight scenes and gunplay are portrayed has greatly advanced over the years. And while I have some fond memories of 80’s action flicks with crude fight choreography and who seemed to measure quality by the sheer number of bullets fired, I’m happy action has honed its trade in the past 30 years. And while there is often nostalgia in visiting the past, some things just don’t land like they used to.

Kick Ass vs Hit Girl #3 opens with the big fight scene that has been building since the series began. This blink-and-you’ll-miss-it throw down delivers a  few pistol shots, a couple of angry swings with some swords, and it’s over. For two characters billed as being skilled combatants, this abbreviated sequence leaves little to impress upon readers. This failed attempt at a big brawl may be attributed to the low panel count per page.

With many pages in this book having a scant three panels and rarely more than five, there isn’t a lot of time to deliver action or plot in this story. And while this low panel count does allow the art to be big and clear, its shortening of what the story can deliver is not worth the trade-off.

As one might expect, Kick Ass vs Hit Girl #3’s marquee fight gets interrupted before things can be finished. The conveniently arriving baddy, brandishing a chain gun, drives our heroes apart while firing several thousand useless bullets downfield, smacking of the ridiculous 80’s action moments I was talking about earlier.

Along with the story’s action side, this issue also has some developments revolving around Kick Ass’s family life.  I won’t go into details, as that feels like it could be spoiler-ish, but these moments fall victim to the same shortcomings of the action. Too little time is allotted to the moments for proper development. This leads to Kick Ass vs Hit Girl #3 rushing to deliver the point. Which then comes across as ham-fisted at best.

Aside from my previously stated concerns about panel counts, the visual presentation for the books continues its solid showing. The panels are clear in their depictions of every scene, whether it is action or dramatic. But with such a low panel count, one would hope for these things. The colorwork also provides good contrasts throughout the book, further helping in the art’s clarity.

Rounding out the book is the lettering. The letter work does a good job of presenting the story to the reading, never hindering their progress as the dialogue bubbles are always laid out in an easy to follow manner.

When all is said and done, Kick Ass vs Hit Girl #3 feels more like a rough draft than a finished work. With both action sequences and dramatic moments feeling too rushed, nothing here ever lands. If the book could just take a moment to allow something to develop fully, it might be able to reach its audience better.

Kick Ass vs Hit Girl #3 is available on January 13th, wherever comics are sold.