Eye on Comics
  • About/Submissions

What a Dick

  • Reviews - Titan

Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer #1
Writers: Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins
Artists: Marcelo Salaza & Marcio Freire
Letters/Editor: Tom Williams
Publisher: Titan Comics/Hard Case Crime imprint
Price: $3.99 US

I’m of two minds when it comes to this revival of a classic detective character. Writer Max Allan Collins, apparently adapting an original Mickey Spillane story, certainly captures a classic period private-eye piece. Elements that would otherwise come off as cliche instead feel campy and nostalgic. On the other hand, the effort to stay true to the original character and material belies a tone that just doesn’t feel entirely appropriate for 21st century pop entertainment. There’s a blatant misogyny at play that’s understandable given the source material, but it’s also clear there’s a clear choice not to evolve. Combined with some stiff artwork, and I was left feeling a bit let down.

A year after he made an enemy of one of the top crime figures in the city, Mike Hammer get s a new case that draws him back into the underworld domain of that enemy. But before he can meet the new client, Hammer is thrust into the role of dashing hero to a damsel in distress at an illegal casino catering to the super-rich.

How the art duties break down between Salaza and Freire isn’t at all clear. The linework is inconsistent enough that they could be alternating, or it could be that one is mainly the colorist. Who knows? I will say they do a good job of capturing a fairly classic, noir private-eye-genre atmosphere without resorting to overly dark or inky visuals. However, the figures are rather stiff throughout the book, and there’s a fair bit of action, which makes that problem all the more apparent.


In a different time, female characters in such stories were always femme fatales, damsels in distress or some other one-dimensional take on women. That’s pretty much the case here, and in that respect, there’s a certain classic, genuine quality at play. There are three female characters in this issue: the first is a duplicitous opportunist, and the third is a conveniently ditzy victim whom the title character manages to grope even as he rescues her. The second – Hammer’s “secretary,” Velda – is more interesting, as the narration acknowledges she’s a resourceful, intelligent and fierce figure in her own right. But that doesn’t stop the writer and artists from treating her as an object, as she displays herself inexplicably on her boss’s desk as she relays vital information.

Now one could argue that this is exactly what one ought to expect from a Spillane detective story, that Collins is being true to the source material. But that’s not necessary. Collins is a talented writer with a solid track record for crafting strong female protagonists (see Ms. Tree). It was within his, the editors’ and the publisher’s ability to evolve these characters. It’s not about political correctness, but rather about offering better realized, more engaging characters for a modern audience. At the same time, there’s a certain level of entertainment to be had in observing what is essentially an artifact of 20th century American culture, a sense of nostalgia from drinking in a different time.

One of the more frustrating aspects of this comic is the fact that it opens with the tail end of a previous plot and no clear indication of what Spillane’s new case is all about. He heads to an underground casino to meet a new client, only to be sidetracked by a desperate dame in need of a shining knight. I’m sure the two elements are connected, but Collins doesn’t really provide enough plot here to get me interested in whatever new drama is unfolding in the title character’s life on the periphery of regular society.

While I’ve been exposed to Mike Hammer stories sporadically in the past, I have no memory of the material, so this comic forms the foundation of any familiarity with the property at this point. Judging from the plot and script here, Hammer’s an investigator that relies on brutality to get answers rather than his wits or observations. He’s not so much a detective than a bruiser. The latter is an inherent aspect of the classic genre, but I’d rather have seen more intellect from Hammer here than instinct and violence. Collins’s script also paints Hammer as someone who cares nothing for other people; he’s even brusque with someone he trusts and respects. I don’t much like Hammer here, so that makes it harder to cheer him on in this adventure. 5/10

Follow Eye on Comics on Facebook or on Twitter.

June 26, 2018 Don MacPherson

Post navigation

It’s Not Easy Being Green → ← Quick Critiques – June 25, 2018

Recent posts

  • They Do Need Those Stinkin’ Badges
  • Future Tense
  • Teed Off
  • Scar Issue
  • Of Gods and Monsters
  • Genre Splicing
  • A Mouthful of Dollars
  • Striking the Wrong Chord
  • Extra! Extra! Bleed All About It!
  • Creepy Crawlers

Categories

Archives

Categories

  • Announcements
  • Editorials
  • Features
  • Original Comic Art
  • Reviews – Action Lab
  • Reviews – AfterShock
  • Reviews – AiT/PlanetLar
  • Reviews – Archie
  • Reviews – Black Mask
  • Reviews – Boom! Studios
  • Reviews – Dark Horse
  • Reviews – DC
  • Reviews – DC/Vertigo
  • Reviews – DC/Wildstorm
  • Reviews – Devil's Due
  • Reviews – Drawn & Quarterly
  • Reviews – Dynamite
  • Reviews – Fantagraphics
  • Reviews – IDW
  • Reviews – Image
  • Reviews – Indy/Small Press
  • Reviews – Legendary
  • Reviews – Lion Forge
  • Reviews – Marvel
  • Reviews – Miscellaneous
  • Reviews – NBM
  • Reviews – Oni Press
  • Reviews – Other Media
  • Reviews – Quick Critiques
  • Reviews – Radical
  • Reviews – Slave Labor
  • Reviews – Titan
  • Reviews – Tokyopop
  • Reviews – Valiant
  • Reviews – Zenescope
  • Reviews- Humanoids
  • The New 52 Review Project

Search

Recent Posts

  • They Do Need Those Stinkin’ Badges
  • Future Tense
  • Teed Off
  • Scar Issue
  • Of Gods and Monsters

Recent Comments

  • Marcelo Soares on Coming Clean
  • Perry on Scoop
  • R Phillips on “Fixed… With Tape”
  • Leslie on Avengers… Disassemble Those Guys
  • Perry Beider on 2018 Glass Eye Awards – Creators
January 2021
S M T W T F S
« Nov    
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31  

Archives

  • January 2021
  • November 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • April 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
Powered by WordPress | theme cats456