Human Target: Final Cut

Rating:
Summary: A surprising read..a solid crime thriller...
Review: Knowing a little bit about the character of the Human Target, Christopher Chance (a man who will take on your identity for the right price), it's surprising to read a really good yarn involving the character coming out. Here, that matter of taking on other people's identities takes a bizarre psychological twist. Chance is hired to impersonate a famous actor who's dealing with a vicious extortionist. Unfortunately, things take a creepy turn when this actor's son is discovered to be kidnapped...by the extortionist. And did I mention that extortionist appears to be dead? So, Chance is forced into a mad dash to find the actor's son, infiltrate the extortionist's life, and stay alive. But how can Chance do all that while maintaining his own sanity? Let me put it this way: he can't. Peter Milligan (who wrote the previous Human Target mini-series) delivers one surprising turn after another that keeps you guessing until the very last page. Javier Pulido's artwork is good and clean, and conveys exactly what it needs to convey. Definitely a must for comic-book fans who like their stories hard-boiled and cold to the bone. (It's also good to see the Human Target has now an ongoing book, with Milligan and Pulido at the reins. Good stuff there as well.)

Rating:
Summary: Fans Of Mission: Impossible Will Love Final Cut!
Review: Since DC has become notorious for publishing Hardcover books that DO NOT deserve the Hardcover format (I, Paparazzi, Batman books The Chalice, Fortunate Son, Harvest Breed, Dark Knight Dynasty, Etc.), I was ready to be disappointed by Human Target: Final Cut. I enjoyed Milligan's previous Human Target story, however, so I thought I'd give it a try. Glad I did! After finishing it, I actually had to sit for a few minutes and try to digest what I'd just experienced. It was a truly staggering read!

Christopher Chance, the titular "Human Target", is just what his name implies: For the right price, Chance will assume the identity of people whose lives are endangered, using everything from fake mustaches and wigs, to Dermal Implants and Plastic Surgery. Here Chance assumes the identity of Dai Thomas, B-Movie actor, who is the third target of a homicidal Hollywood screenwriter trying to raise money for his movie project. After killing the stalker, Chance gets a bit of shocking news: The writer had kidnapped child-star Ronan White, and had hidden him away. With the kidnapper dead, Ronan will die of starvation, if he isn't dead already....and so Chance is forced to assume the identity of the killer/kidnapper, and descends into a maelstrom of drugs, murder, and nasty secrets.

The underlying theme of Chance being absorbed into the "Roles" he plays is dealt with by Writer Peter Milligan very convincingly, and the art by Javier Pulido is perfectly suited to the twisty story. Milligan manages to tie all of the loose ends up in an ending that is not only satisfying, but jaw-dropping. How often can you sat that a book left you speechless at the end? Simply an amazing effort all around. The book is divided into 4 comic-book sized chapters, which makes me think that this was originally intended as a mini-series, and someone at DC thought it was so good it merited the deluxe treatment. If that's the case, there may be hope for DC's hardcover line yet.... :)