Comic Review: Assassin Nation #1 (of 5)

Assassin Nation #1

Image Comics

Writer: Kyle Starks

Artist: Erica Henderson

There’s a lot of #1 issues of comic books. Both from the big two companies, and other publishers not in the superhero genre. Each #1 has to be an entry point for readers to easily jump into the story. They also have to make a big enough impression to make people come back for more. I think Assassin Nation #1 is one of the better first issues for a comic I’ve read.

Someone is trying to assassinate the former top assassin in the world. So, what does he do to protect himself? He hires the top 20 assassins in the world to protect him, that’s what. I don’t want to get too into detail about the plot, because that brief description sums up the plot, without getting into spoiler territory. But I also think that’s enough of a description to get people on board with the premise.

I came into this expecting some humor, but there’s a lot of humor in this issue. Kyle Starks is a good writer and it’s on display here. With the majority of this issue taking place in one room, we get some good introductions to the characters. It’s only the first issue, but I already have a favorite. He’s in the top 20 assassins, but Dave goes around asking for autographs from the other assassins. There’s a lot of small details like that about the characters we meet, rather than a paragraph or two of exposition for each one. It feels like a more natural way to get to know them and works well for the setting of this issue.

The art in this really adds to the comedic tone of it all. I feel like it’s safe to say Erica Henderson might be best known for her time on Marvel’s The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. At least, that’s where I know her best from. I bring that up because, in that entire run of Squirrel Girl, I don’t think Squirrel Girl ever throws a punch or anything. But, with that more cartoonish art style, we get a story about assassins that does not shy away from the violence. There are people getting shot, and blood, and again, it’s in this cartoonish style that, at least I, associate with a very all-ages book. It adds an extra layer to the humor throughout the whole book.

I don’t know what else I could say about this book that I already haven’t. The premise is interesting, and thanks to a great writer behind it, there’s a lot of humor. The art is great, and again, has another good name behind it. If anything about this comic sounds interesting to you, you should definitely pick it up. Even if you somehow stumbled across this review and haven’t read a comic in your life, I still think you should read this one.