Review by Jamie McNeil
The 1990s was the decade of the anti-hero especially in comics, cinema and pro-wrestling. While other characters like Lobo, Deadpool, Spawn and The Punisher are proving very popular and lucrative now, with active or planned cinematic appearances or massive omnibus collections, one influential anti-hero from that time is somewhat forgotten.
Now Hitman Omnibus Vol. 1 rectifies that by combining five trades plus some previously uncollected material. Writer Garth Ennis and artist John McCrea first introduced their middle-aged, morally compromised professional low level hitman Tommy Monaghan during their run on The Demon. Tommy gains his powers during DC Comics’ Bloodlines arc but instead of a driven character seeking redemption or infamy, Ennis instead used Hitman to focus on the common people of Gotham’s crime infested underbelly. Tommy’s more interested in using his powers to make money, win at poker and hit on woman but maintains a strict code for his contracts: no cops, heroes or innocents. Ennis used this to blend genres, with crime noir, superhero satire, heartfelt character drama, absurd comedy, horror, and genuine tragedy all featuring. Now common themes, in the 1990s, not many creators were exploring them.
Hitman Omnibus Vol.1 collects the first four and most of the fifth Hitman trades plus a few extra stories not previously collected in the series or The Demon: Hell’s Hitman Vol. 1. A Rage in Arkham builds Tommy’s origins and includes the hilarious reason why he’s on Batman’s radar. Ten Thousand Bullets introduces Tommy’s old army buddy Nat the Hat, the Dubelz crime family and a neo-western adventure in Texas featuring art from legend Carlos Ezquerra and Steve Pugh.
In Local Heroes Tommy faces corrupt agents in one of the earliest storylines on Government sanction of superheroes and gives Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner) much needed lessons in bar etiquette. By Ace of Killers Ennis and McCrea find their groove in a bawdy, hilarious and gritty tale featuring Etrigan, Jason Blood, and purple suited Catwoman teaming-up against the demonic Arkannone. Tommy’s Heroes rounds the collection off with a visit from the S.A.S for past sins and a stint as mercenaries, both excellent and moving stories.
Most omnibuses provide varying quality if you collect everything in some kind of order. Both Ennis and McCrea were working out where Hitman was going, so the first couple of chapters are cruder, indicative of the style McCrea used for The Demon, but by Ace of Killers they embrace concepts that both comedically pastiche superhero culture and create moving gritty stories with a quintessential insight on Gotham.
McCrea’s art is in sync with Ennis’s intentions, excelling in making people expressive, especially in Ace of Killers where the comedic timing is superb. Unlike some hyper-stylised anti-hero artwork of the time that hid poor writing, McCrea compliments Ennis to make events stronger and believable. When the violence arrives it’s explosive and he switches easily between that, comedy and horror.
This first Hitman Omnibus has everything the fan wants, loves and expects from the series along with some extras. This is a bumper book so if you’re looking for a fun intro to Hitman, the more compact and sardonically titled Hitman’s Greatest Hits is a fun start. The remainder of Ennis and McCrea’s run is collected in Vol. 2.
