The Killer #1-2

Genre action Author Matz Publisher Archaia Studios Press External Links Archaia Studios Press

There is nothing about sequential art narrative storytelling that necessitates violence be a part of the equation. Yet for better or worse, violence has long been a frequent component of comic books and graphic novels. While one can point to frequent examples of violence in literature or film art, comics to a large degree still carry the 'popular culture' tag and therefore don't receive the same sort of mitigating view towards its violence use. To be honest, often comics don't deserve that type of credit, as the violence used by many of the comic creators is lazy and unreflective, frequently a manifestation of repressed anger and put-on machismo. A great example of violence serving a legitimate purpose in comics is found in The Killer, a 10-issue series by the French team of Matz and Luc Jacamon, and published in the U.S. by Archaia Studios Press.

The Killer was originally published years ago (1998, to be exact) in France in five volumes. The first two issues of the American translation of the series are grouped under the arc title "Long Fire." The series centers around an assassin who is coming apart. The first arch is meditative on the role of violence in our lives. There is actually much more philosophizing about violence in the first two issues than there is physical examples of it. To me, at least, this is a very interesting move. It is unexpected in the comics world that often celebrates bad-ass violence as simply playful or harmless because of its fantasy nature. The Killer, on the other hand, takes a very realistic look at the way violence can be rationalized and desensitized so that it becomes commonplace. It is precisely because there is a long build up to violence in The Killer that it is so memorable, and while a few of these scenes are pretty graphic, they are artistically handled, avoiding excessive gore.

In the first issue, we are introduced to the first-person narrator, an assassin (whose name, I don't think, is revealed) set up for a job in a hotel. His target is nowhere to be found, so he spends the time reflecting on his job, thereby introducing the readers to his background and outlook. The Killer is a morally suspect individual who seems to feel no compassion towards anyone. He is not a psychopath. He does not kill for pleasure, but rather because it pays well and he is good at it. He justifies his crimes with the history of genocide in human history, as well as the many examples of man's cruelty towards each other. In his eyes, he is simply being more honest - people are murderous by nature or by proxy; no one is innocent, so he might as well be more direct and make some money from it. While The Killer is not a psychopath, he does seem to be a nihilist and misanthrope. He appears to care about no one, and has no desire to care. Money is what he believes in, yet he has a difficult time spending it, so as to not attract attention of the government. Yet even as The Killer's point of view is morally (and even somewhat logically) flawed, he does come across as intelligent and to have some valid points. This is the hook of issue one: even though The Killer is not especially sympathetic, there is something about him intriguing. You are not rooting for him as much as rooting against him, but you are still interested.

In the second issue, the cracks start to emerge in the assassin's veneer. His musings in the first issue lead one to believe that he is very satisfied with his life. He leads us to believe he thinks his job to be great. However, as the second issue unfolds, those thoughts begin to appear to be self-delusions. With his target still not present, The Killer gets nervous, and starts to doubt himself. He realizes that he knows virtually no one. The only people he's really known are his targets. He also has a dream of being chased, and having his briefcase stolen. He kills his three assailant and recovers the case to reveal it is empty. The dream scene is a neat device to show us metaphorically, without being too obvious, that The Killer may purport himself to be killing for the money (i.e. the briefcase), but since it turns out to be empty, perhaps he's starting to kill just to kill. The Killer's mental stability flatlines, and he attempts suicide, surviving simply because his gun misfires. Suddenly, his target appears, and The Killer who has been so bored that he's become distracted, attempts his hit. However, being unprepared, it gets extremely messy. He gets his target eventually, but also shoots three other people in the process. His methodology of making hits appear to be accident is completely blown and he is so panicked that he becomes careless, he leaves in a hurry, allowing himself to be unknowingly followed by a security officer. The second issue concludes with The Killer boarding a plane, resolving to lay low and pull himself together, unaware that the trailing security officer has followed him onto the plane.

Not knowing the original French series, I did not have much expectation for The Killer and was pleasantly surprised that the first two installments of the series manage to be as intriguing and thought-provoking as they are. The Killer uses effective characterization, suspense and intelligent insight to capture a reader. It might not appeal to your average fan of "Whiz-Bam" comic violence, but it will compel most readers who appreciate intelligent writing and well-crafted noir/action-suspense dramas.