Human Target: Final Cut - Part One

Human Target: Final Cut

Part One: How to Succeed in Hollywood!

by Peter Milligan, Javier Pulido, Todd Klein, Dave Stewart

Someone is blackmailing actors and killing them when they don’t pay up. Christopher Chance, the Human Target, impersonates actor Dai Thomas, one of the targets of the blackmailer(s). Chance, disguised as Thomas, deals with someone who comes after Thomas.

Conchita, a stripper, does something for Davey, her boyfriend. She kills and takes money from some guys whom she suspects are up to no good. She leaves a message on his answering machine, explains what she’s done. 

Christopher Chance, in the aftermath of the job, feels weird, like he is still Dai Thomas. He refuses to accept any new jobs. Bruno, his restaurateur friend, talks him into at least talking to another potential client, Frank White. Dai Thomas referred him to Chance.

Ronan, Frank White’s son, has gone missing. Frank hopes that Chance can help him get his son back. Chance is ready to say no until he meets Mary, Frank’s wife. She’s beautiful. Chance wants to be near her. It’s the wrong reason to take the job but he isn’t thinking clearly. 

Thoughts

There are some ambiguous notes in this story. I had to read through it more than once before I picked up on all the details that I mentioned above and more. I like it when a story rewards repeat reads. 

I'm not a big fan of the cover to this OGN. I'm left wondering if it got rushed or just didn't turn out quite as it was hoped it would. Don't judge this book by its cover. Javier Pulido's pages do a beautiful job of telling the story visually.

I really enjoyed reading the Human Target (1999) mini-series last year. This graphic novel is shaping up to be just as good. I’ve read it before but it has been about 14 years since the last time I read it. The mini-series, the graphic novel, and the ongoing series really need to be read in the order that they were published. There are threads that connect the three that make more sense if you read them in that order. 

This is a really good beginning. I look forward to seeing how the story unfolds. It feels very noir to me. I don’t recall how Conchita’s story connects to Chance’s but I am sure that it will at some point. I am pretty sure that Chance will impersonate Frank White as part of his efforts to rescue Ronan.