William Claypool
May 24, 2004, 02:56 pm
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/0504/HumanTargetCVR10.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/0504/HumanTargetCVR10t.jpg" align=left alt="Human Target #10"></a>Reviewer: William Claypool, billgatesisatool@hotmail.com
Quick Rating: Excellent!
Story Title: Five Days Grace
Suggested For Mature Readers
Sex, booze, jail breaks, shoot outs, hostage situations, bar brawls, and messing with the Mob. Yup, it’s just your average week for Christopher Chance.
Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist: Cliff Chiang
Cover Artist: John Watkiss
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Clem Robins
Assistant Editor: Pornsak Pichetshote
Editor: Karen Berger
The setup: Jim Grace is a “special-category prisoner” who was stabbed by an inmate in the yard. He spent four weeks in the infirmary patching up, considering his options, and hatching a successful escape plan. Grace makes his way to one of those cliffs overlooking a sleeping metropolis that are always secluded despite their popularity in fictional stories and magnificent view. Here he meets up with his old friend, Christopher Chance, master of disguise. Grace asks Chance to pretend to be him in a ploy to distract the cops for a week while he makes good with his wife, and puts his life in order. Chance makes it five and agrees, hence the punny title.
Meh. It’s a fairly generic plot, but in the hands of writer Peter Milligan and artist Cliff Chiang, it’s a horse of different color (crimsony). Five Days Grace is one of those stories that can be taken as a fun romp, but turn into something more by the conclusion. This is another example why Human Target is one of those books where a second reading is a must. Not because is muddled and confusing, but because of bombs like the one Milligan drops on us at the end.
Although it’s a twist we’ve seen before with this character (and ones in Chance’s vein), the spin Milligan puts on it seems plausible (frankly I’m surprised I missed it). Going back through a second time, subtle hints spring out of the subtext waving road flares. Sentences take on new meaning as do facial expressions and body movements in the artistic front. One such example is Milligan’s excellent use of narration that has become a hallmark of the series, and sometimes too becomes a character. This is not to say Five Days Grace rides on the single plot twist, the rest of the issue stands tall itself.
Milligan crafts another story centered on the theme of maintaining an image. For Jim Grace, it’s about securing his identity as a rough and tumble ladies’ man. For Christopher Chance, it’s about convincing the world he’s Jim Grace. Once again, the crew manages to play off of and expand the series’ themes and title character. Milligan delves once more into the mind of our Human Target showing new reasons why someone would subject themselves to such a psychological, and physical demanding occupation that's more hazardous than an Irwin Mainway toy. The why, I think, Jim Grace best explains this issue, “he’s a freaky mother****** but basically okay.” Christopher Chance is one of those scum of the Earth types, but does have the occasional tender moment such as the end of Five Days Grace. He’s like that drunk Uncle you always wind up sitting next to at Thanksgiving, or as I like to call it, old Army stories time. To take this simile ones step further, much like seeing some of things Chance does this issue, maybe that Uncle, or in relevance’s case, the human target gig, is not as bad as advertised once you get to know them. That seems to be the point of the last ten issues—just who is Christopher Chance, and why do I care about him?
For one thing, Chance is one of those unique characters malleable enough to fit in any story, and revistitng past ideas, no matter how well they worked the first time or the second, is only denying limitless possibilities. Although it was pulled off well, I hope we’ll see an expansion of plots before we see another retread of the one brought in the issue’s climax.
Speaking of climax, from the dueling climaxes that put Deliverance’s banjo scene to shame, to the hidden guest stars (no not Climax, get off that train), Chiang’s art adds another fun element to the issue. The way he’s able to balance the contrasting action of the two Graces from the visual standpoint is very…elegant (notice I avoided the pun). It’s getting kind of hard for me to say something I haven’t about him, thank God he’s gone next issue. My only art quibbles is the heavier inking done on the Jennifer character which makes her seem out of place, and a few other similar, yet minor, cases of mismatched art choices. Overall, Chiang’s style is very suited to the title, and his more defined lines make it more appealing than his counterpart's, Javier Pulido.
This issue is yet another great jumping on point for new readers in a long chain. Milligan and Chiang manage to create a standalone that serves up a fairly comprehensive summary of the character while adding a little more for the recurring readership. Five Days Grace is a superior one-shot to this series’ last attempt: Issue #6’s lacking Catholic priest story. Coincidentally, #6 was Chiang’s first on the series, while #10 is the last in his go around in art duties as he hands the reins back over to Pulido next month. Hopefully, starting with last arc's kick in the pants, quality with continue to go on the rise.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htnone.jpg
WRITING:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/hthalf.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/hthalf.jpg
Buy this issue online now at X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=773&cat=HUMAN+TARGET)
Quick Rating: Excellent!
Story Title: Five Days Grace
Suggested For Mature Readers
Sex, booze, jail breaks, shoot outs, hostage situations, bar brawls, and messing with the Mob. Yup, it’s just your average week for Christopher Chance.
Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist: Cliff Chiang
Cover Artist: John Watkiss
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Clem Robins
Assistant Editor: Pornsak Pichetshote
Editor: Karen Berger
The setup: Jim Grace is a “special-category prisoner” who was stabbed by an inmate in the yard. He spent four weeks in the infirmary patching up, considering his options, and hatching a successful escape plan. Grace makes his way to one of those cliffs overlooking a sleeping metropolis that are always secluded despite their popularity in fictional stories and magnificent view. Here he meets up with his old friend, Christopher Chance, master of disguise. Grace asks Chance to pretend to be him in a ploy to distract the cops for a week while he makes good with his wife, and puts his life in order. Chance makes it five and agrees, hence the punny title.
Meh. It’s a fairly generic plot, but in the hands of writer Peter Milligan and artist Cliff Chiang, it’s a horse of different color (crimsony). Five Days Grace is one of those stories that can be taken as a fun romp, but turn into something more by the conclusion. This is another example why Human Target is one of those books where a second reading is a must. Not because is muddled and confusing, but because of bombs like the one Milligan drops on us at the end.
Although it’s a twist we’ve seen before with this character (and ones in Chance’s vein), the spin Milligan puts on it seems plausible (frankly I’m surprised I missed it). Going back through a second time, subtle hints spring out of the subtext waving road flares. Sentences take on new meaning as do facial expressions and body movements in the artistic front. One such example is Milligan’s excellent use of narration that has become a hallmark of the series, and sometimes too becomes a character. This is not to say Five Days Grace rides on the single plot twist, the rest of the issue stands tall itself.
Milligan crafts another story centered on the theme of maintaining an image. For Jim Grace, it’s about securing his identity as a rough and tumble ladies’ man. For Christopher Chance, it’s about convincing the world he’s Jim Grace. Once again, the crew manages to play off of and expand the series’ themes and title character. Milligan delves once more into the mind of our Human Target showing new reasons why someone would subject themselves to such a psychological, and physical demanding occupation that's more hazardous than an Irwin Mainway toy. The why, I think, Jim Grace best explains this issue, “he’s a freaky mother****** but basically okay.” Christopher Chance is one of those scum of the Earth types, but does have the occasional tender moment such as the end of Five Days Grace. He’s like that drunk Uncle you always wind up sitting next to at Thanksgiving, or as I like to call it, old Army stories time. To take this simile ones step further, much like seeing some of things Chance does this issue, maybe that Uncle, or in relevance’s case, the human target gig, is not as bad as advertised once you get to know them. That seems to be the point of the last ten issues—just who is Christopher Chance, and why do I care about him?
For one thing, Chance is one of those unique characters malleable enough to fit in any story, and revistitng past ideas, no matter how well they worked the first time or the second, is only denying limitless possibilities. Although it was pulled off well, I hope we’ll see an expansion of plots before we see another retread of the one brought in the issue’s climax.
Speaking of climax, from the dueling climaxes that put Deliverance’s banjo scene to shame, to the hidden guest stars (no not Climax, get off that train), Chiang’s art adds another fun element to the issue. The way he’s able to balance the contrasting action of the two Graces from the visual standpoint is very…elegant (notice I avoided the pun). It’s getting kind of hard for me to say something I haven’t about him, thank God he’s gone next issue. My only art quibbles is the heavier inking done on the Jennifer character which makes her seem out of place, and a few other similar, yet minor, cases of mismatched art choices. Overall, Chiang’s style is very suited to the title, and his more defined lines make it more appealing than his counterpart's, Javier Pulido.
This issue is yet another great jumping on point for new readers in a long chain. Milligan and Chiang manage to create a standalone that serves up a fairly comprehensive summary of the character while adding a little more for the recurring readership. Five Days Grace is a superior one-shot to this series’ last attempt: Issue #6’s lacking Catholic priest story. Coincidentally, #6 was Chiang’s first on the series, while #10 is the last in his go around in art duties as he hands the reins back over to Pulido next month. Hopefully, starting with last arc's kick in the pants, quality with continue to go on the rise.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htnone.jpg
WRITING:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/hthalf.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/htfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/hthalf.jpg
Buy this issue online now at X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=773&cat=HUMAN+TARGET)