One-Hit Wonder #1 Review: More of a Miss...

By: Nicole D'Andria

Lights, camera, action! One-Hit Wonder certainly has action but it’s not always the good kind.

Child star Richie Reese is now a full-grown hitman who offs a target on set and makes quite a statement. However, his patron may be in danger if he can’t pull off his latest hit… and she’s not making it easy for him.

Without the Hollywood gimmick this would be a very average title. Yet even with this gimmick this title still feels like it was a disappointingly missed opportunity. There are a couple of movies mentioned in the dialogue that felt forced in only a few examples of the stiff dialogue. Also, for a crime “comedy” this comic doesn’t have any gut-busting moments. Mostly it has those forced in movie reference groaners.

One Hit Wonder #1 Page 1... the scariest  of Olivetti's art.

The only thing that might make me chuckle (after trying to stop thinking logically) was the “realism” in this comic. I know comics are a media that frequently deals in unrealistic events. I mean, come on, there’s a guy who leaps tall buildings and wears his underwear on the outside (or, even worse, jeans) but this issue takes thing to a new level. A man is murdered on set in front of dozens of witnesses and rolling cameras and Reese goes away to Never Neverland never to be found? It’s laughably stupid.

It is a great way to introduce us to our main character and get a feel for his personality in a heartbeat. The problem is it’s hard to sympathize with our protagonist. He’s a hitman whose targets are innocent. Writer Fabrice Sapolsky tries to make you feel for Reese by showing a flashback of him when he was a child actor working an exorbitant amount of hours. This has potential but it needs to be explored further.

There was one point when I felt awkward while reading One-Hit Wonder.  During a pool scene we get two bare breasted women making-out with each other for Reese’s entertainment. This was unnecessary, uncomfortable to read through and somewhat insulting. They don’t even have a single line of dialogue! For those of you who are into that kind of… “action…” it’s there for a couple of pages if you want it.

There’s more pointless material in this issue, like a group of kids robbing a house. Then there’s “Deleted Scenes.” I like the idea behind this. It’s an extra mini-story at the end of the comic and it does give Reese more characterization.

Ariel Olivetti’s artwork is realistic to the point of creepy. Glassy-eyed individuals look dead even when they’re supposed to be alive. Sometimes this detail, combined with the nice painted colors, looks good, but more often it’s giving me goosebumps.

With a main character that’s unlikably smug, mediocre action, pointless shots and disturbingly realistic art, this “one hit wonder” is more of a miss. But the concept still has so much promise that I still want to give #2 a shot… hopefully it’s an improvement.

I give One-Hit Wonder #1 a 5.0 out of 10.

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