Recently, Galaxy of Comics held a signing featuring Len Wein, creator of Wolverine and current writer for DC’s Human Target.  I started perousing the racks (while I was thinking about how bummed I was that I missed him) and came across a few Vertigo trades for Human Target.  The first thing I noticed was the difference between the VERTIGO, and DC Human Target.  This Human Target is very different from the current run, it’s darker, more of a mind bender, a great piece of fiction that will keep you wanting more.

It’s a shame the story is over so quickly.  It’s not to say the story is rushed, only that it’s limited.  You are lucky to find four trades collecting the entire run by Peter Milligan (Batman, Greek Street).  It’s hard to explain what the book is about, except to say the main character is like a replacement you, should you require one.  This is compounded by the first person narrative, which creates the illusion of multiple characters, any one of whom could be Christopher Chance.  Reading narratives like this make me want to stand up and cheer.

The art is what you might call so so, and the pacing is much slower than your average action comic.  The reward comes from the depth of the book, so you have to invest yourself in it, and be willing to think while you read.  If it sounds gimicky, picture Christopher unraveling a murder that hasn’t happened yet while figuring out who he is impersonating.  And he doesn’t just pretend to be you, he is quite literally you, so he never really knows who he is.  This thing is an onion.

The beauty of this series is that it’s got the right balance of everything.  There are some bad ass dual pistol acrobatic exploding wall sequences, mixed with dramatic spreads and wides, mixed with scenes of introspection and dialogue.  It’s got something for everyone.  If you’re still not convinced consider the book costs any where from 10-20 internets dollars depending on where you get it from.  For this price, you feel like you read something double the size of the Invincible Iron Man Hardcover.

Be warned, there is a lot of darkness in this story, it’s not for the faint of heart.  DC released a trade collecting two of the previous Christopher Chance stories (probably to capitalize on the new show from Fox).  One way or another, you will be able to find it, so get your hands on this, it’s good stuff.

I’m Rich… Or am I?

Richard Bashara

Rich@ComicImpact.com