A Man Called Kev #1-5
2006-2007
Publisher: Wildstorm
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: Carlos Ezquerra
Colorist: David Baron
Letterer: Phil Balsman (1-3, 5) & Travis Lanham (4)
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Cover: Glenn Fabry & David Baron

22 pages (each)

Rating: 3 out of 5

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Premise: Kevin Hawkins has been blackmailed into leaving the U.K. As he’s on his outbound flight to stay with his old pal Danny Redburn, a hit squad takes out his old service buddy and best friend, Bob. Kevin’s next on the list.

Synopsis:

Kevin Hawkins is a former member of the S.A.S. and M.I.5. He’s also had a few run-ins with The Authority. He is currently a private security consultant. He has a meeting with Michael Sebastien of M.I.5 who presents Kev with an incriminating artifact from Kev’s past, and blackmails him into leaving the country.

Kevin books a flight out to go visit old military buddy Danny Redburn outside of San Francisco on advice from his best friend, Bob. While Kev is in the air, an attack squad attacks and kills Bob.

In the States, Kev meets up with Danny, his partner in eco-terrorism and marijuana cultivation, Zoe, and Danny’s man-eating tiger, Stripey. A day or so later, Zoe finds a report on the B.B.C. website about Bob’s death, and a related story about the decapitation of Michael Sebastien. Kev puts the pieces together, realizes that he’s also in danger, and tries (but fails) to leave Danny’s compound so that they’re not in danger.

Issue three is Kev’s story of the mission that’s put them all in danger. Back during the first Gulf War, his squad was sent in to retrieve a MacGuffin from the Iraqis - an item that’s reminiscent of the first Desolation Jones storyline. Kev, Bob, and the Sebastien were the only people who knew the significance of what they had found, which explains the previous deaths, and why Kev (and now Danny and Zoe) is in danger.

Issue four tackles the battle plan for the defense of the compound, some continuing rockiness in Kev and Danny’s relationship, and the first assault by the death squad, which is repelled with great loss.

The series wraps up with Kev’s El Mariachi-style assault on the bad guys’ compound. He exacts his retribution, and rides off into the sunset with Zoe.

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Review:

Either you like Garth Ennis, or you hate Garth Ennis. I like Garth Ennis, so I find this mini-series enjoyable. It’s not high art, but it’s a good read on a cold winter day. If you don’t know where you fall in that polar assessment, pick up a Preacher trade first. If you like it, then check this out.

In true Ennis fashion, it is hyper-violent (the first page is a guy getting graphically blown to smithereens) and absurd. Ennis takes his time with the story, allowing himself to fully flesh it out. Bob’s monologue about the party in the first issue and some of the time spent between Danny and Kev (and Zoe) may not be strictly necessary for the story to happen from a standpoint of pure action, but it adds a lot to the characters, and therefore adds to the story.

Ezquerra’s (co-creator of Judge Dredd, people) art matches Ennis’s tone perfectly. He does graphic violence, he does great facial expressions, and he does the absolute absurdist stuff (pant-less Bob in the first issue comes to mind).

Fabry’s covers (he also did the Preacher covers) delight. They remind me of the best of the old Justice League/JLI covers, but, you know, painted and with Kev.

All in all, nothing truly amazing or groundbreaking, but definitely a good read. The TPB’s coming out soon enough.