Review - Hack/Slash: Resurrection #1 (@imagecomics)

"So, I don't really hunt monsters anymore. Not real one at least."

Retirement is something of a dream, but it doesn't necessarily suit everyone. Take Cassie Hack for instance. She's put the days of hunting monsters behind her and traded them for a quieter speed, but in Hack/Slash: Resurrection #1 from Image Comics she's looking for something more. The issue is written by Tini Howard, illustrated by Celor, colored by K. Michael Russell and lettered by Crank!.

Cassie Hack has been living off the grid, but when a new monstrous threat arises to torment promiscuous teens, it's time for Cassie to pick up the baseball bat once again! Gory, sexy, twisted, and funny...HACK IS BACK!

Cassie Hack is one of those characters whose unapologetic about their actions and that's something not lost on Howard. In Hack/Slash: Resurrection #1 for instance, Cassie is content to loaf around a trailer in the middle of nowhere with her cat and not worry about the glamour of it all. Howard works that mentality into the issue extremely well while at the same time getting the reader up to speed as to where Cassie is at in her life at the present. Most of Howard's approach in the issue is to do just that while simultaneously presenting a couple of potential scenarios for her to contend with in the near future. And while a good chunk of Howard's dialogue is Cassie talking to herself, it's still extremely effective in letting the reader in on Cassie's current state of being.

The artwork by Celor has something of an edge to it. The characters are rendered with relatively sharp angles and harsh curves--both of which could easily describe Cassie herself. And it would be easy to write off the one of many shots of Cassie's scantily-clad physique as gratuitous, but then you realize that Celor is really just tapping into the character of Cassie Hack (who just doesn't care). The panel layout is extremely rigid and does bring some sense of formality to the character and issue. Russell's colors are paled throughout the issue and allow the somewhat macabre nature of the book to shine through.

Hack/Slash: Resurrection #1 plays itself as something of a reset for the character even if it's not necessarily billed as a total reset. Cassie just wants to be left alone and not deal with fighting monsters, but by the end of the issue it looks likes others don't really agree with that mentality. Howard's script is entertaining and embraces solitude. Celor's illustrations are very emphatic in their presentation and rendering of Cassie. Hack/Slash: Resurrection #1 puts Cassie in a semi-retired situation that she's sub-consciously itching to break free of.

Hack/Slash: Resurrection #1 is available now.