Let me start off by saying that this is one of the best comic book covers I’ve ever seen. The layout is simple and Boom! does a great job of keeping it as clean and clear as possible. Hairsine does a great job of drawing your eye to the Major, who is just sitting there like a bad ass. The only thing that could have made it better is if a sandwich was sitting in front of him and he was reaching for it. This book continues the intense action the first issue set up and definitely builds the Major as a memorable bad ass. The last issue saw the Major taking another mission in the name of the Reich due to some shipping complications of an item he ordered. After a James Bond and Q inspired moment the Major is sent on the mission. He possess as a Frenchmen and a mechanic. He’s put to the test instantly when the man he’s sent to kill asks him to look at the gunner seat of a plane. The Major finds the problem which turns out to be a used rubber, like a total ass he uses the other guy’s pen to fish it out. A short time later he kills the man and heads back to Germany.
When he arrives he’s greeted by the same gestapo that questioned him before. I’m not really sure why they were so adamant about pinning the murder of a retired officer and his son on him, but they didn’t let up. Knowing that it was the end of the line for him the Major takes out the men sent for him. He then steals an amphibious VW Beetle and takes off to pick up his item. Once there the vehicle raises attention fast and he’s forced to shoot his way out of the shop. He drives the car into a river and heads out of the line of fire.
There are a lot of great moments in this issue. Scenes that stand alone as being really good or just awesome. Overall the issue was very good and developed the character of the Major even more. I’m still not sure what his motivations are, why he’s become a traitor, but the story is interesting enough that I want to keep reading it to find out. Herik Hanna continues to do a great job of mixing history and fiction together. He adds a lot of little details that make the book have a more authentic feel to it.
Trevor Hairsine’s (X-Men: Deadly Genesis, Bleedout) art is so good for this series that you’ll wonder, “What the hell is Trevor Hairsine working on?” The simple answer is that he’s not doing monthly work, at least from the looks of things. He worked on two Archaia graphic novels this year, but other than that nothing much. It’s a shame because he’s got a great style for this type of book. His Marvel years weren’t the best, but I’d love to see him on a creator owned book or just something more genre suitable for his style like Criminal.
The second issue is about as strong as the first, which hopefully means that the conclusion will be just as good. If you enjoy the spy genre and the back drop of WWII then you’ll enjoy this unique adventure about a German super spy turned traitor. Be sure you thank Boom! for porting this book to the states so we could all finally read it.
Score: 3/5
Writer: Herik Hanna Artist: Trevor Hairsine Publisher: Boom Studios Price: $3.99