HAMMERFIST #2 (IMAGE COMICS)
Mike Denton has escaped the heist with the Hammerfist in tow, but the small- town cultists of Mothergrub won’t let him leave alive.
HAMMERFIST #2 by Rick Remender, Steve Epting, Matt Hollingsworth & Rus Wooten (IMAGE COMICS) continues its’ wild ride.
Let’s take a closer look at the next issue.
HAMMERFIST #2 by Rick Remender, Steve Epting, Matt Hollingsworth & Rus Wooten (IMAGE COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Mike Denton is on fire!
Seriously.
Hammerfirst #2, by Rick Remender and Steve Epting, picks up right after issue one, with Mike attempting to flee the town with the Hammerfist. What follows is a masterclass in dense narrative storytelling by Remender, and grindhouse action-movie visuals by Epting and Hollingsworth.
In this issue alone, we learn the town knows Mike’s name and family, that the events of this story might have been foretold, and that Cindy has a deep-rooted history with this place. None of this is explicitly stated, but the little nuggets of lore sprinkled throughout give you the sense of scale Mike is up against here.
read last issue’s review!
He’s shot at, slashed, and set on fire, but Mike trudges through it all as if his ability to avoid death were almost supernatural. It wouldn’t be that far off for this series if that were true, if we’re being honest.
All the while, Cindy has been captured, and her familiarity with the townsfolk is apparent, prompting us to question her motivations. But that might not even matter, as she’s being prepared for a ritual sacrifice to bring about Black Noon, the end of light, and the coming of Mothergrub.
Holy shit!
Rick Remender knows how to inhabit his characters. The quick, staccato-like rhythm of Mike’s inner monologue screams desperation. Some of these are just flat-out poetry, making the pacing here a breeze.
“Something’s here. Something sick…and it’s calling me home,” is a particular highlight for me.
The carnage Steve Epting’s art and Matt Hollingsworth’s colors are cooking up here is equal parts brutal and darkly hilarious. The postman and the old-ass librarian are in on it, too. Even the children know!
I’m familiar with Hollingsworth through his work on Stumptown with Greg Rucka, and his colors bring out that same small-town vividness against Mike’s more muted look. I’ve never heard of Steve Epting, but after this, I feel ashamed that I didn’t. His covers, in particular, belong on movie posters.
FINAL GRADE: 9.3
Hammerfist #2 is how you ratchet up the ridiculousness set by its first issue without sacrificing quality character and story work. There’s so much more carnage to be had, and I do not doubt that this team will deliver.
Let me know your thoughts on HAMMERFIST #2 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!