Excellent premise, solid execution and some of Romita's best art in a long time. I think it might be a new inker responsible for the cleaner images, but, honestly, no one actually notices the 'tracer' (don't hate me inkers, it's a Chasing Amy joke), so it might just be a different style for a different book by JRJr. Read Full Review

John Romita Jr. follows the theme of realism in his pencils, filling the action panels with blood, bruises, and very grounded fighting. If a character even simply gets punched, it is felt and shown to have serious consequences. There are no supermen, when someone gets attacked Romita Jr. makes sure the reader knows that this would be exactly what would happen if it were to happen down the street. The characters all look very normal as well. Even the supposed hot girl sitting behind Dave is nothing to gawk at. Daves friends and himself are all skinny, plain-looking kids. Romita Jr.s art has never felt been disproportionate to the extremes that can be seen in many titles, so his approach is perfect. Read Full Review

This is a remarkable start to a series that is shockingly fresh despite revolving around a very basic premise. I guess the one thing I really wonder is if I can continue to empathize with Dave enough to continue to care about the series (you identify with his character enough, but he's also a bit of a jackass), but with Millar proclaiming his already working on a third arc, there must be more tricks up this ingenious book's sleeve. I can't wait to see what's next. Read Full Review

In the end though, I'll be the first to admit that originality be damned Kick-Ass #1 is an entertaining comic, and I'll definitely be coming back for more. Just don't tell me it's original, or I might try to kick your ass (sans costume). Read Full Review

This is really good work from both Millar and Romita. IF the hype machine puts you off of checking this out, don't be that guy. Give it a look and ignore the ad copy. There's a lot of comics love here, alongside a lot of fairly realistic exploration of the concept. If it can maintain the intensity and creativity of this first issue, without giving in to the lowest common denominator approach to scripting that mars moments of this issue, this is going to be well worth the time and money. Read Full Review

Kick-Ass seems like the equivalent of junk food for the brain, and whilst that sounds like a damning criticism, it's not meant to be; it's just an honest description of the way this story feels. If you approach the book as a fun exploration of the misadventures of a wannabe superhero, you'll probably enjoy it a lot more than someone who is looking for more serious insight or commentary on the genre. As long as you have a balanced diet, there's no harm in occasionally snacking on something that might not be good for you, but is tasty whilst it lasts - and Kick-Ass serves that purpose perfectly well. Read Full Review

Millar often seems to strive to be controversial, and thats definitely the case here. He fills the book with swearing and graphic violence, which is probably enough to get his fans on his side, even though he is portraying comics fans in general in a pretty harsh light. I suspect this will be talked about as much as Wanted was, with many people calling Millar a terrible writer who personally insulted them (while still spending money on the book). But its certainly not a bad story, and there are some hints of interesting developments to come. And the issue ends on a moment that really makes you want to see what happens next. So, while I dont know if I would recommend it, I predict that it will cause much hand-wringing (and high sales). Read Full Review

Overall, Millar has put together a provocative look at super hero conventions which pokes both fun at its devotees while at the same tries to have a meaningful, albeit implausible purpose. Its going to be fun reading the next chapter. Read Full Review

It's always a pleasure to see John Romita Jr.'s artwork, but this is hardly one of more noteworthy efforts. Lately, I've noticed he seems to reserve his more meticulous, focused and deliberate work for creator-owned projects such as Kick-Ass, whereas his linework on splashier corporate comics is a lot looser. The latter no doubt brings tighter deadlines and more editorial influence, but some of the sketchier, rougher bits in this comic seem to reflect where the artist's creative priorities lie. I tired quickly of the several swooping Phoenix visuals, designed to convey the immense scope of its power, but that's really more of a failing of the script than Romita's storytelling. I thought the artist's exaggerated approach to facial features in the Cyclops/Hope training scene successfully conveyed the dysfunction between the two and signalled just how far gone Cyclops is as a result of a life of hardship and heartache. Read Full Review

That was pretty solid beginning. Romita's art is FUCKING AWESOME, so dynamic and epic, I can't even describe how cool it is... The idea of the comic was fine at that moment of time and it's an interesting story for now. I saw the movie years back and I think this comic must be even better.