Tom King has done it yet again.

Must read series.

Not even gonna spoil anything about this issue just read it.

Modern Classic.

You could complain, if you like, about King & Smallwood making Ice, of all characters, a femme fatale. But given that King has always struggled to write any female character — even Supergirl! — without slouching into noir cliches, I don't know what to tell you if you come to Tom King writing a full-fledged noir comic expecting anything else. And given the ending, this is unambiguously out of continuity and can reasonably be read as an Elseworlds comic, even these days when what does and doesn't count is not as clear-cut as it was back in the days of Elseworlds.

So let's take it on its own terms, because taken on its own terms, this is definitely King's most successful work. This is in no small part because of incredible work from Greg Smallwood, who gets the midcentury noir sleaze across beautifully without ever resorting to the obvious chiaroscuro Sin City style that a lesser artist might use, opting instead for colors, shapes and textures that make the comic feel like a napkin from a smoky 1950s bar. Because this is an era of comics where the writer is King (see what I did there?) we talk about comics as though they succeed or fail based solely on the work of the writer, but more than King, this is really Smallwood's masterpiece, and he's the one who makes it truly memorable and unique.

But not because Tom King hasn't done the work of his career on this series. The simplicity of a noir detective story and the rigid "12 days" structure works great for him, forcing him away from the excesses that drag so many of his works off the tracks, leaving him free to experiment and go non-linear (as with the J'onn issue) but keeping him from losing the story to it. And in that, this is a damn fine story, perhaps especially because it doesn't reinvent the wheel. Was Ice always the obvious killer to anyone who's ever read a Chandler novel or watched a Bogie flick? Of course, but I grew up watching Columbo with my grandmother, so I know the fun of a mystery isn't in the destination, it's the journey. And this has been a great journey, full of tension and suspense undimmed by the fact that I knew who the killer was the moment she appeared on panel. And if it isn't a JLI comic I'd want in continuity, this was actually one of the best post-Giffen/Dematties JLI comics I've read. For an Elseworlds JLI comic that wasn't primarily a comedy book, this was note perfect all the way to its elegantly executed final panel.

Hands down, The Human Target has been one of the best comics to come out of Black Label, and I'm only sad there can't be more more

Clever use of Batman here. Really shows how frightening Batman can be in the eyes of his targets.

This is so good! The artwork at display here is some of the best I’ve ever seen and then the way King writes those character interactions is so satisfying. Both Fire and Chance pretending and dancing around each other trying to achieve their goals is so Intense and mesmerising. Really well done.

Gonna be tough waiting for the next issue.

Oh no! Characters are acting out of character in an out-of-continuity series. The horror!

Another nearly perfect issue gets yet another 10. It will have you questioning yourself and in a state of confusion up until the very end. When you get there it all comes together beautifully. Smallwoods are plays both a narrative and visual role in this aspect of the story, in the best way.

This series has no right being as good as it is. This has continued to exceed my expectations even for Tom King. more

This book has been great, but for some reason, people just don’t seem to realize it’s a Black Label book, which means this shit just isn’t in continuity. This has loose connections to JLI, but that’s it, and it’s not like you have to even read JLI to enjoy this. And no, King did not "ruin" Martian Manhunter this issue. Human Target is an-out-of continuity Noir detective story. Characters are going to be framed in certain roles when you do a story like this, and these roles are to get the story where it needs to be. Human Target is the Hard-Boiled Detective, Ice is the femme fatale, and Guy Gardner is the jealous ex-lover, etc.

Whether you are fine with these character reworks is 100% up to you, but it shouldn't make you genuinely angry or upset. Like coupling together two characters out of continuity isn’t “disrespectful", and it really isn’t a big deal if characters are acting slightly different than how they usually would, or some side character that pops up in one issue has their character development during some dumb crisis/mega-event ignored, as this book is NOT in continuity. If it does genuinely make you upset or angry how King treats these characters, then maybe just try dropping the fucking book? I didn’t like Strange Adventures or Rorschach, so guess what? I stopped pissing away money, time, and energy on something I didn’t even like. I dropped them both by the second issue and just read something that I liked.

King & Smallwood are doing their own thing, and this book does it mostly perfectly. The art is amazing, King’s dialogue is sharper than usual, and his captions thankfully don’t slow the book's pace down as they did in Supergirl. Amazing read and probably King’s most consistent work so far. Hopefully, he can stick the landing at the end, because that’s usually where his stories fall apart for me. more

Holy shit!

This is how you do it! This how you deliver exposition while progressing the story in a meaningful way. The way the issue unravels itself is brilliant. It might be a bit confusing at the start but by the end when you start to understand what is going on, it’s so satisfying. What a banger!

This is the first time I haven't given a ten on an issue, but thats a factor of how fantastic the other issues are, not how bad this one is. Because this one is so fantastic.

It meanders a small bit. But its still got amazing dialogue and gorgeous art. Everything is impeccable here. Ted Kord is an enigma, and he knows he is. He has to be. Most billionaires are.

But he saves people and his heart is in the right place. Mostly. This issue is mostly observational deduction from Chance, and most of it is directed at Ice. It all comes down to the brilliant ending.

So yea. 9.5 for this. Just a little bit monotonous at the early parts. Still incredible. One of the Best series DC is putting out, easily. more

I really have nothing much to say besides that it's just brilliant. If you are still not reading this series then what the hell are you doing? read it.

“I’ve got a friend coming who might be able to help. Should be here any minute.”

This - alongside “The Long Halloween” - is absolutely without a doubt my favourite Batman story. An old story told in a modern and refreshing way, no wonder it’s as influential as it is. A must read.

“The hunk of metal in my hands is heavier than ever…”

Thrilling. An issue full of action that manages to strike a perfect balance between action and character development. Not only this is one of the best Batman stories, it’s also one of the best Gordon stories.

“Ladies. Gentlemen. You have eaten well.”

Seeing Bruce learning his craft is really exciting. Miller’s ability to script action scenes is almost unmatched and with Mazzucchelli bringing those scenes to life it’s almost too good to be true. Amazing.