Graphic Novel Review: The Human Target Volume One by Tom King and Greg Smallwood

Posted on March 14, 2023 at 6:22 am by Gene Ambaum

The Human Target Volume One by Tom King and Greg Smallwood. DC Black Label, 2022. 9781779516701. Contains #1 – 6.

This is the first of two volumes that will collect King’s Human Target comics. It’s a detective tale in which Christopher Chance, aka The Human Target, tries to solve his own murder. While on the job, disguised as Lex Luthor, he was poisoned. Chance will be dead in twelve days. (Not even Dr. Midnight seems able to change that.) Evidence points to the poisoner being one of the members of the somewhat ridiculous Justice League International, and it seems that Chance will meet each in turn. First up: Ice, who says she wants to help. Her ex-boyfriend, the hot-headed Green Lanter Guy Gardener, isn’t happy she’s hanging out with Chance, though. There are other complications as well.

This is Tom King at his best — the story is a little dark but also goofy and nostalgic. Smallwood’s art has a nice noir feel to it (think of Darwyn Cooke’s Parker adaptations) despite taking place in the present.

On a slightly related note, I was happy to see that James Gunn’s plan for DC’s upcoming movies includes an adaptation of King’s and Evely’s Supergirl: World of Tomorrow series, which I’m really looking forward to seeing on the big screen.