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X Vol 1: Big Bad

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    Nolando
    Senior Member

  • X Vol 1: Big Bad



    Released by: Dark Horse Comics
    Released on: January 15, 2014


    Collecting issues #0 - #4 of this character's re-introduction this TPB is an excellent collection for getting up to speed fast. The story arc here uses the outsider character of Leigh, the young sassy female ex-reporter who accidentally crosses paths with the town of Arcadia's resident vigilante, the one-eyed killer known as X. Through her, then, we're allowed an introduction to the character that's fresh and new as well as providing context for his violent actions.

    The story begins here with X stalking three prominent “businessmen,” large evil characters who are helping “pick the bones” of the decaying city. They meet to discuss what's to be done about the ominous letters they've each received, containing a picture of themselves with an X drawn over them. X's reputation for handling the town's bad guys in this manner is well known to all of them so they draft up a plan to lure him out and “capture” him, putting an end to his vigilante streak once and for all.


    Leigh, for her part, now runs a blog trying to detail what's happened to her hometown and, having been a staff reporter at a local paper before it shut down, still has some connections. She knows one of these three heavies - whom she terms for her blog as “the three pigs” for sake of safely not naming names - and is shocked when they all show up dead, including one she knew as a public figure. So she begins trying to look under the hood a bit more and find out what, exactly, this X character is up to…

    X, for his part, is seemingly as unstoppable as he is bloodthirsty. His mission is to bring to account all who have destroyed Arcadia. But he gives his main targets a warning, a chance to leave town, by sending them a picture of themselves with just a single red line over it. If they ignore the warning, though, all bets are off as he then uses swords, guns, bombs, and his mitts to deliver his final message.


    His last victim of these Three Pigs, right before he's taken out by X, reveals that he's provided a picture of X to the police whose corrupt heads are now on to him. So they set him up and he's nearly caught but, though wounded, he's able to escape thanks primarily to running across Leigh. She's reluctant to help him but feels some empathy for him - even after blowing her car up to escape the police. But it gives her pause in her investigation to link everything up to a Mr. Berkshire or, as she terms him, “Mr. Juicy.” He's behind every dirty angle in Arcadia and the power behind the throne for pretty much every elected official. And he wants X dead.

    X, however, knows this and sends the police detective Berkshire has tasked with killing X back to him with an explosive collar around his neck. X confronts Berkshire and proceeds to carve up his face but is unable to finish the job as the detective tries to intervene and X detonates his collar. Again, X is barely able to escape but is seriously wounded in the process. Leigh shows up to witness his escape and follows him to his lair, not really sure why…


    Berkshire gets his face reconstructed using pig flesh, giving him the actual physical appearance of a pig while Leigh gets a single-lined pic of herself from X. But as she's been blogging all this, both X and Berkshire are on to her, the latter sending the Rat Gang after her to shut her up. She puts up a bit of a fight but ultimately needs the timely intervention of X to save her. During that act he manages to slip a note into her bag, asking her to turn herself in. X's plan is to have her lead the cops directly to him, to draw even more of their corrupt number into his sights.

    After bloodily dispatching all of them - and saving Leigh from death yet again - they're both suddenly confronted by the pig-faced Berkshire who gets the drop on X and is determined to unmask him before finally killing him. The two fight and it's a drawn-out affair, giving Leigh time to try and help out but she's interrupted by more of the Rat Gang who, while not that bright, are persistent. However, Berkshire is finally able to get X's mask off and cannot believe who he really is - a reveal that's left off-panel and never shown to us. But just when he's about to finish X off Leigh is able to distract him long enough to allow X to go nuts and tear Berkshire's new face literally off.

    Leigh witnesses this (but not the reveal) and is understandably horrified. But she's also now cornered by the Rat Gang. Thankfully, Berkshire's shotgun is nearby and she's able to defend herself. X has split and she's the lone witness to Berkshire's demise and decides maybe she should hang up on blogging as well. She knows she still wants to do something for her city but she's also starting to think she understands X's motivations. She returns to his hideout to offer her assistance to him, which he cautions her on but eventually accepts.

    The story arc ends here, after this solid, bloody introduction. The TPB includes some character sketches and notes as well that are neat enough. But it's really the winning combination of Duane Swierczynski's writing and Eric Nguyen's artwork that are the true stars of this story. The writing is terse enough for noir but gives more depth to the characters than just mindless vigilante-ism. The artwork threatens to tear off the page, it's just dynamic and explosive enough to barely be contained here. One aspect fuels the other here into an explosive, high-octance story that really never lets up on the action. An excellent rebirth for this character and well worth picking up.
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