The Killer Volume 4: Unfair Competition

The killer #9-10

by Matz, Luc Jacamon (Illustrations), Edward Gauvin (Translator)

Vervolg op het derde deel In het krijt. Een grote stad is de aangewezen plaats voor wie niet wil opvallen. Tijd om na te denken. Wie heeft zijn vriendin in elkaar geslagen en zijn huis in Venezuela in brand gestoken? Hoe heeft de Peetvader hem teruggevonden? Pas op, Killer: als de Peetvader je wist te vinden, zijn misschien ook andere huurmoordenaars je op het spoor gekomen... Een grootstad. De beste plaats om onopgemerkt te blijven en af te wachten. De killer houdt zich schuil in Parijs. Zijn vriendinnetje heeft rust nodig. Ze werd hardhandig aangepakt in Venezuela. Wachten. Proberen te begrijpen. De verantwoordelijken straffen. Mariano duikt op. Hoe heeft hij hen gevonden? De peetvader, oom van Mariano, waardeert de diensten van de killer, en heeft hem zijn neef gezonden om hem op het spoor te zetten van degenen die zijn viendin zo hard hebben aangepakt. Maar niets voor niets. De peetvader wil een dienst terug. Mariano zal hem de opdracht brengen.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Crime, Graphic Novels Comics

128 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2002

About the author

"Matz" is the pseudonym for French writer Alexis Nolent. He has written scripts for video games, a novel, and as Matz, a number of comics including Triggerman by Walter Hill. His graphic novel, Du plombe dan la tete a.k.a. Headshot, was adapted into the 2012 film, Bullet To The Head.


See http://www.dargaud.com/bd/Auteurs/Matz for a bio in French.

Reviews

[Urbon Adamsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably my least favorite so far.

I don't particularly like this new phase of the series. It's not longer about the hitman way of life but more about a gangster/businessman way of life.

Some parts felt extremely boring, to the point that I paused the reading and picked something else to read.

I honestly considered a 3-star review for this double volume but the fact is that, regardless of the less good things this phase has, it still has outstanding narrative moments, and the series as a whole it's still pretty good.

It's still a series I recommend and a read that I could see myself re-reading it in the future, so it can't be that bad, right?

[sara frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

way depressing.

[iamjacsmusings · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a soft reset and realignment in Vol.3, Matz's Killer gets back to doing what he does best in Vol.4: killing targets and philosophising lyrical. 

Meanwhile, Jacamon's art goes from astonishing to confounding in its beautiful complexity. His ability to render near photorealistic landscapes. His technical accuracy at capturing shadow and light. His atmospheric use of colour. His kinetic depiction of sex and violence. 

He kills it. Everytime. He never misses.

[Kern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically a continuation of Volume 3, with my same criticisms/reservations carrying over: as it grows more overtly political, it becomes less interesting. There's less flat out lecturing in this volume, but it hammers home the same ideas and criticisms of Western politics ad nauseam. Desperately needs a gear shift at this point.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The killer teams up with Mariano again in Volume 4, Unfair Competition. There are two stories that make up this volume, but they are tied together.

In the first story, the killer is sent to America to take out some corrupt people in the oil industry. He meets up with Freeman, an ex-CIA agent. In the second story, Mariano, Freeman and the killer find themselves in the oil business in Cuba. In order to cut through regulatory agencies, the killer's special talents are called on.

Along the way, there is plenty of commentary on the corrupt rich, or the complacent middle. It's another fine story in the series, and although I used the word a couple days ago in my review of The Killer Omnibus, it's very cinematic. The story by Matz is good and the art by Luc Jacamon is excellent with backgrounds teeming with details. I like this series.

[Mikael Kuoppala · Rating 3 out of 5]

The noir adventures of Asesino continue in a world filled with shady underworld politics, paranoia and ambiguous ethics. I really love the tone of this series, but the storytelling could definitely be bit more meaty.

[Mason]

Good, things picked up in the end. I think this should be a pure character study, more so than it is, but maybe the last few issues will have that. Liked the ending :D

Ranking of the volumes so far:
1
2
4
3
finished april 14

[Gef · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review coming via ismellsheep.com