What do you think?
Rate this book
Assassin Nation #1-5
Assassin Nation, Vol. 1: Number One With a Bullet
Hot off her breakout success at Marvel, two-time Eisner award winner Erica Henderson (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Jughead) teams up with Kyle Starks (writer of sales beast Rick and Morty) for a hilarious twist on the hitman trope that will have readers laughing in the aisles. Full of swears, an excessive amount of violence, and a ton of murders. Welcome to volume one of Assassin Nation.
The World's Former Greatest Hitman hires the 20 best assassins in the world to be his bodyguards. These mean-as-hell hired guns and murderers must work together to keep the new crime boss safe, survive, and also attempt to solve the mystery of who's trying to off him!
Written in the same vein of Starks' action-comedy cult classics Sexcastle and Kill Them All, Assassin Nation has the same laugh-until-you-cry spirit of action-comedies like Hot Fuzz, Tropic Thunder, and Deadpool, wrapped in the bombastic, side-splitting murder-fest you've been waiting for. Collects Assassin Nation #1-5.
The World's Former Greatest Hitman hires the 20 best assassins in the world to be his bodyguards. These mean-as-hell hired guns and murderers must work together to keep the new crime boss safe, survive, and also attempt to solve the mystery of who's trying to off him!
Written in the same vein of Starks' action-comedy cult classics Sexcastle and Kill Them All, Assassin Nation has the same laugh-until-you-cry spirit of action-comedies like Hot Fuzz, Tropic Thunder, and Deadpool, wrapped in the bombastic, side-splitting murder-fest you've been waiting for. Collects Assassin Nation #1-5.
112 pages, Paperback
First published September 24, 2019
7 people are currently reading
204 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
February 12, 2020
I’ve never been a fan of Kyle Starks having tried and abandoned his previous comics Sexcastle and Rock Candy Mountain, but I decided to stick out Assassin Nation if only to see if I was wrong and his bad stories somehow got better over the course of a complete book. Nope - I was wrong about being wrong!
A guy hires the world’s top 20 assassins to find out who’s trying to kill him. And they do. And you won’t care.
Starks’ writing is like reading a sub-par American Dad or Archer script by someone who’s not even remotely funny. There’s a character called Dave who’s talkative and daft and he plays the annoying character who’s talkative and daft. There’s a character called Fuck. Woah, how kerazy and unexpected! There’s a character whose name appears in big bold letters like a corny theme song from an old TV show. Are you laughing yet? Because I was this close to throwing the comic in the bin after that opening chapter! There’s nothing worse than reading someone who thinks they’re hysterical and they’re actually anything but.
I also don’t see what people like about Erica Henderson’s fugly art. It was shit on The Unbearable Squirrel Girl and it’s shit here. The pages are so bland with single colour backgrounds and uninteresting facial expressions on ordinary, forgettable character designs. The action sequences are poorly mapped out so it’s not totally clear what’s happening in them making them unengaging to read.
There are too many characters here even though Starks cuts the numbers down drastically over the course of the story. They’re only ever indistinct and dull, regardless of how long they stick around for. He tries to make one of them the main character by giving him a motivation beyond money - which is more than most of them get - where he’s trying to avenge the death of his husband, but it doesn’t work. I couldn’t even tell you the guy’s name.
The friendships the surviving assassins develop is unconvincing - would elite killers really be so eager and open to new relationships? Oh right, yeah, this is shite Archer so probably because bad Melissa McCarthy-level comedy. I guessed who was really targeting the guy not even before the halfway point and think I kept reading at least partially to find out if I was right. And the “explaining it all in one long monologue at the end” cliche just made me angry at the laziness of the writing.
Unfunny, boring tripe that looks exactly as bad as it reads - Assassin Nation is ass.
A guy hires the world’s top 20 assassins to find out who’s trying to kill him. And they do. And you won’t care.
Starks’ writing is like reading a sub-par American Dad or Archer script by someone who’s not even remotely funny. There’s a character called Dave who’s talkative and daft and he plays the annoying character who’s talkative and daft. There’s a character called Fuck. Woah, how kerazy and unexpected! There’s a character whose name appears in big bold letters like a corny theme song from an old TV show. Are you laughing yet? Because I was this close to throwing the comic in the bin after that opening chapter! There’s nothing worse than reading someone who thinks they’re hysterical and they’re actually anything but.
I also don’t see what people like about Erica Henderson’s fugly art. It was shit on The Unbearable Squirrel Girl and it’s shit here. The pages are so bland with single colour backgrounds and uninteresting facial expressions on ordinary, forgettable character designs. The action sequences are poorly mapped out so it’s not totally clear what’s happening in them making them unengaging to read.
There are too many characters here even though Starks cuts the numbers down drastically over the course of the story. They’re only ever indistinct and dull, regardless of how long they stick around for. He tries to make one of them the main character by giving him a motivation beyond money - which is more than most of them get - where he’s trying to avenge the death of his husband, but it doesn’t work. I couldn’t even tell you the guy’s name.
The friendships the surviving assassins develop is unconvincing - would elite killers really be so eager and open to new relationships? Oh right, yeah, this is shite Archer so probably because bad Melissa McCarthy-level comedy. I guessed who was really targeting the guy not even before the halfway point and think I kept reading at least partially to find out if I was right. And the “explaining it all in one long monologue at the end” cliche just made me angry at the laziness of the writing.
Unfunny, boring tripe that looks exactly as bad as it reads - Assassin Nation is ass.
July 19, 2019
Assassin Nation is Kyle Starks's latest book in his own sub-genre of 80's action movie parodies, this time with a story about a bunch of world's best assassins having at it with each other because of reasons. It's over the top, it's silly, it's funny and entertaining, although it's also probably my least favourite thing I've read by Starks so far. There were too many characters (most of them pretty unmemorable), and the ongoing storyline was at the same time quite thin and pretty convoluted. Still, how bad can a book be when it features a character whose actual name is "Fuck Tarkington"? And then gives you dialogues like this?
Or masterfully uses hilarious russian cursing as a gang name?
So I really can't be too disappointed with this book regardless of its shortcomings. Plus Erica Henderson's artwork is just delightful. Everybody knows that you don't watch this kind of movies for plot or any sort of elegance anyway.
Or masterfully uses hilarious russian cursing as a gang name?
So I really can't be too disappointed with this book regardless of its shortcomings. Plus Erica Henderson's artwork is just delightful. Everybody knows that you don't watch this kind of movies for plot or any sort of elegance anyway.
May 29, 2020
This is a comic story, so the plot is very simple after you have read Agatha Christie's novels. I put pretty high ratings due to the friendships of protagonists.
The most exciting was the first volume where readers are not sure yet who are the main characters/protagonists. On the other side, I like the climax, especially the battles of "lieutenants" of each side. I like the sub-plot that leading to the duel of the lieutenants.
At least the mystery revealed, some characters developed (ok, as much as thin paper characterizations can grow), and the story ends.
The most exciting was the first volume where readers are not sure yet who are the main characters/protagonists. On the other side, I like the climax, especially the battles of "lieutenants" of each side. I like the sub-plot that leading to the duel of the lieutenants.
At least the mystery revealed, some characters developed (ok, as much as thin paper characterizations can grow), and the story ends.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2019
actual rating: 3.5
I guess I get some of the low ratings for this, but honestly if you pick up a book called Assassin Nation by the guy that writes the Rick and Morty comics and see on the literal first page character list that there's a dude named 'Fuck Tarington' and you are still expecting it to be some kind of high brow masterpiece then I just don't even know what to tell you. Is it dumb? Absolutely. Is it also FUN? ABSOLUTELY. It is for the most part just a huge bloodbath, but there are definitely a few heartfelt moments as well. It's not perfect but I had a lot of fun reading it and I like all the characters that made it through to the end. I would definitely check out the next volume.
I guess I get some of the low ratings for this, but honestly if you pick up a book called Assassin Nation by the guy that writes the Rick and Morty comics and see on the literal first page character list that there's a dude named 'Fuck Tarington' and you are still expecting it to be some kind of high brow masterpiece then I just don't even know what to tell you. Is it dumb? Absolutely. Is it also FUN? ABSOLUTELY. It is for the most part just a huge bloodbath, but there are definitely a few heartfelt moments as well. It's not perfect but I had a lot of fun reading it and I like all the characters that made it through to the end. I would definitely check out the next volume.
July 8, 2022
A crimelord hires the 20 top-ranked (ranked? by whom?) assassins to take out a shifting slate of rivals. Virtually the entire book is roomsfull of killers butchering each other. Plus a twist ending that is pretty obvious from about page 3.
I'm 60% sure that Assassin Nation was created just so Kyle Starks could spin out an entire roster of funnycool assassin names. Rumble Deathpatch. Connie the Tank. Franky Townhouse. Wistful Stan. Fuck Tarkington [sic]. Dave.
Starks's trademark humor is fairly muted in the dialogue, though it comes through in other ways (a sniper pips away uselessly at bulletproof glass while his targets have a conversation; as they leave we see that he was spelling FUCK YOU ASSHOLES in pits in the glass).
The illustration is generally solid, except for a host of monochrome backgrounds and some...difficulties...drawing action scenes. I'm not sure who gets the blame for the Batman words (FUCKED! SNATCH!! KA-BOOM! TROMA-D!! WRECK!)
This is far from Starks's best work, but it's an easy read and not unfunny.
I'm 60% sure that Assassin Nation was created just so Kyle Starks could spin out an entire roster of funnycool assassin names. Rumble Deathpatch. Connie the Tank. Franky Townhouse. Wistful Stan. Fuck Tarkington [sic]. Dave.
Starks's trademark humor is fairly muted in the dialogue, though it comes through in other ways (a sniper pips away uselessly at bulletproof glass while his targets have a conversation; as they leave we see that he was spelling FUCK YOU ASSHOLES in pits in the glass).
The illustration is generally solid, except for a host of monochrome backgrounds and some...difficulties...drawing action scenes. I'm not sure who gets the blame for the Batman words (FUCKED! SNATCH!! KA-BOOM! TROMA-D!! WRECK!)
This is far from Starks's best work, but it's an easy read and not unfunny.
March 6, 2020
First off....this has nothing to do with the film of the same name. This is about a bunch of assassins. Next this was pretty fucking dumb and with the cartoony artwork, it made it even less enjoyable. Kind of surprised by Image comics putting this out. Definitely a series I will not be continuing.
October 7, 2019
Art was great but story too simple. Predicted the ending or twist from issue 2.
June 11, 2020
This book is violent and bloody and ridiculous and stupid (in a good way). I love Kyle Starks’ comics and Erica Henderson’s art fits the style of the book.
I dug this one a lot.
I dug this one a lot.
February 2, 2021
There’s a guy in this book named Fuck Tarkington.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2023
If you read me the back cover blurb on this comic, I wouldn’t have picked it up. But since this was a Kyle Starks book, I was too excited to read it! Though predictable, this was just wild and fun and I enjoyed it all as I read it in one sitting. Awesome to see another artist work so well with Starks’ writing, as well! I think Erica Henderson nailed the art for the feel of this one!
September 18, 2019
- You know how many people can say they've been the number one killer over the last twenty years? Very. Fucking. Few. You and me? We climbed a mountain and fucked the sun, my friend. We got the sunburnt dicks to prove it.
March 21, 2024
Another fun one with a decent twist. I have a slight preference for six sidekicks of trigger Keaton, but really enjoyed both books. They're not related other than the same writer and a similar premise (zany misfits trying to band together )
August 29, 2019
Review submitted to Diamond Book Distributors for possible publication.
Review will be posted here after publication OR not being selected.
Review will be posted here after publication OR not being selected.
April 16, 2021
Diversión y acción a raudales. ¡Muy chulo este Assassin Nation!
December 5, 2020
Really fantastic action book and Starks brings real character and humor to the party. Think John Wick but funny. Also, I've seen Henderson's art before on Marvel/Archie humor books, but this work is exemplary. Catapults her into top tier. Super kinetic action.
December 16, 2021
Assassin Nation is an action comic book about a dude who was once one of the best hitmen in the world hiring the 20 best assassins to serve as his bodyguard because someone’s targeting him.
I read the first issue last year and thought it was okay. I wasn’t really intending to continue with it, but my curiosity got the best of me. I wanted to see how the first volume would pan out, so I borrowed it from the library when I saw it available.
The story is light and funny but kind of juvenile in some ways. I didn’t check who the intended audience is, but I don’t think it’s for adults; maybe it’s for teens. There’s nothing wrong with that; it’s just that the story is a lot lighter than I thought it would be. I would have liked the same concept, even with the twist, but a bit more serious and darker.
I like that the story has a diverse cast of characters. However, none of them are so developed that the reader feels anything when one dies and the dude who hires the assassins (I forgot his name) is too obnoxious to like. But I didn’t mind all that since the focus is on the plot, which is very fast-paced. There is even a little twist, which I saw coming, but enjoyed anyway.
ART STYLE
It’s still not a style that greatly appeals to me, but I think it fits the tone of the story well. I like how the colors make the illustrations pop, and I like how bright and eye-catching the action scenes are. Actually, the action scenes are what I like the most and also the panels that highlight a character in some way, calling the reader to pay attention to them.
OVERALL: ★★☆☆☆ ½
It was okay, just not for me.
As posted on Zezee with Books.
I read the first issue last year and thought it was okay. I wasn’t really intending to continue with it, but my curiosity got the best of me. I wanted to see how the first volume would pan out, so I borrowed it from the library when I saw it available.
The story is light and funny but kind of juvenile in some ways. I didn’t check who the intended audience is, but I don’t think it’s for adults; maybe it’s for teens. There’s nothing wrong with that; it’s just that the story is a lot lighter than I thought it would be. I would have liked the same concept, even with the twist, but a bit more serious and darker.
I like that the story has a diverse cast of characters. However, none of them are so developed that the reader feels anything when one dies and the dude who hires the assassins (I forgot his name) is too obnoxious to like. But I didn’t mind all that since the focus is on the plot, which is very fast-paced. There is even a little twist, which I saw coming, but enjoyed anyway.
ART STYLE
It’s still not a style that greatly appeals to me, but I think it fits the tone of the story well. I like how the colors make the illustrations pop, and I like how bright and eye-catching the action scenes are. Actually, the action scenes are what I like the most and also the panels that highlight a character in some way, calling the reader to pay attention to them.
OVERALL: ★★☆☆☆ ½
It was okay, just not for me.
As posted on Zezee with Books.
April 24, 2025
It takes a bash on the assassin genre for sure, but if you´re into the genre you won´t find anything new in this one and I don´t think anything will surprise you.
May 22, 2020
What happens when an extremely powerful, wealthy man has a price on his head from an unknown assassin? Simple. He hires the top 20 ranked assassins in the world to serve as his bodyguards. All at once.
Assassin Nation is not particularly deep. It doesn't seek to challenge you. It's not trying to change the world. It's a comic book equivalent of a Hollywood action comedy where 20 colorful assassins (about half of which are killed off by the end of the first issue) are forced to work together to keep one guy from dying. More assassins get killed off in every issue, but it never stops to be sad, or grim about their fate as it's too interested in slinging jokes at you to keep the tone light from beginning to end. At only 5 issues it's certainly worth checking out, and while most of the assassins are two dimensional characters, they're still fun enough to watch and hang out and all that.
The art is done by Erica Henderson as well, which can give it a couple extra points if you're used to seeing her draw the beloved Squirrel Girl series by Marvel. Going from a squeaky clean safe for all ages book to something with a character literally named Fuck is fun on a meta level and adds to the comedy.
Short, sweet, to the point, but definitely fun. It won't appeal to everyone with its cheesiness but if you like action and jokes then you should definitely have a good time.
Assassin Nation is not particularly deep. It doesn't seek to challenge you. It's not trying to change the world. It's a comic book equivalent of a Hollywood action comedy where 20 colorful assassins (about half of which are killed off by the end of the first issue) are forced to work together to keep one guy from dying. More assassins get killed off in every issue, but it never stops to be sad, or grim about their fate as it's too interested in slinging jokes at you to keep the tone light from beginning to end. At only 5 issues it's certainly worth checking out, and while most of the assassins are two dimensional characters, they're still fun enough to watch and hang out and all that.
The art is done by Erica Henderson as well, which can give it a couple extra points if you're used to seeing her draw the beloved Squirrel Girl series by Marvel. Going from a squeaky clean safe for all ages book to something with a character literally named Fuck is fun on a meta level and adds to the comedy.
Short, sweet, to the point, but definitely fun. It won't appeal to everyone with its cheesiness but if you like action and jokes then you should definitely have a good time.
January 2, 2020
All the world's top assassins team up to protect a criminal kingpin who used to be the number one assassin. The assassins are mostly unique and somewhat interesting, but they also spend 50% of the book discussing their current ranking ("You're definitely a top five assassin now!") which is hilariously dumb.
Erica Henderson's art is amusingly gross at times, though action scenes can be a struggle to follow. And there are many action scenes here. The whole book reads like a high idea stretched out into five issues of fluff. I didn't care about any of the characters and, by and large, was happy to see them kill each other. Maybe that was the point?
Erica Henderson's art is amusingly gross at times, though action scenes can be a struggle to follow. And there are many action scenes here. The whole book reads like a high idea stretched out into five issues of fluff. I didn't care about any of the characters and, by and large, was happy to see them kill each other. Maybe that was the point?
April 5, 2020
Beautifully drawn (and even more beautifully colored!) madcap dark comedy about a bunch of assassins doing assassin stuff. It's about as effortlessly funny as it gets, reminiscent of Nick Spencer's and Chip Zdarsky's funniest work. Not to mention the best friend duo in the whole wide world: Fuck and Dave. This would work best as a one-off but if they decide to do a volume 2... I might not be able to resist, even if I love this as a complete story.
February 9, 2020
Este cómic tiene secuencias realmente brillantes: los asesinatos se muestran con crudeza y al mismo tiempo con un humor muy negro. La guinda es una escala cromática a lo Bellaire que lo realza.
April 25, 2020
In a world where assassins are glorified and all want to secure that coveted top spot, people will do anything to remain on top, regardless of who they have to kill. Assassin Nation Vol #1 is published by Skybound Entertainment, an imprint of Image Comics, written by Kyle Starks (Rick and Morty), with art by Erica Henderson (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl and The Venture Bros.), and with letters by Deron Bennett.
Assassin Nation focuses on, Mr. Rankin, former #1 assassin turned leader of a crime syndicate in his city, who has been a victim of assassination attempts. To find out who is targeting him, he invites the world’s best assassins and gives them an offer, to protect him from whoever is trying to kill him. With him being such a powerful man that he is and a lethal assassin he was, it could be anyone from a bitter rival from his former life or a power-hungry rival of his current life.
The characters in Assassin Nation Vol #1 are diversely represented in race, gender, nationality, and sexuality. This series shows that no matter who you are if you are meant to be great at something, you should pursue it. The characters at the start were vast and many, but as you read on, it dwindled quickly down to just six main characters. Mr. Rankin, Maxwell Bishop, F*ck Tarkington, Dave, Smoke, and Fingerman. Each character brings something unique to the table.
The two standout themes in Assassin Nation were race and sexuality. Race comes into play when one of the character’s flashbacks shows them assassinating someone and as the witness tries to describe them to the police and makes a comment about their race. The other is speaking about the LGBTQ+ when Bishop mentions he’s looking for his husband’s killer. Both scenarios were handled very well.
The dialogue in Assassin Nation Vol #1 is handled amazingly. It comes off as much more realistic in comparison to what you would see in the movies. When there was a need to be professional, it was delivered, when Dave needed to crack a joke, it was well-timed, and so forth. The interactions between the characters felt authentic and not forced.
The story-line is superb, from well placed comedic breaks from Dave and F*ck, to the more serious nature of Bishop. The pacing in Assassin Nation is excellently done and never comes off as rushed. Even the flashbacks in the story are well-curated and help bring more character to each assassin that remains. It’s easy to follow along with the story direction, and if you pay attention to subtle nuances, like how Mr. Rankin responds to certain assassins or even how when tragedy hits, you’ll be able to start piecing together the ending before you arrive.
I am not a big fan of Erica Henderson. Her art on Squirrel Girl is amateurish. Her art is certainly much better in this volume than anything she has done in the past, but it still is not of the top rank. She has a problem in getting the characters faces right on a consistent basis. However, her coloring in Assassin Nation Vol #1 is vibrant and richly saturated. Her coloring helps to offset some of her limitations as an artist. She could work full time as a top ranked colorist based on the quality of her work here.
Additionally, Bennett did an amazing job on lettering for this series, especially with the unique typography used for some of the sound effects. The usage of it helped give more impact to what happened and let the reader have an easier time hearing that sound.
Overall, Assassin Nation is an amazing series and a fun read. If you’re into high action, cheesy jokes, betrayal, badasses, action movies, or even the creators of this crazy ride, you have to pick this up!
Assassin Nation focuses on, Mr. Rankin, former #1 assassin turned leader of a crime syndicate in his city, who has been a victim of assassination attempts. To find out who is targeting him, he invites the world’s best assassins and gives them an offer, to protect him from whoever is trying to kill him. With him being such a powerful man that he is and a lethal assassin he was, it could be anyone from a bitter rival from his former life or a power-hungry rival of his current life.
The characters in Assassin Nation Vol #1 are diversely represented in race, gender, nationality, and sexuality. This series shows that no matter who you are if you are meant to be great at something, you should pursue it. The characters at the start were vast and many, but as you read on, it dwindled quickly down to just six main characters. Mr. Rankin, Maxwell Bishop, F*ck Tarkington, Dave, Smoke, and Fingerman. Each character brings something unique to the table.
The two standout themes in Assassin Nation were race and sexuality. Race comes into play when one of the character’s flashbacks shows them assassinating someone and as the witness tries to describe them to the police and makes a comment about their race. The other is speaking about the LGBTQ+ when Bishop mentions he’s looking for his husband’s killer. Both scenarios were handled very well.
The dialogue in Assassin Nation Vol #1 is handled amazingly. It comes off as much more realistic in comparison to what you would see in the movies. When there was a need to be professional, it was delivered, when Dave needed to crack a joke, it was well-timed, and so forth. The interactions between the characters felt authentic and not forced.
The story-line is superb, from well placed comedic breaks from Dave and F*ck, to the more serious nature of Bishop. The pacing in Assassin Nation is excellently done and never comes off as rushed. Even the flashbacks in the story are well-curated and help bring more character to each assassin that remains. It’s easy to follow along with the story direction, and if you pay attention to subtle nuances, like how Mr. Rankin responds to certain assassins or even how when tragedy hits, you’ll be able to start piecing together the ending before you arrive.
I am not a big fan of Erica Henderson. Her art on Squirrel Girl is amateurish. Her art is certainly much better in this volume than anything she has done in the past, but it still is not of the top rank. She has a problem in getting the characters faces right on a consistent basis. However, her coloring in Assassin Nation Vol #1 is vibrant and richly saturated. Her coloring helps to offset some of her limitations as an artist. She could work full time as a top ranked colorist based on the quality of her work here.
Additionally, Bennett did an amazing job on lettering for this series, especially with the unique typography used for some of the sound effects. The usage of it helped give more impact to what happened and let the reader have an easier time hearing that sound.
Overall, Assassin Nation is an amazing series and a fun read. If you’re into high action, cheesy jokes, betrayal, badasses, action movies, or even the creators of this crazy ride, you have to pick this up!
September 17, 2019
While I felt the twist to the book was telegraphed early on, and I didn't really care / get a feel for a majority of the characters introduced, Assassin Nation is a pretty fun murder non-mystery. Who is trying to kill the former #1 assassin in the world? The answer won't surprise you! But the ridiculousness of the violence is enhanced by Erica Henderson's perfectly cartoonish art.
I recommend this for fans of 100 Bullets, Vol. 1: First Shot, Last Call, Die!Die!Die!, Vol. 1, VIRGIL, and anyone looking for a book about thieves or assassins trying to undermine each other.
I recommend this for fans of 100 Bullets, Vol. 1: First Shot, Last Call, Die!Die!Die!, Vol. 1, VIRGIL, and anyone looking for a book about thieves or assassins trying to undermine each other.
July 19, 2021
One of the top crime bosses hires a bunch of assassins to protect him from being assassinated. But when they find out who put the hit out on the crime boss, they realize that everyone one of them is in danger.
This was really entertaining and a pretty funny story. The way that Kyle Starks gives each assassin a cool name and, for some of them, back story - was really neat. Even the characters who don't get any backstory at all seem mysterious and intriguing, just because of the name and their look.
Speaking of look, the art by Erica Henderson fits the tone of the book well. It is pretty cartoony, but with enough of an edge to give the book a light hearted tone while at the same time still feeling dangerous enough when the bullets start flying. And boy, do they ever. Great job by Henderson on the art.
The plot itself is a bit on the nose. Not sure if anyone else did, but I kind of figured out what was happening half way through the book. But that doesn't take away from the fun nature of the book itself. It's not the destination, but the ride with Assassin Nation, so if you like your comics violent but funny, this one is for you.
This was really entertaining and a pretty funny story. The way that Kyle Starks gives each assassin a cool name and, for some of them, back story - was really neat. Even the characters who don't get any backstory at all seem mysterious and intriguing, just because of the name and their look.
Speaking of look, the art by Erica Henderson fits the tone of the book well. It is pretty cartoony, but with enough of an edge to give the book a light hearted tone while at the same time still feeling dangerous enough when the bullets start flying. And boy, do they ever. Great job by Henderson on the art.
The plot itself is a bit on the nose. Not sure if anyone else did, but I kind of figured out what was happening half way through the book. But that doesn't take away from the fun nature of the book itself. It's not the destination, but the ride with Assassin Nation, so if you like your comics violent but funny, this one is for you.
January 23, 2020
I've always had a soft spot for the movie Smokin' Aces, and this book aims right for the same spot. It's over-the-top in the same way, and as soon as you accept its cartoonishly violent world, the story works on just about every level. I came into this for Erica Henderson's art, which I wouldn't have thought was a good fit for the theme, but it works very well. I would have read it even sooner had I realized that Kyle Starks was the writer of Rock Candy Mountain. It's funny, absurd, overwhelmingly violent (but doesn't really revel in the violence, if that makes sense), unashamedly rude (one of the characters is named F^&$ Tarkington, and he's actually a fully developed character), and just manages to be charming and fun even as it throws up a massive body count.
I was kind of surprised to see it wasn't a standalone series; it tells a very complete story that needs no continuation. At the same time, the prospect of even more assassins interacting with our protagonists is something I'm definitely down for. Definitely worth a read if you can deal with the violence and death.
I was kind of surprised to see it wasn't a standalone series; it tells a very complete story that needs no continuation. At the same time, the prospect of even more assassins interacting with our protagonists is something I'm definitely down for. Definitely worth a read if you can deal with the violence and death.
October 26, 2019
This was a lot of fun to read. I thoroughly enjoyed how the art did not seem to match the violence of the story. It almost made it more fantastical instead of visceral, which I appreciated. Erica Henderson was a lot of fun on Squirrel Girl and you can see her style played to maximum effect here.
Starks’ story was a lot of fun. I appreciated at the beginning of the story where he gives the reader a ranking of the best assassins. It felt very Cowboy Bebop. The characters were a lot of fun and enjoyed how ridiculous the story ended up being. Assassins hired to protect a mob boss from assassination attempts was a fun story and plot points were easier to figure out even if the reader only suspected it. There were times where I thought “Oh, yeah, that” but moved on because it was a lot of fun.
Starks’ story was a lot of fun. I appreciated at the beginning of the story where he gives the reader a ranking of the best assassins. It felt very Cowboy Bebop. The characters were a lot of fun and enjoyed how ridiculous the story ended up being. Assassins hired to protect a mob boss from assassination attempts was a fun story and plot points were easier to figure out even if the reader only suspected it. There were times where I thought “Oh, yeah, that” but moved on because it was a lot of fun.
August 5, 2021
Started reading this on the recommendation of Jason Mantzoukas, and given that it's only six issues, it was a pretty quick read. I got through the whole thing in one sitting, which was surprising given the scope of the story. The gist is a crime lord whose life is threatened hires the top 20 assassins to protect him. It goes as well as expected as these large ensemble killer stories rarely work (think Smokin' Aces or The Tournament, both retched films). With such a large cast and short length, none of them get fleshed out, the action sequences are brief and not engaging, and the ending is exactly what you think it will be from page one. Overall, this feels really lazy and poorly written, which is surprising given the creator has a handful of other comics on his resume. I have no idea how this one got published.
July 1, 2022
All the assassins in this book have a gimmick. Or a trait that sets them apart.
If I were an assassin, what would mine be?
Whoa, I bet you thought I was going to say, "I'd be called Second Shooter, and I'd get away with all my assassinations while some patsy took the fall. And I'd always slip a copy of Catcher in the Rye on him. So maybe I'd be called Shooter in the Rye."
I bet you thought you were going to trick me into saying something like that, then blammo, on go the cuffs.
I suppose you can tell at this point that I've never been handcuffed because "blammo" is not remotely the sound handcuffs make.
I've never been handcuffed because IF I ever did anything, I've never been caught.
If I were an assassin, what would mine be?
Whoa, I bet you thought I was going to say, "I'd be called Second Shooter, and I'd get away with all my assassinations while some patsy took the fall. And I'd always slip a copy of Catcher in the Rye on him. So maybe I'd be called Shooter in the Rye."
I bet you thought you were going to trick me into saying something like that, then blammo, on go the cuffs.
I suppose you can tell at this point that I've never been handcuffed because "blammo" is not remotely the sound handcuffs make.
I've never been handcuffed because IF I ever did anything, I've never been caught.
July 28, 2024
I read this while I was waiting for laundry to finish (lol). Overall, it was moderately entertaining.
6 Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton is definetely superior-- it has more personality and identity. My favorite Kyle Starks novel is Peacemaker Tries Hard (easily the funniest).
Erica Henderson did an amazing job with the art style. Colors and lines really pop. I kind of wish the assassins had more defining features or unique designs to separate them. Some of them felt generic in design.
I don't think the twist was as predictable as some reviewers are saying; but it is a simple storyline. I guess they left a cliffhanger ending but I'm not sure if this can be stretched into a longer series.
6 Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton is definetely superior-- it has more personality and identity. My favorite Kyle Starks novel is Peacemaker Tries Hard (easily the funniest).
Erica Henderson did an amazing job with the art style. Colors and lines really pop. I kind of wish the assassins had more defining features or unique designs to separate them. Some of them felt generic in design.
I don't think the twist was as predictable as some reviewers are saying; but it is a simple storyline. I guess they left a cliffhanger ending but I'm not sure if this can be stretched into a longer series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews