Hammerfist #2
Written by Rick Remender
Art by Steve Epting
Colors by Matt Hollingsworth
Letters by Rus Wooten
Hey everyone! Russ “King of Hearts” Hartman here, and it’s great to be back writing reviews for the Clique. Sometimes life gets in the way, but things are finally going smoothly again, and I’m excited to give my thoughts on some incredible books this week. Kicking things off this week for me is Hammerfist #2, and my god, Rick Remender can do no wrong. This issue reminded me of Mad Max: Fury Road in the best way because, just like that film, this issue is basically one giant action scene/chase. Steve Epting and Matt Hollingsworth art doesn’t skip a beat in what is an equally great follow-up to issue #1. Let’s get into it. Spoiler Warning Now in Effect for Hammerfist #2!
Small Town, Big Problems
Hammerfist #2 wastes no time getting us into the action. This second issue picks up legitimately seconds after the first one ends as our dirty, rotten scoundrel of a protagonist, Mike Denton, escapes the bank-heist-gone-wrong with the bag containing the Hammerfist in tow. This issue is a mile a minute as we join Mike in his journey to escape a town that is hell-bent on murdering him and getting the precious Hammerfist back into their possession.
In the last issue, we were introduced to William and Cindy, who clearly knew more than they were letting on about this “money” heist, but by the fifth page of this issue, not only is William’s corpse beginning to get cold, but Cindy is captured by the police. The only two people Mike could’ve gotten any answers from are out of commission, and from there on, the roller coaster ride of issue #2 really kicks off. Just like Mike, we know almost nothing about where this is all heading, and it makes for a very compelling issue as I found myself just wanting to find out more and more about the town, the people, and what is just so damn important about this item.
Mike’s escape from the police is only the tip of the iceberg in an issue that features gunshots, explosions, grand theft auto, incredibly strong mace, and a library that doesn’t seem to follow any of the respectful quiet rules that you’re supposed to. After escaping the police without them following, Mike thinks he’s in the clear until he barges into a mailman on one of the town's main streets. Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue, but in the world of Hammerfist, this one collision has repercussions across the entire issue.
Mike not only gets maced, but he gets stabbed by a mailman who looks like he could be Mr. McFeeley’s cousin (Yes, I did just make a Mister Rogers reference. Mr. McFeeley was the man) and is forced to spend most of the rest of the issue trying to deal with his damaged eyesight. After clocking the mailman in the face with the duffle bag containing the Hammerfist, Mike continues his race across town and smashes through the doors of the local library (PSA: support your local libraries; they are as invaluable as ever in this insane world of misinformation we’re living in now). A kindly old woman points Mike in the direction of the bathroom, but as you can probably guess by this point, the kindly old woman probably isn't too kind.
As Mike stands in front of the sink, he's quickly greeted by a buckshot from a double-barreled shotgun that explodes the mirror above his head. Does everyone in this town just carry some sort of weaponry on them? Brings to mind another: Mike is hunted by the old woman as he makes his way through the confines of the library, and even a group of children reading doesn't stop the old woman from firing upon our dastardly protagonist. This entire town is hellbent on stopping Mike; collateral damage be damned. The ride ain’t over yet as Mike escapes the library from hell and runs right into the something that could lead to his salvation: a motorcycle with a full tank of gas and a seemingly surprised townsperson. Maybe Mike has finally caught a bit of luck? Yeah, I just laughed at that one too; things only get crazier for Mr. Denton as he decides it's time to commit some grand theft auto. One last point on this art: the sometimes cheesy action movie-style dialogue from the librarian is amazing; she has some good one-liners in there.
Of Bikes and Men
Mike tackles the motorcyclist away from his bike as he’s filling it and gets ready to take off into the desert, but as it turns out, that dastardly librarian isn’t done making Mike’s life hell. Long story short, the motorcycle and Mike are both lit on fire as the gas station explodes from the buckshot, and he’s forced to ditch the bike almost as soon as he could taste salvation. Mike might be a badass, but he ain’t no Ghost Rider. You would think by now Mike has earned a break, but Remender laughs somewhere as he continues to show no mercy.
Mike is thrown from the bike, and of all places, a Little League baseball field is the next stop of misery in this town of nightmares. Mike is shot at by the umpire and manager, and the kids all raise their baseball bats, ready to smash him into oblivion. The roller coaster finally reaches its end as Mike somehow escapes down a back alley and makes his way to the edge of town; right next to a creepy factory straight out of A Nightmare on Elm Street or Saw. Mike takes a hit of some of the crack he scored last issue to settle his nerves, but he quickly notices the police have Cindy, and they’re dragging her away not to prison, but to whatever grisly fate may await her inside the factory.
This final part of the issue, I won’t spoil, but Remender makes it very clever that there is something very evil going on behind the scenes here. This entire town has to be this crazy for a reason, and it seems like next issue, we are finally going to get some answers as to what the Hammerfist actually is, and why it's so important and just why noon is such an important time on this specific day. Our issue ends at 11:58 AM, and I can’t wait for the next issue to see what happens and to see just what is going to happen when the clock strikes noon. One last thing to ponder, dear readers: How the hell does everyone in this town know Mike’s name, who he is, and personal things about his life? Another layer added to this already very intriguing story.
A Creative Team that Pulls No Punches
It’s no secret, if you’ve read my reviews, that I’m a huge fan of Rick Remender, his writing style and the stories he has brought into the comics world. Everything from Seven to Eternity to Escape to his incredible run on Uncanny X-Force are all highlights from my years of absorbing stories from this amazing medium. Hammerfist is yet another great story penned by Remender, and these first two issues have me hooked, line, and sinker into the story of Mike Denton, this apparent weapon of mass destruction he has, and what it all means in the greater picture of this world. Some of my favorite books hitting comic store shelves right now are Remender books, and he’s been on an absolute tear this year.
Remender has that “it” factor where he knows how to pull the reader in and not let them go. I already find myself wishing it was next month so I could see what sort of insane things are going to happen in issue #3. Hammerfist unabashedly is not afraid to be what it is: a raucous, violent grindhouse-style book where wild action is supported by some profoundly deep emotional moments.
Issue #2 may not have had as many deep moments as the first one, but it still hits just as hard. Some comic creators, I feel, can sometimes shy away from what makes their book great as it goes on, but this book shows no signs of slowing down or changing what it's about, and I love that. Next time Hollywood needs an idea for a comic to adapt, Remender should be the first guy on a studio executive’s list. Hammerfist has the potential to be an amazing limited series down the line somewhere.
Now on to the other huge part of what makes Hammerfist so damn good: the art team of Steve Epting and Matt Hollingsworth. Their visceral art matches the violence of the story incredibly well, and in an issue that was basically one massive chase sequence, the art is going to need to tell a lot of the story. The best way I can describe the art in this issue is that it makes you FEEL every gunshot, every burst through a door, every explosion. I mentioned in my review of the last issue that this book feels like a grindhouse film in the best way, and the art is a massive reason why.
Steve Epting’s art is fantastic no matter if we’re watching Mike navigate a library of horrors or if he’s running from a group of murderous children. Hollingsworth’s colors in particular were great in this issue, as the lighter color palette for the desert town, mixed with the dark red blood splatter in many scenes, was a great dichotomy. The red’s, orange’s, and yellow’s Hollingworth used during the gas station explosion could make any comic reader almost feel the heat. The bar has been set very high for the art in these first two issues, and I cannot wait to see what these two got cooking up for issue for #3.
Hammerfist #2 is a non-stop, raucous sprint through a little desert town that never lets up. Rick Remender’s grindhouse spectacular kicks things into another gear as Mike Denton’s world has been turned completely upside down. Steve Epting’s art and Matt Hollingsworth’s colors provide the perfect palette this violent story demands. This is one of my favorite series of the year.
RATING: 9 Angry Librarians out of 10
Strong Recommendation