Peacemaker Tries Hard! #4
Seth A. Romo
Recap
FEATURING DEATHSTROKE! WELL...KINDA! Things go from bad to worse when Peacemaker, with the help of some Golden Age superheroes, infiltrates General Immortus's secret island base--but ends up captured by a drug smuggler with a penchant for his own goods. Bullets, powder, and punches fly, and Peacemaker's geriatric squad have victory in sight. But first...they'll have to get through Deathstroke! Well...kinda…
Review
What do cocaine, a lost puppy, and bees lifting weights have in common? If your answer is Peacemaker, you’d be correct and laugh hysterically at the latest issue from DC Black Label. This issue is legitimately funny and brings in DC mythology in a current-day story for an entertaining read.
Peacemaker Tries Hard is a series similar to John Wick in that the story revolves around a dog. Unlike John Wick, the puppy is okay, his name is Bruce Wayne, and his owner is Peacemaker—the antihero, hero, mercenary…guy.
The past three issues have been betrayal, shock, and lots of laughs. The humor continues in this issue, with writer Kyle Starks continuing this epic yet small-scale story. It’s hard to make a “funny” comic, but Starks hits each issue out of the park. The return of Snowflame, a cocaine-based supervillain, mainly works in this issue. Starks bringing in a character who originated in the late 80s into a modern day book makes this run feel like it’s written by someone who loves DC and wants others to enjoy the universe.
Peacemaker gets a lot of laughs without being annoying, and part of the humor is the comedic art done by Steve Pugh. There are slapstick moments, and excellent action-filled panels make for a solid action comic. Jordie Bellaire’s colors are well done and complete the art done by Pugh. This series also hosts a range of fun covers for Peacemaker, and this issue is my favorite so far.
The issue begins with confusion between Peacemaker and Amanda Waller on which “Bruce Wayne” has been kidnapped, and it makes for a funny follow-up to the banter between The Bee, Peacemaker, and General Immortus. This series takes a character like Peacemaker and brings in other less-used characters for a wild story that uses the DC Universe.
Final Thoughts
After action pieces, arguments, and more violence, the issue ends with some progress on the journey to saving Peacemaker’s beloved puppy. Currently there are only 6 issues solicited, but Starks and the team have made for such an enjoyable journey that I hope it constitutes well past that. For now, I will just have to be excited about issue 5 and be okay with that. For Peace.
Peacemaker Tries Hard! #4: Nose Candy and Powerlifting Bees
- Writing - 9/109/10
- Storyline - 9.5/109.5/10
- Art - 9/109/10
- Color - 9/109/10
- Cover Art - 9.5/109.5/10
