Hit #3

by Bryce Carlson, Vanesa R. Del Ray & Archie Van Buren

Issue three of Hit marks the home stretch for this four issue mini-series. Like the last two issues this issue hooks the reader right in and the plot really blooms as this mystery winds down and Slater gets to the bottom of the recent murders of his friends.

For just being four issues Carlson finds a way to make each individual issue perfectly paced while still following the breadcrumbs of the overall mystery. Not wanting to spoil too much Spencer and his last remaining friends figure out who has been trying to take over Mickey Cohen’s empty spot left in the criminal underworld and why he seems to somehow be involved in it. The cliff hanger ending of this issue really came out of nowhere and was a shock for anyone who has been following this series.

Not having been familiar with Del Ray’s art before this series, her particular style has been the biggest surprise of this series. It is indescribable but also very distinct and was a perfect fit for a noir detective story like this. Like Jeff Lemire or Matt Kindt, her sketchy style may not be everyone’s cup of tea but she really puts her stamp on this series. Once Hit ends, with issue #4, it will be neat to see what she will work on next.

Hit has been a perfect real world 50’s detective story that fans of L.A. Confidential or Chinatown could find plenty to enjoy about this series. It was nice to see some low key creators bring such an appealing and straight forward crime mystery and hit every beat while still pulling out surprises of their won. Only one issue left, how will things end up for Spencer? It’ll be exciting to see how this series ends.