Writing
You had one job comic and you blew it! This comic was given out after the Hardcore Henry: The Fan Experience as a gift to the attendees. It focuses on the villain of the series Akan and describes his origin. Sadly it’s worth your time even less than the movie is.
It’s easier to find a way to channel anger and frustration for this comic than it is for the movie. The movie’s ambition was to try and find a new way to present an action movie and at some level it succeeded. The comic was specifically provided to be a prologue to the movie and answer the question of “Why does the Akan have psychic powers?” It tells you but in the most convoluted origin story ever.
Spoiler, Akan was born on the day the Chernobyl reactor melted down while his mother was poisoned by cyanide. HIs powers actually manifest years later when he cooks up a drug which kills everyone in a club but him and he wakes up in the hospital he has psychic powers. Then as his adoptive father reveals the reactor accident was his fault, Akan kills him and then goes crazy and murders a bunch of people. Sound confusing? It should be because it is and doesn’t really add any depth or interest to the character. He’s still just the over the top psychopath from the film with no motivation but “guess I’ll conquer the world now.”
Artwork
The art is only redeeming factor of the book. Artist Alex Cormack found a way to capture the same level of gore as the film. This is best displayed when Akan uses his powers to stage a “hostile” takeover of his father’s company. Blood and gore run rampant in this issue. It’s not for the faint of heart.
Conclusion
The issue ends with a “To be continued” and even asks the fans what they would like to see in the next comic. If there is another issue don’t go out and pick it up. The only unanswered question, “Why Akan has psychic powers” is somewhere is this awkwardly written book. Frankly, there is no other need to get more additional material for the film as they certainly didn’t care to explain the characters properly, so why would fans want to know more?
