The latest in Dark Circle’s edgy arsenal. Does it live up to the hype or is it hanging by a thread…
Written by Frank Tieri
Illustrated by Felix RuixNew ongoing series from Dark Circle! They say the Hangman is nothing more than an urban legend. A spook story told to scare criminals straight. But those who encounter him – like hitman “Mad Dog” Mike Minetta – know different. They know that when he comes for you, you’re dead already. Join fan-favorite writer Frank Tieri (Wolverine) and artist extraordinaire Felix Ruiz (Wolverine Max) for an ongoing tale of horror, the supernatural, and violence – and learn why some men may never be redeemed.
Urban legends have always been a fascinating subject to me. Growing up in New Jersey, I heard stories about the “New Jersey Devil” from all sorts of different people. While the interpretations were wildly different depending on location, the basic premise was essentially the same. For the most part, these stories were not meant to terrify you per say but rather explore the dark side of modern living. Though preposterous it might seem when you hear it, the “New Jersey Devil” lore is alive and well to this day. The idea of a mythical being stalking the Pine Barrens is exactly the point of “The Hangman” in establishing its own mythology.
The stage is set in Brooklyn where a husband and wife discuss their daily goings on. The normal, every day chatter between them will sound familiar to anyone who has been in a relationship. Hubby is on his way to work when he is stopped by his daughter looking for her beloved bunny. She has left it in the trunk of his car, which naturally reminds him of something he has in there. Leading his daughter to the garage he grabs the bunny and quickly quiets the man he has stuffed in there. Hubby says his goodbyes and continues on his way; is this the Hangman when he is not hanging? No, this is not and that major swerve is quite a knockdown leading to the eventual introduction.
Frank Tieri wastes little time in setting up a very dark world that the Hangman inhabits. Initially Mickey (or Hubby as noted above), seems as if he is The Hangman, ready to dispense justice to a criminal. Quickly Mickey is made out to be a ruthless killer who does not value human life at all beyond his family. When the Hangman arrives to take care of Mickey, even he is not what he seems to be. Tieri throws a supernatural element into the mix which seems a little off kilter at first; the story does not read like a dark superhero story – in fact it is the opposite. I was looking at the Hangman as a vigilante with a thirst for blood, as opposed to someone like Batman. Furthermore, the supernatural element becomes very fascinating on the final page, which I will not spoil. I expect many to interpret this in a variety of different ways that may appeal to you or turn you off completely.
The dark and grimy world of Brooklyn’s underbelly looks great in the hands of Felix Ruix. Every character, 5 this time around, has a unique quality to them that makes them memorable. Mickey looks like a slimeball who is clearly up to no good – you know, the kind of used car salesman modern media has created? His wife and daughter are shown as the bubbly and smiling bunch that does not know Mickey’s dark side. Little details like this stood out for me and made the fact Mickey is the villain even more interesting. The Hangman is cold and emotionless, as one would expect him to be in this story. Unmasked though, the Hangman has a different feel entirely. I love that Ruix put all of this into each person, making them feel as important as the Hangman.
In terms of background things take place mostly outside, Ruix shows the side of the world only few get to see. The streets of Brooklyn are cramped and grey washed to show their age. Nothing stands out, which is done on purpose to convey the hopelessness of the man in the trunk’s fate. Even when both arrive at their destination, Ruix makes even the final resting place look fantastic. The sun is setting in this sequence, another subliminal hit as to what is going on. The attention to this made me hope this poor schmuck got out of Mickey’s clutches to survive another day.
Continued below“The Hangman” has a grindhouse cinema feel in terms of execution and design. The art is tight and claustrophobic, with the story moving at lightning speed, which is where I was disappointed the most. The plot is essentially as I described it above, without any deviations from that path. Because of – or perhaps in spite of – this, the story does end at a great cliffhanger that will be a good hook for issue #2. But the problem comes with was all of the setup required to tell this story. The whole book details Mickey and his dealings, leaving the Hangman to show up near the end of the book. He doesn’t say a lot in these panels either, which is a little puzzling considering his mythical status. Obviously there are big set pieces in play, but it might have been wise to show a few. Unlike “The Shield”, also from Dark Circle Comics, “The Hangman” is introduced doing what he does best. There is no explanation needed as to why he is doing these things, but his inner monologue remains a mystery.
It is worth nothing though, while things go quickly, I found myself re-reading to see if I missed any details of The Hangman’s identity. I have not found anything additional, but I have a feeling some of this will get revisited in future issues. For me, that is acceptable for Tieri and Ruix to do with this new character. Dark Circle wanted to make a splash with this one and it certainly does just that. Archie Comics is really trying to do different and edgy things with Dark Circle, which is commendable. There has been a miss for sure with another title, but this is not like what the publisher has done before. In a lot of ways, it is an amalgamation of Archie Horror and the legacy of Dark Circle comics when they were Red Circle. Some might be turned off by some of this, which is understandable; being a first issue of a “new” character, expectations are unreasonably high before the first page is even read. The success here is that “The Hangman” is not a book that works in absolutes. The mythology is laid out nicely, even if the main character is not the entire focus of the book.
I find a good book leaves you with a nice taste but wanting more. “The Hangman” gave that to me with some wiggle room to improve. With the combination of the best parts of the other Archie lines, there is a lot to enjoy here. There is also a curiosity I need satisfied in how other readers will process the final page. Will they come back or leave this book behind? My hope is they will continue, like I am going to do.
Final Verdict: 7.8 – A strong start for the newest addition to the Dark Circle family. A quick read for sure, driven by a mythology that opens a wide array of potential ideas. Fitting art assists to make a unique “hero” come to live. Recommended.
