Things start to really heat up in this month’s issue of Hit (as if they haven’t already). Slater knows that Arthur Blair is working with a New York mobster named Domino in order to expand the National Crime Syndicate to Los Angeles since Mickey Cohen is locked up. Basically, he’s using the hit squad as goons to take out Cohen’s men so Blair and Dom’s plan can work out. Two of their own are already dead-Ken Collins found out about Blair’s plan and was thrown off a bridge. And Jimmy Gomes was killed last issue on one of their hits. In light of recent events, Slater and his partner Sticky are planning to take down Blair, their commanding officer and leader of the hit squad “the right way-nice and clean with evidence.” In another turn of events, Slater wasn’t exactly showing off as much detective prowess last issue as I thought. He and Sticky were wrong in solving the Schwartz homicide case. They were able to arrest Mr. Schwartz last issue, but there was another man involved in the murder of their maid, named Eddie Fuentes. Sticky and Slater pull up to Fuentes’s house only to be met by a barrage of bullets courtesy of a machine gun. Sticky gets hit in the exchange of fire, and we’re also let in on a little info tracing back to the Schwartz homicide, which was introduced in the first issue. Eddie heard Mrs. Schwartz try to get Mr. Schwartz’s shotgun away from him and their maid was running away. As she made it outside and amidst the Schwartz’s struggle, the shotgun went off, breaking through the glass and hitting the maid in the back. Mr. Schwartz eventually got possession of the gun, killed his wife, and fled. After Fuentes ransacked the house and tries to escape to San Pedro, the dying maid grabs his ankle and pleads for help. He bashed her head in with a shovel, which he claims she was asking him to do. Slater shoots out Fuentes’s kneecap and makes sure to keep him alive in order to arrest and get information from him.
It’s clear that Bonnie and Slater are getting closer, maybe too much for their own good. Marriage is even mentioned in this issue. He wants her to take $2,000 and an extra car that he has and go on her way, but she insists on staying with him. The problem is, her dad and Dom’s plan would end with her being protected, since they’d be top dog as far as organized crime goes. Slater’s plan of killing her dad puts her in even more danger.
There’s a good amount more that happens but I don’t want to spoil it-also the ending is phenomenal, you kind of see it coming but not to the extent of what unfolds.
The story progressed along fluidly, just as I’d expect with this miniseries. More questions were answered, and again more were raised. We’re starting to find out who you can and can’t really trust, and Slater officially seems to be in over his head. I love the way everything ties in together. As I’ve probably said before it’s all very cleverly thought out. For example, in the first issue it was clear that Ken Collins wanted to tell Slater something. Well, now we find out that he knew about Blair and Dom’s plan all along.
I don’t know what else to say about the art other than it’s one of my favorite books to check out in that aspect these past few months. I can say that the certain moments that were chosen to portray in the panels were among my favorite in all three books thus far. From Eddie Fuentes opening fire on Sticky and Slater from his front porch to their encounter in the smoky interrogation room, everything in both the writing and art department is yet again on-point. I’ve really enjoyed this miniseries and I can’t wait to see how the last issue unfolds-I’m sure it won’t be a happy ending.
Score: 4/5
Writer: Bryce Carlson Artist: Vanesa R. Del Rey Publisher: Boom Studios Price: $3.99 Release Date: 11/6/13