We pick up with the first of many mysteries that will probably grace the pages of Jack Hammer. A man is murdered. Two drunks stumble across the man with a giant hole in his chest. Only one thing could have done this much damage; a superhuman. Our main character, Jack McGriskin, was formerly known as Jack Hammer. The readers are never revealed why, but one cop seems to still call him Hammer. Like I said there is a lot of mystery already hitting us with this series. Jack seems to have his own investigation company. When one of his clients ends up dead, he is suspicious as to who would want this man dead and how superhumans could be involved. The comic very matter of factly introduces the idea of superhumans after the murder. Again, we have no idea who these superhumans are, and how it relates to their world. I am sensing that Jack used to hunt these superhumans or maybe is one himself. Either way, they seem like bad news. Eddie Newman, the man who is murdered, appears to be a normal guy, so Jack knows there is something fishy going on. He shows up at the crime scene uninvited. Our cop, Charlie, who proceeds to still call Jack by his old name, is unwelcoming to Jack even though Charlie doesn’t exactly kick him out. The two have history. Jack is one of those mystery men. You never know the full story, and honestly we may never know what Jack is all about.

We then meet another big player, Ms. Gorch. She is one step below the big dog, and is also the company who hired Jack to find Eddie. She seems, at first, like a strong-willed woman, but that soon changes. I think she is just a follower; always following the boss’ commands. Her first order is to talk to Jack about Eddie. We don’t know much about this company. Well actually we know nothing besides that they hired Jack to find Eddie. They also don’t seem too concerned that Eddie was found dead with a giant hole in his chest.

There are lots of holes in this first issue, literal and figurative. The way we get introduced to so many new ideas is a bit odd. Usually, we have some sort of basic understanding of where we are heading. I found it interesting but at the same time annoying. It was a lot to throw out at a reader at once. I wanted something to hold on to. For me, I always grab onto a character instantly, even if it changes all the time. I didn’t have that immediate reaction with anyone. The scenes jump around a lot. Once I understand all the plot roles, I think this will benefit the comic because it isn’t exactly action packed. The different characters are what will keep you reading once we have established their roles as well. So hopefully the downfall of this first issue will be the strong pull for the rest of the issues.

Score: 3/5

Writer: Brandon Barrows Artist: Ionic Publisher: Action Lab Entertainment Price: $2.99 Release Date: 11/6/13