Heavy #1 is due out September 16, 2020. — **Heavy #1** is due out September 16, 2020.

By Benjamin Morin — What happens when the Punisher goes supernatural? Only the late 1990s had dared to ask such a question up until this point. Now however, we’re not talking about the critically lauded Punisher: Purgatory. No, this question is actually at the center of a new book this week: Heavy #1. Written by Max Bemis and illustrated by Eryk Donovan, Heavy breathes new life into the Punisher concept in this absurdly entertaining debut.

I feel I should note from the beginning that I have never been a fan of the Punisher or other characters of his ilk. Their penchant for over-the-top violence and ruthless hatred of crime never appealed to me as most of the time they lacked any nuance or depth. At the end of the day, characters such as this thrive off of easy thrills and shock value. Then enters Heavy; a book that takes such a premise, owns up to its inherent shallowness, and delivers a wonderfully fun riff.

Our story follows Bill a “Heavy”. Heavies are multiverse hopping assassins trying their best to work their way into heaven. Much like his Marvel predecessor, Bill is trying to reunite with his deceased family but must first atone for his actions through ruthless killings. As a Heavy, Bill carries out hits on dangerous individuals throughout the multiverse. These contracts range from high school bullies to an evil Leonardo da Vinci. Such an entertaining premise pulls from a myriad of preexisting sources and puts them all together in one off the wall package.

Bemis’ writing here is fun and engaging from the start. His narration takes a clever tongue-in-cheek approach that weaves a note of irony to the whole story. Bemis also immediately acknowledges the inherent shallowness to this kind of story, and flips the script by running with it. Through this he is able to deliver a sensational adventure that never stops making fun of itself. Bemis’ pacing is also on point. He wastes no time at throwing you into the action and by page two you’re hooked. Such clever writing and lack of restraint blend together perfectly for a wild ride.

The artistic duo of Donovan and Peter also knock it out of the park. Donovan’s artwork matches the no holds barred story and delivers a stylish kick. When it comes to the action scenes Donovan's line work is frenetic and captivating as blood and bullets tear across the pages. He even makes creative use of paneling to give the book an even more distinct feel. Donovan’s art is only then enhanced by Peter’s stimulating colors. Explosions leap off the panels and transdimensional portals spark with blazing hell fire. Both artists complement each other’s work to give the book a captivating style.

I came away from Heavy #1 completely blown away. I went in expecting a standard anti-hero knock off and found my expectations wonderfully subverted. Bemis imbues the book with a satiric tone and promise of an insanely fun adventure. If I had any criticism of the book it would be that the narration can be a bit too on the nose at times, but it never overstays its welcome and might work for others. With the entire multiverse to explore, I cannot wait to see what insane exploits this series has in store.

Overall: Heavy #1 delivers a stylish and action packed debut that should be on everyone’s pull list. 9.5/10

Heavy #1 - REVIEW

Heavy #1
Writer: Max Bemis
Artist: Eryk Donovan
Colorist: Cris Peter
Letterer: Taylor Esposito
Publisher: Vault Comics
Price: $3.99
Bill may be dead, but he’s got a job to do. Welcome to the Big Wait, where folks who don’t quite make the cut go to work off their debt. Everyone in the Wait’s got a job. Bill is a Heavy, whose job is policing the multiverse, making sure bad eggs get what’s coming to them. He’s on track to earn his Climb and reunite with the woman he loves...until he meets his new partner: the worst dude of all time. Heavy is The Punisher for neurotics; Inception for the impatient; Preacher for…well, it’s a lot like Preacher. Max Bemis (Moon Knight, Centipede, X-Men: Worst X-Man Ever) and Eryk Donavan (Memetic, Ghost of Ohio) bring you a story about the existential purpose of dumb boys with big guns.
Release Date: September 16, 2020
Buy It Digitally: Heavy #1

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Benjamin Morin currently studies Journalism/Mass Media at Johnson University. He is a comic book enthusiast and aspiring filmmaker.