Hit-Girl: The Little Bitch is Back comic by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. centers around little Mindy McCready as she tries to assimilate into civilian life without Big Daddy. We get to see life through her eyes as she heads back to school assuming her alter-ego as a productive member of society. Of course, even the most bad assed little superhero is not without her problems, namely getting harassed by mean girls at school. Mindy has no interest in civilian life other than some obligation she feels to mesh with this alien world that her father did not prepare her for. Mindy narrates: “… as I look around at American Idol and the Kardashians and kids my age with makeup and cell phones… I realize this was everything my father was trying to protect me from.”
Kick-Ass takes a back seat to Mindy as he is sworn in as a sidekick to Hit-Girl. Hit-Girl has more pressing matters weighing on her: like what to do about “those Cosa Nostra pricks” like Ralphie Genovese who was just appointed head of the five families. Of course, we can’t forget about Red Mist, who has his own revenge plot he’s working as well as going after Uncle Ralphie.
There is some heavy dialogue in this one which logically gives a lot of information about what’s going on. This will bring readers up to speed as the series is meant to occur after Kick-Ass 1 but before Kick-Ass 2. Approaching things from Hit-Girl’s perspective is definitely a fresh take on the story and will undoubtedly draw in many new fans of the character who may be coming off the heels of the hugely popular Kick-Ass film.
The artwork is cool and dark; even daytime scenes seem to convey a feeling of foreboding where the palette moves from primary colors and earthtones to shade. The only drawback for me is that sometimes Hit-Girl’s face looks as if she’s in her twenties, which seems weird on her little girl body. I’m just glad they didn’t decide to change the characters’ looks to resemble the actors that played them in the film.
I am a little confused over the tag line “The Little Bitch is Back” as it comes off as sexist and a bit of a smack in the face to the main character. My suggestion is, in light of the Hit-Girl angle, don’t just scrape the surface of whatever challenges Mindy’s facing. Mean girls at school are just the tip of the iceberg of the type of issues pre-teen girls have to deal with. Add to that the death of her father and the fact that she, well, kills people, Millar could break into some seriously poignant and cerebral territory if he digs deep enough. More social commentary from Mindy’s POV like the quoted part is definitely a good idea. Overall, though, a good read and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next issue brings. Rating: B+
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