I have the distinct feeling that "Tommy's Heroes" will read much better in one sitting, rather than split up into five parts.  Yet more support for some comics to be oublished in graphic novel form, rather than serial form.  This isn't meant to imply that this comic is *bad,* it's not, but rather, that it would read better if it wasn't split up into five parts.  

Tommy and newfound friend (and ex-SAS member) Bob  trek through the African desert, with little hope of survival.  Ringo, Hacken, and Natt interrogate Martindale and Ivan Karkov andCo. track down Tommy and Bob ...  

First and foremost, McCrea's art (along with Cui's inks and Feeny and Heroic Age's colors) really impressed me.  Considering that he's been drawing the grim Gotham City for most of HITMAN's run to date, the barren African desert is quite a change.  And while it may not be as heavy on the atmosphere as Gotham, the desert is stil a very terrifying image, if only for the vast images of utter nothingness.  Besides the desert, McCrea's art during the fight scene (between Tommy and Karkov's goons) is quite nice.  It seemed like it was pulled directly out of a very good action movie.  

Speaking of said action sequence, this was one of the most impressive in the book, in my opinion.  Deliberately leaving the battle between Karkov and Bob off-panel was brilliant as it let the reader use his/her imagination.  Good stuff, Ennis.  

But I can't believe that he killed Bob.  He was a fantastic characters, and I was really enjoying the developing friendship between he and Tommy.  But Tommy already has a best friend in Natt, and we saw what happened the last time Tommy had two best buddies (Pat Noonan, RIP) ...  

Much as I liked the banter between Tommy and Bob, I wish that we had seen more of Natt, Ringo and Hacken.  I enjoy each of those characters, and they haven't gotten much screen time during this arc.  Perhaps next issue.  I also hope that we see more of The Skull and The Rose next issue.  My only other complaint is that HITMAN (and all of the DC titles, in fact) could really use a "What Has Happened Before" box, as I think that a new reader hopping on to HITMAN would be lost with this issue.  

Still ... it is good.  Very good. 
 

Score:  B+ 
  

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