Publisher: DC/Vertigo
Writer: Eric Kripke
Artist: John Higgins
Colourist: John Higgins
Editor: Ellie Pyle
Release Date: OUT NOW!
Price: $3.99
DC/Vertigo
In Jacked #3 it was all fun, games and emotional support for everyman schmuck Josh, now addicted to the eponymous super-power-giving drug Jacked. But after Josh saves neighbour Jessica and puts a dangerous coke dealer into a coma, the comic takes a Postman Always Rings Twice turn when Jessica asks Josh to kill the dealer.
It’s not that Josh is biting. “I’m a big fat pussy! I’m not a killer!” But things get desperate for Josh and Jessica who kill their attackers. And on top of that, Josh’s drugs wear off during the fight. And so the plot of Jacked #3 becomes an Arthur Miller interpretation of DC’s Hourman.
In Jacked #3 Josh’s life has become extremely complicated and writer Erip Kripke has taken a light, if depressing, story and injected it with palpable tension and suspense. John Higgins art has become graphically violent and bloody to match the mood.
Jacked #3 just gets better every issue and should please any comic book reader looking for a well-drawn, thoughtful adventure story that has depth and character. A rarity by many of today’s comic book offerings but Jacked #3 will dispel a lot of stored up cynicism and make you believe there is something worthy in superhero adventures.
Reviewer: Joe Lovece
Reviews Editor: Steve Hooker