Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning
Art by Joe Phillips
I went to Eides Entertainment on Friday July 3rd to look for a copy of Negan Lives for my friend’s birthday. I found a copy and I also picked up some other new releases I missed out on the past few weeks. I decided to take a look through the dollar bin and decided to pick out five comics. One comic I grabbed was New Year’s Evil Body Doubles #1.
New Year’s Evil was a series of comics that gave the villains the spotlight for a change.
Bonny Hoffman and Carmen Leno comprise Body Doubles. In this one shot, Bonny and Carmen are hired to assassinate a target and the reward for a successful hit is a cool 100 million dollars. As the two make their way to the museum of natural history to locate their target, they come face to face with the Killer Elite (Deadline, Merlyn, and Deadshot). In the midst of a firefight between the villains, the trio of men tell Bonny and Carmen that the bounty is an open ticket, anyone can go after the target for the reward. Some lesser known assassins like The Pardners, “Slippery” Geno Trask, Ladykiller, and the Hardware Queen are after the reward as well. However, an unseen individual lurking in the shadows is picking off these assassins one by one to claim the bounty. It’s a mad dash for cold hard cash and Bonny and Carmen must stay one step ahead of the completion so they don’t end up being eliminated.
This one shot is very reminiscent of the movie Smokin’ Aces starring Ryan Reynolds and Ray Liotta from a few years ago. It also has a bit of The Running Man vibe to it as well.
Most readers know about the tandem of Abnett and Lanning and if you see their name on a book, by all means, purchase that comic book immediately. Abnett and Lanning are known for their stories that feature high octane action and studies on human interactions and close-knit relationships.
You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover and although the 1990s were a time of buxom women in starring roles, Body Doubles bucks that trend. Bonny and Carmen are beautiful, sure, but it’s what lies beneath that exterior that you have to keep an eye out for. They are smart, seductive, and deadly. Their adversaries underestimate them and it’s a costly and fatal mistake. These women gave Mitch Shelley a run for his money in the pages of Resurrection Man and this one shot proves they can hold their own in the DC Universe at large.
If you have some time to take a dive into the dollar bin, the rest of the New Year’s Evil one shots are worth tracking down. I always enjoy the villain themed months at DC Comics. I mean why should superheroes have all the fun?