BULLSEYE #3
Writer: Ed Brisson
Penciller: Guillermo Sanna
Colorist: Miroslave Mrva
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Rating: M
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 4/5/17
Marvel’s attempt to make Bullsye a likeable character struggles along in its latest offering. All things being equal, this story is actually a fun little adventure for Benjamin Pointdexter. Its main problem is the initial attempt to have Bullseye fall into the anti-hero category. This is a dude who blew up an entire building to eliminate a witness in WitSec, saving a child isn’t even close to being enough. I’m not sure when his penitence is, but I know that it’s on the level of saving the planet several times over.
That said, if you can move past that original plot point, this story plays out like Punisher storyline. The bodies accumulate by dozens, Bullseye isn’t particularly concerned with how these people die, and there are multiple people trying to unalive him at the same time. It really is a fun adventure.
Plot: Bullseye continues his rescue mission, trying to save Raph Losani’s son, Fabian, from the Black Knife Cartel in Colombia. While the leader of the BKC, Teodor Zarco, has been given a very visible warning that Bullseye is coming for him. What our assassin doesn’t know is that Joy Jones, an F.B.I. agent whose husband was killed in the aforementioned building explosion, has assembled a team of mercs to take him out before he can ever hurt another soul..
Story: The pacing of the story by Ed Brisson has been pretty good. Each issue in this series has had something to offer on its own as well as a substantive piece of story to help move the major arc along. Part three of the five part series is the most action-packed issue they’ve had. Bullseye’s finest work may have been the car chase at the end of the book.
Brisson et al. seem to have picked up on the idea that nobody was going to buy Bullseye as anything other than a villain or an “enemy of my enemy is my friend” type of character. He has done too much in the name of evil to wipe the slate clean and begin again, but that doesn’t mean he can’t provide some noble deeds along the way. Brisson appears to have picked up on this or planned for it as the series moved along; either way, he’s done a fine job of allowing him to be what he is while doing something decent, even if it is for cash..
Art: Guillermo Sanna does a fabulous job of creating action and conveying emotion. The art style is a bit different, but it’s something easily appreciated as you dive into the content. The action scenes are full of imagination and represent what you’d expect of a fight with Bullseye. If I did have a small complaint, it would be that there are times when the characters were drawn on Impressionist Appreciation Day, but it’s not so frequent that it becomes a huge bother.
Verdict: Bullseye continues to show potential. I am eager to see how Brisson and his team bring all these stories together and whether or not Jones will get her version of justice in the form of seven pounds (maybe more) of flesh. For as long as Bullseye has been around, it’s damn near impressive how many tight spots he’s survived. Brisson has done a fabulous job of giving us a little insight as to how a character so evil can avoid the ultimate cost of doing business in his line of work. — JW
Rating: 3.25/5 Stars