KINGPIN #3
Writer: Matthew Rosenberg
Penciller: Ben Torres
Colorist: Jordan Boyd
Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 4/12/17
Plot: Kingpin deals with some problems surrounding the research for his book and sees just how safe Sarah is with him.
Story: The story within Kingpin is an interesting look into how complex the character really is. Rosenberg builds up Fisk to be this powerhouse who just knows how to play the mob game well. The story really balances the character well and does a nice job of providing his viewpoint on everything that goes on in the book. Kingpin presents the character in a way that delivers Wilson in an intelligent and calculated style that comes across as very smooth.
Kingpin has the character crossing paths and interacting with a nice variety of others too, which helps to display the love and hate nature of his personality. Between Tombstone and Sarah, Kingpin incorporates unique outlets for the character to continue building on his legendary background and history.
Yet, it’s interesting because although Fisk is attempting to uphold a certain public persona, it feels like people will always look at him the same or never fully trust him. It adds a nice element to the book and leaves a little mystery up to the reader to decide on for now.
Kingpin utilizes Sarah for this and has the character provide the story with a voice that has a more neutral stance towards Fisk. On one hand, it would of course be no surprise to eventually learn that Fisk did actually leak the tape; however, his feelings for Sarah could just as easily be more important and the truth as well. Her character is a strong addition so far because she still hasn’t allowed herself to be passive with both Kingpin and Daredevil. It will be interesting to see how her character grows going forward.
Art: The art in Kingpin is really solid and Ben Torres does a nice job with the line work and detail. While Fisk’s design does look a bit like Gru from Despicable Me, it works really well. The left panel above has Fisk looking very intimidating and sinister as he peers down on the old woman. Yet, she views him as someone positive and helpful to the neighborhood. Torres also gives Fisk nice size so the character has a big presence throughout the book. The art is well-positioned and angled to communicate Fisk’s true size.
At the same time, Torres just really nails the up close detail work that focuses on the character’s expressions. With Tombstone there is a grit to the character and shows his more aggressive personality compared to Fisk’s calm and collected one. The villain has this classic horror movie facial design that looks amazing with the purple eyes on a mostly black and white frame. The art in Kingpin really fits the tone of the story well and pairs with character personalities.
The artwork just offers an overall uniqueness to the book that fits very nicely. Torres brings different flares to different scenes in order to set the tone through his work. Boyd also adds to this with his color choices, which bring a lot of focus to the many different types of scenes within the book. He makes a lot of bold and artistic decisions that speak loudly for the events in the panel.
Verdict: Kingpin #3 has a classic mob feel to the story that is a staple part of the character and his main setting. Rosenberg writes the character with a nice balance of insight and action to show the various sides of Fisk. The art is a great addition and always echoes the story well with bold panels that make statements when needed.
Rating: 4/5