One of the advantages of a brand new property that's apparently independent of other comics characters and concepts is that rules and formulae aren't necessary. It leaves the writer free to pull off some surprises and twists, to manipulate the readers' expectations of the conventional. That's exactly what Mark Waid does in this story, and it makes for an engaging and riveting read. However, a problem with new properties -- especially one such as this that throws the reader into the deep end of the plotting pool, so to speak -- is accessibility. If one hasn't read Hunter-Killer #0, this script just isn't going to have as effective an impact.
Hundreds of superhumans escaped from U.S. government custody years ago, and the Hunter-Killers are seeking them out and eliminating them one by one, as their name would suggest. They're also seeking a mysterious item known only as the Catalog, something which has a connection to all the escaped superhumans. Elsewhere, the parents of an unusual young man named Ellis realize the idyllic existence they've enjoyed for years is about to end, and they take unimaginable steps to hide and protect their son from approaching assailants. Little do they know that a lone agent named Wolf has found their remote hideaway as well.
Silvestri's style certainly brings an intensity and edge to the story and characters; that[s undeniable. But his storytelling isn't always as clear as it could be. Constantly shifting perspectives and occasional omission of background detail makes the helicopter sequence at the issue's outset a bit confusing, for example. Furthermore, many of the character look far too much alike. We also don't get a clear picture of the Hunter-Killer team aside from its shapely leader (whose nipple-factor in the middle of battle is laughable).
Waid grabs the reader's attention immediately with one of the more unusual and gruesome tlepathy sequences to unfold in the pages of a super-hero comic. The psychic character is also a welcome addition to the cast. In the midst of a gang of hardened military types, he's a bundle of nerves, someone to which the reader can relate in the middle of the insanity.
The same holds true for Ellis, whose confusion and innocence also makes for a nice contrast with the other characters. It's not so much the revelation of his true nature that's interesting here, though, but the lengths to which his parents go to protect him, and then the radical change in tactics that they adopt. Of course, what makes it work so well is the tenderness we've seen them show their son, but much of that unfolded in Hunter-Killer #0. This issue really needs more of the kinder, parental side of the characters as opposed to the focus on the secrets they're keeping we find in this issue. 6/10
