Taskmaster is one of those characters that deserves such a spotlight and generally has been underused through the years. Whenever he’s be used, he’s stood out and weirdly never became a huge hit. Even as a background character he’s stood out over the years and become even better in recent decades. From a generic villain with some cool powers to a smart-ass super villain with cool powers, it’s his personality that has been the focus. Taskmaster #1 nails the character down, mixing action, humor, and some intrigue.

Written by Jed MacKay, Taskmaster #1 has the character on the run after he’s possibly framed for the murder of Maria Hill. There’s now a price on his head and he’ll have to prove his innocence.

The comic is beyond fun with a great mix of action and humor. It kicks off with Taskmaster as a partner during a golf tournament to raise money for mobsters. It’s the kind of set-up that sets the tone so well. The duo he’s facing features Bullseye promising a gold game even I’d watch. But, what it really does is set the tone. The comments between the two are great and really let you know what type of character Taskmaster is. From there’s action, some more laughs, and a focus on what we can expect going forward.

It’s a solid opening that has such a firm grasp on its voice and tone. There’s little doubt as to what you’re going to get with the issue and now the series. It’s a comic that establishes itself and makes you ask why it’s taken so long to get something like this.

The art by Alessandro Vitti is great. Though Taskmaster features a skull mask, you’re still able to get a full feel as to what’s going on when it comes to emotions. The comic has an exaggerated aspect to it with the action having an almost Looney Tunes aspect of it. It’s just over the top as Taskmaster must deal with his would-be assassin having to use what he can to fire back and ducking the bullets flying at him. Guru-eFX provides colors while Joe Caramagna does the lettering and the art team just nails it all down.

Taskmaster #1 is a hell of a lot of fun. Not sure what else to really say. There’s a mix of action and humor and anyone can pick up the comic and enjoy it. It’s not deep. There’s no deeper themes. It’s a simple frame job that has the main character in the crosshairs of others who want him dead in revenge. It’s a simple concept but executed so well. I was hoping the comic would be entertaining and it exceeded my expectations getting me to laugh out loud and leaving me with a smile.

Story: Jed MacKay Art: Alessandro Vitti
Color: Guru-eFX Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics