“Vengeance is mine, said the Lord,” these are the very lines that Samuel L. Jackson utters in Pulp Fiction. The role is definitely one of his most brilliant portrayals and stood out in a movie that contained a multitude of stories while being interconnected. What’s most memorable about his role is that he gave the “everyman” aspect to what a hired gun usually is. Most of the time, these characters, are rarely portrayed as multidimensional.

His and John Travolta’s characters show us how taking a life is rarely trivial and much more calculated, it becomes especially complicated when feelings are involved. What constitutes a “righteous kill,” and who makes that call? Especially, when the matter becomes an eye for an eye. When does it become, resolved? In the final issue of this volume of Blackjack, our hero’s journey ends, but will revenge be as sweet as he wishes it would be?

We find Arron as he recovers from the attack, one that could have ended his life, as he realizes that sometimes no matter what we do, we cannot save everyone. As he holds up in Silas’s place, he reminisces about his father’s funeral, and despite the people he helped, how few people showed up, as his grief then drives his search The Cobra now. Meanwhile, The Cobra, readies his army for the final fight between him and Arron, as his faith drives him to this point. As Arron departs, Maryam wishes good luck but unbeknownst to everyone at Blackjack’s camp, the interloper was Maryam all along, as she kills everyone at the camp, but she soon has a change of heart and rides to warn Arron of the impending wrath headed his way. They all soon find out that the Cobra had sent a fighter plane to take them out, but Blackjack finds a way to hijack the plane. The issue ends with a face off you’d expect but results that are unexpected.

Overall, a powerful conclusion of this mercenary’s tale, one that more than satiates. The story by Alex Simmons is smart, well-paced, and still surprises. The art by Joe Bennett is spectacular. Altogether, a comic that any reader who loves a good story will go head over heels for.

Story: Alex Simmons Art: Joe Bennett
Story: 10 Art: 9.7 Overall: 9.5 Recommendation: Buy