Every fan of action movies, super-spy stories, or sci-fi adventures has their favorite hero. But what if those fictional heroes came to realize they were exactly that? It’s the question at the heart of BANG!, the new comic series from Dark Horse Comics blurring the line between reality and fiction. With the debut issue now available to the world, readers can see for themselves that, true to the name, the story starts with a murder. But its next target… is the writer himself.
After BANG! #1 earned a second printing before the first issue had even released, it was evident that Matt Kindt (MIND MGMT) and Wilfredo Torres (Jupiter’s Circle) had struck a chord with their audience. And rightly so, since their hero spy Thomas Cord seemed to hit all the right notes one would hope for in a James Bond/007 archetype. But with Kindt’s track record of plot twists and reality-bending stories, BANG! had to be more than mere homage. Even a trained killer like Thomas Cord is slave to the story he’s starring in. Well, technically, to the man writing it. So it should really come as no surprise that in Screen Rant’s exclusive preview of BANG! #2, it is Matt Kindt who falls victim to his own creations. Best strap in, because it’s only going to get more mind-bending from here.
The cross-media boundaries were dissolved from the very beginning of the series, with BANG! #1 opening on a page torn straight from a super-spy pulp novel, chronicling Thomas Cord in his blend of espionage and romance — before leaping into that very story, delivered by Torres, colorist Nayoung Kim, and letterer Nate Piekos of Blambot. The first issue concluded with Cord having his secret revealed, and being shown more fictional heroes — everyman hero John Shaw, the brilliant Dr. Queen, and mastermind Paige Turnier — that he will need to gather to save the world. As our preview of BANG! #2 shows, the writer of the series won’t live to see it himself:
For more on where this twist leads, readers will have to pick up their own copy of BANG! #1. Assuming they can find one, of course. Best of luck.
- BANG! #2 (OF 5)
- Written by: Matt Kindt
- Art by: Wilfredo Torres
- Colors by: Nayoung Kim
- Cover by:Wilfredo Torres, Nayoung Kim
- Variant Cover By: Matt Kindt
- A constant stream of terrorist attacks follows John Shaw, and the only thing that keeps him one step ahead is a collection of power-giving inhalers and a hatred of shoes. When he’s once again caught in the middle of a terrorist plot, Shaw finds that these random attacks may not be so random-and the fabric of reality may be at stake.
BANG! #2 will be available from your local comic book shop on March 18th, 2020.
