Big Game (comics)

Last updated
Big Game
Big Game Issue 4.jpg
Cover of Big Game #4 (October 2023), depicting Mindy McCready on her knees before the throne of King Morax and his T. rex "guard dog".
Art by Pepe Larraz.
Publication information
Publisher Image Comics
Dark Horse Comics (omnibus)
Format Limited series
Publication dateJuly – November 2023
No. of issues5
Main character(s)
Creative team
Written by Mark Millar
Artist(s)Pepe Larraz
Letterer(s) Clem Robins
Colorist(s) Giovanna Niro
Editor(s)Melina Mikulic
Sarah Unwin
Collected editions
Big Game ISBN   978-153439-9112

Big Game is an American superhero comic book limited series written by Mark Millar and drawn by Pepe Larraz. Published by Image Comics, [1] the series is a crossover event between the various properties of the Millarworld multimedia franchise created by Millar, a direct sequel to Wanted by Millar and J. G. Jones, and a prequel to Empress by Millar and Stuart Immonen. The series chronicles Wesley Gibson and his protégé Matthew Anderson / Nemesis' campaign to assassinate the world's new superheroes, as Agent Galahad of Kingsman and Mindy McCready / Hit-Girl take on the forces of Gibson's Fraternity of Super-Criminals. [2] The series, originally published between July and November 2023 and subsequently published as a graphic novel by Image Comics in December 2023, and as an omnibus with Wanted by Dark Horse Comics in 2024, [3] who will also publish a sequel, Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery , later that year. [4]

Contents

Premise

In 1986, a group of villains known as The Fraternity banded together to defeat the heroes on the Earth, while also brainwashing the entire planet into believing that the heroes never existed and were only fictional characters. In 2023, a new generation of heroes have begun to emerge following the actions of Dave Lizewski, who previously served as the hero Kick-Ass, and this drives Wesley "The Killer II" Gibson, the new leader of the Fraternity, to gather his forces, as well as his protégé Nemesis, to kill this new generation before a new age of heroes can begin again. [5]

As Edison Crane and the time-travelling Chrononauts are recruited by former hero "Bobbie Griffin" to face off against Wesley while the former is excavating the remnants of a prehistoric galactic empire, Agent Gary "Eggsy" Unwin of the Kingsman rescues vigilante Mindy "Hit-Girl" McCready from Fraternity assassins, while former vigilante Lizewski attempts to join the superhero team the Ambassadors. [6]

Characters

Protagonists
Antagonists
Other

Development

In August 2014, following the conclusion of Book Four of Kick-Ass – The Dave Lizewski Years , Mark Millar revealed that the majority of his Millarworld work were set in the same shared fictional universe, with the ending monologue of the series seeing Dave Lizewski make mention of the events of Wanted, Nemesis, Kingsman, and MPH , and Simon Pooni from Superior cameoing, with Millar intended to one day write a crossover between the projects. [8] By March 2015, Millar expressed interest in seeing this concept realised in a Hit-Girl/Kingsman feature film starring Mindy McCready / Hit-Girl and Gary "Eggsy" Unwin (originally London) together "in a big international adventure", [9] by September 2017 revealing that he had discussed this concept with Matthew Vaughn. [10] Following extensive development hell, the crossover, Big Game, was announced in May 2023, written by Millar, illustrated by Pepe Larraz, and serving as a direct sequel to Wanted while pitting that series' protagonist Wesley Gibson and his protégé Nemesis against the heroes of the Millarworld, [11] in particular Hit-Girl and Eggsy, [12] spinning-out of the events of Nemesis Reloaded , [13] and leading into the events of Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery . [3] [4]

Reception

Issue #Publication dateCritic ratingCritic reviewsRef.
1July 20239.4/104 [14]
2August 20238.8/106 [15]
3September 20239.5/104 [16]
4October 20239.6/104 [17]
5November 20239.9/102 [18]
Overall9.4/1020 [19]

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References

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  9. Millar, Mark [@mrmarkmillar] (March 8, 2015). "@moiseschiu Eggsy and Hit-Girl on that poster in a big international adventure? It's a cool idea" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  10. Millar, Mark [@mrmarkmillar] (September 17, 2017). "Just saying to Matthew [Vaughn wha]t a cool post-cred[its-scene it] would have been [in] HIT-GIRL ringing Eggsy's door-bell, [the] audience knowing imminent shit [is about] to go down" (Tweet) via Twitter.
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  13. Johnston, Rich (10 May 2023). "Mark Millar's Image Comics Crossover Starts In Today's Nemesis Reloaded". Bleeding Cool . Retrieved 10 May 2023.
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  19. "Big Game (2023) Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. Retrieved December 11, 2023.