Last week I read the Tom King/Greg Smallwood Human Target Vol. 1. I don’t like King’s work much — I wouldn’t have touched this if it wasn’t at my local library — but this one worked for me.
Christopher Chance is the Human Target because he impersonates individuals marked for death, then tries to stop the killer. In the first issue he poses as Lex Luthor in what turns out to be a false flag operation: Luthor can’t convince the Justice League to deal with a radical group opposing Lexcorp so he’s pushed the group into an assassination attempt that will justify a crackdown. Chance survives the hit just fine but it turns out Lex’s coffee that morning was poisoned. Chance has twelve days before it kills him so he’s off to find the culprit. Trouble is, the evidence indicates it’s a former member of Justice League International.
King does a good job bringing Christopher Chance into the superhuman fold, though I’m not betting on him sticking the landing (the story wraps up in the upcoming second volume). But this post isn’t about that book as much as the Human Target himself and what a remarkable success story he is. Chris Chance first appeared in Action #419 and Len Wein, Carmine Infantino and Dick Giordano had me hooked from the first page.
I may have been in a minority as the Human Target only lasted eight issues, to be replaced in the backup slot by the Atom. Chance next appeared as a backup in a couple of Brave and Bold issues followed by some Detective Comics backup stories, then some guest appearances during Gerry Conway’s Batman run. If anyone had asked, I wouldn’t have expected anything beyond more guest appearances … but I’d have been wrong.
The King/Smallwood series is the fourth comic book series starring the Human Target. Chris has also been the basis for two Human Target TV shows (unsurprisingly they depart from the comics) plus some bit parts in the Arrowverse. The TV and print series have been irregular enough over the years that it never really sunk in just how successful Christopher Chance has been until I finished this latest volume.
As I’ve said before, you never know what minor character could eventually become a star. Hence this post. Plus I love that first page and I’m happy to share it with y’all (sorry I couldn’t find a good image in color).
#SFWApro. Images top to bottom by Smallwood, Neal Adams and Infantino/Giordano.
Tom king is the kind of writer who fits in better on ‘Under the Radar’ books in my opinion.
Vision was excellent and Human Target was pretty good overall, and only a few issues in Danger Street has been really enjoyable. His Batman run was a huge disappointment though, granted not as awful as Snyder’s but that’s not saying much.
I find King’s work fascinating, if not always successful. I’ll pick up Human Target, but probably not until it’s in one big softcover.
I loved the Peter Milligan Human Target series– that’s where I discovered and fell for the character.
I think I watched every episode of the second Human Target TV series, but it abandoned the central gimmick.
The art was great. I enjoyed the journey but as a story I’m not sure it makes sense.
I generally like King’s limited series (Heroes in Crisis being the big exception. That was terrible) but I haven’t read his Batman stuff.
I’m a fan since those Action days; loved the stories with Giordano on art. Great adventure tales. I was psyched for the first tv series, until I saw the pilot and how bad both it and Rick Springfield were. Should have stuck to chasing after Jessie’s Girl.
I enjoyed Springfield on General Hospital but I couldn’t get into him as Christopher Chance.