Hitman, Vol. 7: Closing Time

Hitman #7

by Garth Ennis, John McCrea (Illustrator), Doug Mahnke (Illustrator)

Tommy Monaghan faces a plague of the undead and goes toe-to-toe with assassin Ringo Chen! • Plus, Tommy crosses paths with LOBO and the JUSTICE LEAGUE! • Collecting HITMAN #51-60, HITMAN/LOBO: THE STUPID BASTICH #1, JLA/HITMAN #1-2 and a story from SUPERMAN 80-PAGE GIANT #1.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Fiction, Superheroes, Crime, Action

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Ennis began his comic-writing career in 1989 with the series Troubled Souls. Appearing in the short-lived but critically-acclaimed British anthology Crisis and illustrated by McCrea, it told the story of a young, apolitical Protestant man caught up by fate in the violence of the Irish 'Troubles'. It spawned a sequel, For a Few Troubles More, a broad Belfast-based comedy featuring two supporting characters from Troubled Souls, Dougie and Ivor, who would later get their own American comics series, Dicks, from Caliber in 1997, and several follow-ups from Avatar.

Another series for Crisis was True Faith, a religious satire inspired by his schooldays, this time drawn by Warren Pleece. Ennis shortly after began to write for Crisis' parent publication, 2000 AD. He quickly graduated on to the title's flagship character, Judge Dredd, taking over from original creator John Wagner for a period of several years.

Ennis' first work on an American comic came in 1991 when he took over DC Comics's horror title Hellblazer, which he wrote until 1994, and for which he currently holds the title for most issues written. Steve Dillon became the regular artist during the second half of Ennis's run.

Ennis' landmark work to date is the 66-issue epic Preacher, which he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. Running from 1995 to 2000, it was a tale of a preacher with supernatural powers, searching (literally) for God who has abandoned his creation.

While Preacher was running, Ennis began a series set in the DC universe called Hitman. Despite being lower profile than Preacher, Hitman ran for 60 issues (plus specials) from 1996 to 2001, veering wildly from violent action to humour to an examination of male friendship under fire.

Other comic projects Ennis wrote during this time period include Goddess, Bloody Mary, Unknown Soldier, and Pride & Joy, all for DC/Vertigo, as well as origin stories for The Darkness for Image Comics and Shadowman for Valiant Comics.

After the end of Hitman, Ennis was lured to Marvel Comics with the promise from Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada that he could write The Punisher as long as he cared to. Instead of largely comical tone of these issues, he decided to make a much more serious series, re-launched under Marvel's MAX imprint.

In 2001 he briefly returned to UK comics to write the epic Helter Skelter for Judge Dredd.

Other comics Ennis has written include War Story (with various artists) for DC; The Pro for Image Comics; The Authority for Wildstorm; Just a Pilgrim for Black Bull Press, and 303, Chronicles of Wormwood (a six issue mini-series about the Antichrist), and a western comic book, Streets of Glory for Avatar Press.

In 2008 Ennis ended his five-year run on Punisher MAX to debut a new Marvel title, War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle.

In June 2008, at Wizard World, Philadelphia, Ennis announced several new projects, including a metaseries of war comics called Battlefields from Dynamite made up of mini-series including Night Witches, Dear Billy and Tankies, another Chronicles of Wormwood mini-series and Crossed both at Avatar, a six-issue miniseries about Butcher (from The Boys) and a Punisher project reuniting him with artist Steve Dillon (subsequently specified to be a weekly mini-series entitled Punisher: War Zone, to be released concurrently with the film of the same name).

Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Ennis

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This trade contains Hitman/Lobo #1, material from Superman 80-Page Giant #1, Hitman #37-50, and Justice League/Hitman #1-2.

This is the final collection of a 60 issue long comic with numerous running plotlines. No point starting here. Read from the beginning.

There was a fair bit of side content as and after Ennis wound down the Hitman ongoing. First up is a bad day at the bar as the most obnoxious bounty hunter in the galaxy decides to stop by Noonan's for a drink. Tommy's resulting battle with Lobo is graphic, ridiculously over-the-top, and highly disturbing. Also pretty hilarious in parts.

SixPack steps into the spotlight for the next two tales. How to be a Super-Hero is a short story from Superman 80-Page Giant featuring our delusional crime fighter getting important lessons from the greatest hero of all.

The two issue Super Guy story is the culmination of the SixPack, Section 8, and Injun Peak background plot threads. Another gigantic helping of ideas too absurd and eye-rolling for anywhere else, but it does feature a nice moment for SixPack and a good arc for the character.

The eight part titular Closing Time is the end of the Hitman ongoing comic. This is a fantastic swan song. It's intense, logically built, pays tribute to friends lost along the way, stays true to Tommy's character to the end, and still has several surprises hidden up its sleeve. Themes and plot lines going all the way back to the beginning weave together into a perfect end to Tommy's continuing adventures.

As a bonus, there was one last story to tell that was published several years later. A two issue special where Tommy "teams-up" with the legendary heroes of the Justice League. This plays beautifully off of Tommy's encounter with Superman in Hitman #34, the Bloodlines crossover that introduced Hitman in the first place, as well as the basics of Tommy's character. Tommy's no hero. The events are contrived for the sake of message and characterization, but those results are so strong it's well worth suspending disbelief. This is a satisfying epilogue to the ongoing comic that distills all its themes down into a wonderful little final adventure.

Objectively Ennis' greatest work is Preacher, but overall I enjoyed Hitman more. Despite pushing the line in its own way and going overboard with the silliness sometimes it avoids going fully into the depths of depravity and squickiness that will prevent me from ever reading Preacher again. Tommy's charming and likable nature also makes this book more enjoyable and compelling to read even during tragic events.

Closing Time is a perfect end to Tommy's journey. The opening few stories are just ok, but the titular arc and the Justice League encounter are everything I loved about Ennis' unlikely protagonist. At its best Hitman is a powerful, fun, crazy ride, and I bid Tommy a fond farewell.

[Nate]

Hitman ends as it always would. I won’t go in for spoilers, but this is an exciting and heartfelt send off for Tommy and the gang. I would have maybe liked an epilogue issue, but we got that in issue 50, right? In any case, Hitman is a joy. It starts out totally wacky, with comic violence and lowbrow humor, only to gain enormous depth and emotion from the halfway point on (though the zaniness remains in patches). Ennis would pull off a similar trick in The Boys years later, dealing in similar themes of male friendship and superheroes. Reading this series after other Ennis books is interesting, because I can see so many of his hallmarks here. War, honor, bravery, friendship, bars, potty humor, people with mangled faces, general disdain for superheroes, belief in the promise of America. Yet even with its predictability, I loved it. He really is one of the best writers in the business.

...I’m also cheating with this review. In addition to the final 10 issues of the series, volume 7 contains several Hitman specials. I didn’t read those because I only have the singles issues for the main series. I’ll probably get to them eventually but I would imagine they lessen the impact of the ending.

—

Update 2024: I finally tracked down the specials. Wish I would have read them sooner!

The Superman 80-page Giant story is a short, goofy team-up between Sixpack and Superman. Fine but pretty minor, especially in light of the later Section Eight miniseries Ennis would write.

The Lobo/Hitman crossover is an over-the-top, crude bit of ultraviolence, very much in line with the early part of the series. Tommy and Section Eight take the piss out of Lobo. This reminded me of Ennis’ Marvel Knights Punisher when he similarly took the piss out of Wolverine. The voice for Lobo is even similar to Logan’s. Yeah, I chuckled at this one.

Then there’s the two-issue JLA/Hitman crossover, published seven years after the series ended. Wow. This is fantastic. It’s a coda to Hitman #34, the phenomenal issue where Tommy helps Superman by reminding him what he represents. It also directly recalls the “Bloodlines” crossover that birthed Tommy Monaghan the character as well as his superpowers. This story confirms what #34 suggested, that Ennis, a staunch hater of superheroes, respects and even looks up to Superman. There’s action and humor here, but the story is mainly a nuanced look at the unlikely relationship between Superman and Tommy. The ending is note-perfect and beautiful. Just another reason why Ennis is my favorite comic book writer.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: I read this series as single issues and somewhere along the line I lost track of which issues were in which tradepaperbacks so I'm just going to review the last few story arcs of the series here.

We had Tommy and the crew vs. Vampires, which was actually pretty cool. Then we got Ringo's story and the long await showdown between Tommy and Ringo...sort of. Next dinosaurs invade the city (yes, dinosaurs) and Tommy and the crew find themselves fighting T-Rex, flying dinos and more. Then we have the story of Pat, his origin and more. We get the final story of Six Pack and his nutty crew of "superheroes." Then we have closing time, the final arc of the series.

I have to say the ending of this series was bittersweet, but I suppose things ended the way we always knew they would.

One thing I noticed as the series went on was just how little of a superhero comic this was. Tommy only used his superpowers sparingly and half the time it was just a straight crime comic, which really worked well.

Great series, and as we've seen with Garth Ennis before, he has a story to tell, he tells it, and he moves on. He doesn't drag a story out for the sake of dollars or just because fans want to see more. He has a story in mind to tell, and he lets us join in but when he's done that's it. It's pretty refreshing in comics, as it leaves you wanting more rather than becoming jaded.

If you like Garth Ennis, you've probably already read this but if you haven't you should. And even if you aren't an Ennis fan this series is still worth checking out.

[Alex Sarll]

In which the story of Gotham hired gun Tommy Monaghan ends the only way it ever could. And yet this is a book which can also get genuine pathos out of a story where a man has a portal to an extradimensional realm up his arse, so equally, there are real moments of joy in amongst the eventual tragedy. And, more than that, there's the fact that this book made it to seven volumes (and the last few are pretty hefty). Not so long ago, weird little books by odd Brits nursing their own obsessions could make it to 60 issues (plus a few crossovers and annuals) in the neglected corners of the Big Two superhero universes - and sorry, but to play off the accumulated iconic energy, that is where some stories just need to be told. Cornell's Captain Britain and MI:13 should have made it to 60 issues. Gillen's Journey into Mystery. Hitman did, and that's something to celebrate.

[Shadowdenizen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series (and this book in particular, which closes out the Hitman saga) holds a pecial place in my heart, so this review is for the series overall.

While not as mind-bogglngly brilliant as James Robinsons' The Starman Omnibus, Vol. 1 saga (Seriously, check out that series imemdiately if you haven't already!), or as cutting-edge as some of the more recent titles that have come out since, this book is pure Garth Ennis from start to finish.

Surprisingly, what makes this series really work is the fact that is firmly grounded in the DC Universe reality, while still telling its own story about not-so-nice people (mostly) trying to do what they think is right.

The other thing that stands out is the characters; both Tommy and Natt, as well as all their associated comrades, are amazingly well-fleshed out for a superhero comic; most of the major cast experiences a large amount of growth throughout the series.

And through it all, there's the over-the-top Ennis wit and humor, resulting in such memorable tertiary characters as "Nightfist", "Dogwelder", and "The Defenestrator", and memorable scenese such as Tommy making fun of Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, or Tommy vomiting on Batmans boots after Batman gives him the what-for.

And (having read "Preacher" and some of the "Crossed" series, amongst others), it's also very enjoyable seeing Ennis trying reel himself in a tad bit for a mainstream comic.

I'd highly recommend this as an enjoyable series well worth reading, that blends well-drawn characters, humor, and pathos into the DCU, all without taking itself too seriously.

[Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

От ми й підібралися до завершення цієї серії. Цього разу у нас тут є сутичка Томмі з Лобо, невеличка історія про те як черговий заказ Томмі та Нета переріс у всесвітню катастрофу, яку довелося зупинити Сикс Паку та Восьмій Секції, завершення серії у якій Гітмену доводиться рятувати свою знайому від лихого ЦРУшника, а також невеличка лімітка про те як Гітмен зустрів Лігу Справедливості.

Останній том все ще має фірмовий нонсенс та чорний гумор (тут бідного Лобо згвалтували) притаманні цій серії, як і драматичні моменти. Енніс взагалі молодець, тут справді є дофіга моментів, яким навіть при перечитуванні вдається розбити серце та пробити на емоції, особливо панчлайн з тим коли виявляється, що у Сикс Пака все-таки є певні здібності (у всякому разі я момент із захисною сферою саме так зчитав) і коли він доводить, що попри свою дуркуватість є героєм. Також не перестає дивувати те, що Енніс досить добре працює з Суперменом і саме номери з ним є одними з тих, які врізаються у пам'ять. 

Ну і звісно фінал. Мені подобається, що остання арка та тім-ап з Лігою крутяться навколо "Bloodlines", так івент є ще тим лайном з того, що я знаю, але саме у ньому вперше з'явився Томмі. Історія Томмі завершується доволі очікувано, але від того не менш болюче, особливо враховуючи, що який не який, а щасливий кінець був уже буквально за поворотом.

"Hitman" це неймовірна серія сповнена гумору, драми, колоритних персонажів та пам'ятних історій. Прочитавши її, ви ніколи не забудете її, однозначно найкращий комікс Енніса, однозначно мастрід та однозначно один з моїх найулюбленіших коміксів.

І пам'ятайте:

Тут немає часу закриття. Але ви повинні залишити свою зброю коло дверей.

[John Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I binge read this book over a couple days.
And it is a lot to take in.
I had read part of the original
series in single issue form in the before time.
But I had never read the entire run.
I have to say Ennis was very restrained.
He is usually way beyond the norm
on decency.
But, here he was very PG-13.
This is the story of Tommy Monaghan
a freelance hitman from
the Cauldron of Gotham.
Which is reflective of a lot of Irish neighborhoods
throughout America.
He grew up in a tough neighborhood
as a tough man.
Years go by and his friend from the Marines Nat The Hat
another tough kid from a tough neighborhood, this time Detroit,
shows up and then things get weird.
Starting with a fight with ninjas
and ending with a standoff with the deadliest
hitman in the world.
and that's just the first story arc.
This series about heartless killers
leaving countless bodies behind them
is ultimately about family.
Not the one you are born to but the
one you find.
The Adventures of Tommy, Nat and their band of lovable
murderers blazes across 60 issues of mayhem,
insanity, magic, and mad science.
By the end of the run it resembles the last reel
of the Dirty Dozen no one gets out alive.
It's a little sad when our hero's give their
lives for each other, but what else did you really expect from
a series called HITMAN?
Bunnies and snuggles?
Exciting and funny this book remains one of my favorites.
But it probably should be consumed in smaller
quantities than I did.

[Alex E · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending of this book is a realistic take on how an actual character like this would fare in a world such as the DC universe. And the brilliance of the ending is that even the characters know. Tommy repeatedly asks himself how long can his luck last? Because for 6 volumes, he's had an unbelievable luck streak happen. Even with the deaths of a lot of his friends, him and Nat have pretty much gotten away scot free. Well, the bill's come due and it's time to pay the tab.

I think Garth Ennis is a master of making what is really a kind of despicable, yet charismatic character, and making them sympathetic and a quasi hero. You can read many of his other books, Preacher and Punisher for instance, as examples of this ability he has. And he does it masterfully in this one. Because at the end of the day, Tommy killed so many people in this book! And yeah they're all bad, but... still a lot of murder going on. Yet - I still wanted to have a beer with this guy. I mean, he's a bad guy, as his on and off again girlfriend finally realizes, but he's a good guy? at heart at least? The characterization of Tommy Monaghan is a masterclass in character writing in general and that's all due to Ennis.

Another important factor of the book is the art by John McCrea. The art matches the tone of the book so well. It's cartoony yet realistic, heavy with shadow, and detailed enough to show you the real gory aspects of the violence - which is a constant reminder that this world that Tommy lives in is not a nice world. It was also amazing to see how McCrea grew as an artist in the book. The first volumes, Ill be honest, look a bit rough. But by the last few, the art looks great and more importantly, an essential and integral part of the book.

This was a great ride. I would love to see a Hitman series on HBO or something like that because its something I can easily see translated to the small screen. If you're into humor, violence, and a lot of heart, check out this book.

[Rick Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

The phenomenal run of Hitman by Garth Ennis and John McCrea enters its curtain call with "Closing Time", a final arc to bring the story of Tommy Monaghan to a close. Tommy and Natt the Hat are hired to take down demons emerging from an interdimensional pocket resulting from a failed science experiment in "Super Guy", which then leads into the finale arc of "Closing Time". This coda is decidedly somber in tone compared to previous more slapstick and crude Hitman storylines, and begins with Maggie Lorenzo going to Tommy for help in resolving a matter involving something she saw that she shouldn't have. A bounty is placed on Tommy's head as a result, leading to the Hitman going out on one last mission in a blaze of glory. The emotional beats in the final couple of issues all land surprisingly well for a book that never took itself too seriously, but "Closing Time" is genuinely a well-written arc that fulfills the character work established throughout the second half of this run.

A few supplemental stories are added into this volume including a fun crossover with Lobo and the "On the Darkside" arc with Tommy working alongside the JLA. These issues don't necessarily fit narratively alongside the main series arcs, but serve as a nice bookend to the main Hitman issues. Doug Mahnke's artwork on Hitman/Lobo: The Stupid Bastich #1 is a clear highlight, but McCrea's and Leach's artwork on the final issues of the series is nothing to scoff at either.

A stronger series in its second half, Hitman is a great depiction on the anti-hero archetype delivered in a truly entertaining and satisfying fashion.

[Michal Puchovský · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prerod od splattera k noiru dokonaný. Komiks o sile mužského priateľstva, svojskej morálke a práva človeka na slobodu žiť si svoj život. Dojímavá bodka za celou sériou, ktorá má toho viac spoločného s Profesionálom a Samurajom než Pulp Fiction a Kulhánkem.

[David Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tommy vs Lobo, the last stand of Sixpack and Section Eight, Tommy schtups Agent Scully, Tommy and Natt vs the CIA, Tommy vs the JLA and space aliens

This series really grew on me, it took a couple of volumes to find its stride, but Ennis got there.

[Tetsuo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amo muito o Garth Ennis

[Sean Goh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Packed full of feels, a fitting ending to a very human, very principled killer.

[Maciek Komenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

from it being the last one i expected smth more

[Will Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really nice ending to a very fun, very silly series. I would recommend reading the entire thing.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

While still funny, this volume has some dramatic moments as well. Sure, the author has pummels Tommy into pulp multiple times, but also has a worthy send off prepared for him. Tommy isn't a good guy, but he has a moral core that even Superman can appreciate.

Tommy and Natt are hired to kill the subject of an experiment gone wrong. Rather than being purely scientific, the experiment had to do with occult foces as well. Killing the subject is more destructive than anyone expected. Sixpack's team is lost fighting the creatures that threaten the world. With no hope left, Sixpack himself travels to their dimension and the world is saved. He, however, is never seen again, but regarded as a hero back home.

Maggie Lorenzo is a woman Tommy has been helping since he was to late to rescue her son. After witnessing a CIA op, she is now a target for a team led by Truman, the government man who once offered Tommy a job and was refused. Truman has been working on recreating the process that gave Tommy his powers. He wants the government to have its own superpowered people.

Former CIA agent Kathryn McAllister also wants to get back at Truman, so she joins Tommy and Natt in an assault of the CIA headquarters. They kill the head scientist working for Truman, but are unable to get to Truman himself. They elect to hand Maggie over to the FBI, the only ones who may be able to protect her. They almost manage to leave the country. Unfortunately, Natt is fatally shot. He and Tommy die next to each other.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed this series. Far more than I ever expected to.

I started it mainly because it had Ennis' name on the cover, and I was in the mood for something "light"...which it was, mostly, for the first 20-odd issues.

Then, things steadily go to shit for poor Tommy and company. Their circumstances get more dire and, one by one, the cast gets smaller, all ending in this collection, where Tommy and his best mate Natt die, not saving the world, but instead a single innocent woman who had just seen the wrong thing at the wrong time. 'Cause it's the right thing to do.

Highly recommended (for those who like this sort of thing). For something with a title like "Hitman", featuring vibrant colours, splashy gunfights against a variety of wacky enemies, it's an odd place to find such dedicated introspection into the nature of mateship and sacrifice.

"Drinks on the house, fellas. There ain't no closin' time. But you gotta leave your guns at the door."

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the entire series over the last couple weeks. Made me so happy to find something of Ennis' that I can count as as much of a classic as Preacher and Punisher MAX. It had a bit less of his gross out stuff than usual but all of the friendship and humor and dark crime writing that he can do so well with characters I genuinely cared about. I was enjoying it for its fun factor and then I got to the Who Dares Wins story and my mind was blown. It was so and complex and so tense and scary. After that, the book just didn't quit.

[Sam Poole · Rating 4 out of 5]

That Lobo story was SO bad. Everything was amazing though. The last Six Pack story was beautiful and the 8 part closing time had a moving, funny, poignant arc. The JLA story made me want a Hitman-Superman story. This is very breaking bad in that you know that tommy and natt dying is inevitable
Yet you hope for the redemption that he strives for. What An amazing run. Definitely a favorite. Hitman #60 has to be a classic. Not sure if it's 5 stars but I'll let it have it

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best comic book series I've ever read. Characters are loveable, well thought out, intricate and unpredictable. Story line is funny, smart, bad-ass and takes you by surprise on many occasions. Garth Ennis and John McCrea were made for one another. My only criticism is its over. Read it before they turn it into an awful film. Cauldron boys forever.

[Michael Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story arcs got better and better as the 60-issue series approached its end point. This collection even included crossovers from other series that I has not read before. Always a bonus. I found Hitman to be deeper and more emotional than its reputation for "funniness" predicted. I like it as much as I Like Preacher.

[Matt Sabonis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aw, man, it's the final Hitman stories. There's the last Sixpack story, which might have the happiest ending for any of the characters. And then there's the last Tommy story, and that...man. Such excellent stuff, and it gives Tommy a chance to maybe redeem himself. Maybe. And it's excellent.

[Mhorg · Rating 5 out of 5]

a brilliant and sad ending to one of the best series, and best bloodlines hero.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Motherluvin' good comics.

[Anthony Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

man.... Garth Ennis really knows how to get you emotionally invested in characters....