Foolkiller: Fool's Paradise [Paperback]

One reason I love Marvel's mature-themed MAX imprint so much is that when it is utilized properly, it gives readers a chance to see Marvel characters in a realistic, and very adult, tone. Foolkiller: Fool's Paradise is no different, as crime author Gregg Hurwitz takes the helm of this MAX take on the Foolkiller; a vigilante who dishes out bloody punishment on scumbags and killers with little to no mercy (which is decided by the flip of a coin). The Foolkiller isn't as disconnected as Frank "The Punisher" Castle per se, but instead wields his sword and walks with his rotweiler, and carries his own guilt with him as well. Fool's Paradise finds the Foolkiller setting his sights on a money laundering crime ring, and the road there is paved with blood and sorrow. Grim, bleak, and oh so gritty, Foolkilller: Fool's Paradise is a blast, with the only real flaw being that it has to end. Lan Medina, who provided the artwork for Garth Ennis' Widowmaker storyarc on The Punisher, provides the artwork here and does a mostly solid job as well. All in all, even if you've never heard of the Foolkiller but are a fan of Marvel's MAX imprint, give Fool's Paradise a look, you'll be glad that you did.

This miniseries is much better than the sequel, which has this new version of foolkiller slicing through so many heavily-armed badguys that it's just plain boring. In this story, Hurwitz creates a mildly interesting character and sets up his primary antagonist, Sickle Moon. The story ends somewhat unsatisfactory, so readers who stuck with the first 5 issues were eager to get their hands on the second miniseries, which just drags on and on and leaves the door open for a 3rd miniseries of Foolkiller vs Sickle Moon in such a ham-fisted manner that I certainly will not purchase any more Marvel Max foolkiller titles, but this miniseries as a stand-alone is good if you like dark, bloody comics where the protagonist is just as messed up as the villains he destroys (speaking of Destroying villains, the Marvel Max "Destroyer" miniseries is pretty good). However, when Steve Gerber (one of the all-time best comic authors, up there with Alan Moore and Stan Lee in his prime) created the character of foolkiller, he was MUCH more badass and interesting than the Punisher could ever hope to be, and certainly a more intriguing killer than this modern attempt by marvel to cash in the Max titles craze. The original foolkiller was poetic, had no fear of killing cops or FBI agents (unlike Frank Castle), used a ray gun that straight disintegrated "fools" on the spot, and was constantly battling his own sanity. If only Marvel would release a COLOR trade paperback of the original foolkiller stories: The first foolkiller was a christian fundamentalist who died trying to kill Man-Thing (another awesome, underrated, and unprinted in color Steve Gerber creation). The second foolkiller, still a villain, unleashed a crime spree on New York but was ultimately brought to justice by Spiderman, and the third and all-time best Foolkiller that Steve Gerber gave his own 10-issue maxiseries was a poor, middle-aged slouch working at a fast food chain with kids half his age. When his father is brutally beat to death in a mugging, this third foolkiller goes from nothing: poor, weak, and old - to a true force against evil. He trains himself in his cruddy little apartment and literally bathes in garbage to bring himself closer to becoming one with the streets, and when he gets his hands on the original Foolkiller's ray-gun (the true mark of any real foolkiller, which the modern MAX titles have totally done away with without any explanation), he takes his war on crime all the way to the top. It's really an amazing story, and I'm writing this review more in hopes that Marvel will indeed release the silver age and "grim and gritty" 90's foolkiller stories in one trade paperback rather than to say I liked the modern Marvel Max series. It's OK for modern comics which are pretty lame most of the time, but spend your money on the oldschool Foolkiller comics and you will be MUCH MUCH happier with your purchase.

Foolkiller: Fool's Paradise, is a dark, gritty tale of corruption and one man, Foolkiller, who can look it in the face and slice it's head clean off.

Foolkiller becomes part of an effort to take down a corrupt racketeering gang who are out to finish off one man's family. While the man's daughter lies sick in the hospital waiting for a heart transplant, Foolkiller is racing against time to find the leader and shut the gang down once and for all. We also see one man's struggle to provide for his family and the lengths he will go to to ensure they are taken care of. Chock full of vigilante justice, Foolkiller: Fool's Paradise is a must read for fans of Punisher type stories. Highly recommended.

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