Hunt. Kill. Repeat. Volume One Review
Hunt. Kill. Repeat. Volume One Review
Writer: Mark London
Artist: Francesco Archidiacono
Inker: Marc Deering
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Rus Wooton
Editor: Chris Fernandez
Designer: Miguel A. Zapata
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Mortals turned from the Greek gods around the 9th century, and those who openly worshipped them like the Maniots didn’t make it past the Middle Ages before Jesus showed up with promises of the holy trinity. Hunt. Kill. Repeat. tell’s the ultimate historical religious fantasy fiction what-if story, illustrating the wrath of Zeus and the Greek gods descending on humanity from the heavens to enslave the Earth.
Technology is banned, and the mortals once again fear the pantheon of the old world, but not all of the gods feel that humans are the problem. Artemis is one of Zeus’ deadliest daughters. Her skill with a bow is unmatched, but she fell for a mortal who showed her no fear. Julian, a filthy artistic rulebreaker who spends his nights spray painting the underbelly of the city’s landscape, shows Artime love.
Mark London captures the hypocritical dynamic family of the Greek gods by showing us that the power of love conquers even the power of the gods but so does the power to avenge our loved ones. Unfortunately, Zeus can’t have his family mix and match with mortals, for his gifts of immortality are too good for their followers. It’s the most unnerving and brutal tragedy in a single character arc, possibly even more tragic than the death of Anakin’s mother or the traumatic death of Gwen Stacy.
To make matters even worse, Zeus not only fries her lover’s brain; she’s had her in hibernation, where she wakes up missing the baby she was pregnant with before witnessing her father kill Julian. The harrowing moment between the two was such a gutwrenching scene that you feel the hate for Zeus in your soul but have no fear. London’s enriching and evocative narrative only sets the stage for Artemis to come back, taping her inner John Wick and laying waste to her father’s brainwashed human Avatars.
With the help of Tempest and Hephestus, that is possible. It’s funny that Hephestus would be on the opposite side, seeing how the legends painted Zeus as a bully to Hephestus; of course, he wasn’t the only immortal who suffered from forced assignment. If there’s one thing bad guys are really good at, it’s showing fear through clever tactics, and Zeus is sweating, not because Artimes is stubborn enough to survive, but if she finds out that her unborn dead son is still very much alive.
This plot twist is revealed by the devious anime-looking Hades, who just raised the stakes by trading Artimes’s soul for Hephestus’s soul after being slain by Aphrodite. This changes the game, but instead of revenge, it’s shifting to freeing her son from the thumb of Zeus’s influence. How noble of Zeus to care for a half-breed demi-god after renouncing his father’s mortality before killing him.
Maybe the old man has a little room for empathy after all, or maybe he’s just given up on all his male sons.
However inferior Zeus believes himself to be, Artemis stays the course, conducting tests and looking for the best way to use the chronograph on Zeus to defeat him. The only thing that doesn’t suspend my disbelief enough to connect with the stakes is that Zeus is instantly showing fear after such a strong show of force in the beginning. It felt rushed, but with extended narratives, sometimes it’s best to keep it minimal.
I playfully laugh that the human avatars are dressed in gold but carry batons like some fancy Middle Ages beat cops. I figure there would be more of a show like Golden Swords to match. I think that’s the joke, though, so that was an interesting detail about the show. Francesco Archidiacono totally killed these layouts. I really love the color captured through the volume—honestly, Hunt. Kill. Repeat. is the female God of War I didn’t know I needed. Whether or not God of War influenced the story is beyond my understanding, but it definitely kicks ass.
Aside from some much-needed and desirable expansion, possibly even a Zeus spin-off, this is one of comics hidden gems of comics, with enough art, action, and character for everyone to get something out of it.
How Artimes takes out Zeus, restores her family, and gets her kid back will be a mystery until you grab your copy today! Don’t forget to support your local comic store or visit your favorite artists and creators at cons. As always, stay geeky, share the network, and don’t forget to catch me on the latest episode of Comics’N’Poptarts.
Michael J. Florio
Michael is a versatile creative professional, excelling as a comic writer, editor, and screenwriter. He holds notable credits at Advent Comics, Grok Comics, Champion Comics, Alter Ego Arts, and Super Serious Comics, Mazzi Productions not including his own projects like Wild Oni and Iron Jaguar. Aside from being an internationally published editor, Michael has been the editor-in-chief at Inked Studios, where he’s assisted on over 40 crowdfunding campaigns, contributing to projects like Exiled (Wesley Snipes), Redempt1on (Austin St. John), and Bleeding Pulp (Justin Gray). Holding degrees from the University of Full Sail, Michael resides in Biloxi, Mississippi, where he hosts the Comics’N’Poptarts podcast and actively engages with the Mississippi Gulf Coast Writers Guild Chapter, sharing comic expertise. Beyond his creative pursuits, he enjoys family time, storytelling, film analysis, comic reading, and honing voice acting for future prospects.
