Hitman (comics)
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Hitman is a violent, darkly humorous and occasionally romantic comic book from DC Comics, written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by John McCrea. The series stars Tommy Monaghan, an Irish American hitman from Gotham City who only takes out contract killings on "bad guys". In Monaghan's first appearance in The Demon Annual #2 (part of the "Bloodlines" crossover), he is bitten by an alien, inexplicably awakening superhuman abilities within him. Now possessing the powers of X-ray vision and the ability to read minds with telepathy, he sets himself up as "Hitman", an assassin who specializes in killing superhumans.
Despite the convoluted setup, Hitman rarely pays attention to it, often going out of its way to prevent Tommy from using his abilities; in more than one story arc, he suffers a blow to the head that gives him a headache which is just strong enough to prevent him from concentrating enough to use his powers. The series alternates between down-to-earth antagonists and plotlines and over-the top ones: a story arc involving the Mafia and the British SAS follows an issue featuring a homicidal, radioactive Santa Claus. Even at its most gloriously ridiculous, the characters are realistically portrayed, if not necessarily sympathetic.
Despite its bizarre and often iconoclastic nature, the series is firmly entrenched in the DC Universe: Batman, The Joker, Catwoman, Green Lantern and Superman all guest star at various points. The character has also been featured in a number of guest appearances in titles like Sovereign 7, Resurrection Man and (improbably enough) JLA.
Although the character was given "Hitman" as a codename in his first appearance, he only referred to himself by that name once in his own series, and then only in the first issue; the rest of the time, he is referred to by his given name, although he was sometimes called "Hitman" in the aforementioned appearances in other publications.
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Storyline
Hitman was first published as a 50-issue comic book series with one annual, one "DC One Million" tie-in issue and one crossover with Lobo. Issues were more or less published monthly and most were 23 pages.
Since the end of the monthly series, Hitman has been recollected in a series of trade paperbacks which encompass the entire series along with several appearances outside of the monthly, including his origin. They are as follows:
Hitman, Vol. 1
(collects Hitman #1-3, The Demon Annual #2 and Batman Chronicles #4)
The first volume of Hitman sets up Tommy Monaghan's origin and motivation. In The Demon Annual #2, Monaghan is caught in the middle of the Bloodlines storyline, an event in which demons are overrunning the world, giving people superpowers by biting them. In this case, Monaghan is given his telepathy and x-ray vision, along with the side effect of blacking out his eyes. The rest of the volume is rounded out with a Batman crossover and Monaghan's first job in the monthly in which he is hired to kill The Joker in Arkham Asylum.
In Batman Chronicles #4, Monaghan takes a hit on an escaped walking biological agent named Thrax. The Hitman monthly storyarc is set up when a "10th rate assassin" named Martin Eckstein spills the beans to Batman after being subdued. The story in Chronicles is also the only instance in which Monaghan refers to himself as "Hitman."
The hit on the Joker turns out to be a ruse in order to lure Monaghan into a trap set by demonic gun wielders named The Arkannone (otherwise known as the Lords of the Gun) and their agent, The Mawzir. Their plot to seduce Monaghan into becoming their agent on Earth was foiled by his defiance and the interference of Batman. Hitman #3 also introduces Tommy Monaghan's eventual on-again, off-again girlfriend; Deborah Tiegel.
Hitman, Vol. 2: 10,000 Bullets
(collects Hitman #4-8)
The Ten Thousand Bullets story arc introduces Natt the Hat, Monaghan's pal from the Marines and partner in crime. The four part story begins with Mister Dubelz putting a hit out on Monaghan, hiring Johnny Navarone to kill him. Navarone is regarded as one of the most accurate, lethal hitmen of the era, rivaling Monaghan himself. Dubelz sets up Monaghan and Natt by putting out a hit on a costumed do-gooder named Nightfist, a man who dedicates his life to assaulting drug dealers. Only after he kills them, he sells the cocaine he repossesses for his own profit.
The two dispatch Nightfist easily but are surprised in an ambush, barely making it out with their lives. They make a break for, his neighbor and current girlfriend, Wendy's apartment and calls Sean Noonan to perform medical services. She throws them out as soon as he's healthy. They find Pat dying in his bathtub after an apparent extended torture session at the hands of Navarone. At this point, Tommy and Natt go on the offensive and assault Dubelz directly, killing him and the rest of his mob. By the end of the fourth part, Tommy gets a lucky shot off, destroying Navarone's gun and hand.
In this arc, Tommy and Natt's past is partially revealed, explaining that they accidentally killed a British S.A.S. patrol during the Gulf War. It also is the end of Monaghan's relationship with Wendy.
The last part of the novel is a one-shot story called "When the Lights Go Out" in which the boys (Tommy, Natt, Sean, Hackett and Ringo) recant stories of the closest they've come to death.
Hitman, Vol. 3: Local Heroes
(collects Hitman #9-14)
Local Heroes starts out with the funeral of Pat Noonan, who was killed in the last arc by Johnny Navarone. The funeral is paralleled with Tiegel's evaluation which eventually caused her to be kicked off the police force because of allegedly using a fallen officer's corpse as cover when cornered by three felons. CIA Agents Truman and Feekle, meanwhile, proposition Police Captain Burns for information on Monaghan.
Truman and Feekle offer Monaghan a permanent position within their organization as a killer of metahumans, whether they're heroes or villains. This runs against Monaghan's morals and declines their offer, preferring to stay freelance. Because of this, Truman has the Gotham City Police sent into the Cauldron to arrest Monaghan, but eventually fail when he takes a hostage and eventually winds up with Tiegel.
At Tiegel's apartment, he attempts to lie low until, out of nowhere, Green Lantern arrives in the Cauldron under the presumption that Monaghan accepted a hit on him. After convincing Green Lantern that he wouldn't kill a hero, they put together a plot to blackmail Truman out of Gotham by recording him saying that he'd like to kill Superman. An attempted assassination attempt on Monaghan while recording is botched by Tiegel and the rest of Truman's operation is disrupted by Green Lantern in a UFO. The plan works, Monaghan kills Feekle, Truman leaves town and internal affairs takes a look at Captain Burns' precinct. As a side note to the story, Tommy bet all of his money on the Gotham Knights baseball team winning their next game against the New York Mets, which they do at the end of part four.
The last two issues are for a small story called "Zombie Night at the Gotham Aquarium," where Tommy, Natt, Ringo and Hackett take a hit on a scientist who is, like the title suggests, reanimating dead sea creatures. This arc starts the first of a long line of Injun Peak screwing up and calling Monaghan to fix everything.
Cultural References
Hitman, or Tommy Monaghan was mentioned in the Justice League Unlimited episode, Double Date by the crimeboss Steven Mandragora.
Hitman, Vol. 4: Ace of Killers
(collects Hitman #15-22)
Hitman, Vol. 5: Who Dares Wins
(collects Hitman #23-28)