Kick-Ass: Creating the Comic, Making the Movie
Paperback
By Mark Millar, Matthew Vaughn, Jane Goldman
Art by John Romita Jr.
Titan Books
Release date: February 23, 2010

F*ck Crime! Kick-Ass.

I’ve been a Kick-Ass fan since before the first issue of the comic hit stands way back in February of 2008. The first viral marketing campaign for the comic was brilliant and it had me excited for the book even before it debuted. The dream team of Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. didn’t hurt either. The awesomeness of the comic lead to a movie deal and the rest (we will soon see) is going to be history. Whether the movie catches on with mainstream audiences is yet to be seen, but it sure looks like it was a fun film to make.

Those fine fellows over at Titan Books sent us a copy of Kick-Ass Creating the Comic, Making the Movie and I couldn’t be more thrilled. At first glance you might dismiss the book as being little more than a lame movie-tie in whose sole purpose is to pilfer your wallets, but you’d be sorely mistaken. The book is so much more than that. It does a nice job of satisfying fans of all sorts. The comic fans will enjoy the insights from creators Millar and Romita and the film crowd will be salivating over on-set photos and film stills.

I found Mark Millar’s contributions fascinating. We learn about the project through his initial ideas, conversations, and emails with the film’s director Matthew Vaughn and scriptwriter Jane Goldman. You get to fully explore the journey from Millar’s brain to the page, and then from the page to the screen. It’s really a lot of fun seeing his honesty and unique sense of humor (which has always been one of my favorite aspects of Millar as a writer).

The book is beautifully designed and contains some great photography in it. I found myself going back and looking at images multiple times trying to satisfy my brain’s pleasure centers. Inside you’ll find exclusive looks at many of the sets, characters, and production stills, as well as Millar’s initial script ideas jotted down in his own short-hand (decipherable only by the man himself). You’ll also get concept art and rejected character designs.

All of the main actors give their thoughts on casting, costumes, stunts, and the over-the-top violence of the material. Something I really enjoyed was seeing the genuine love for the project that came through on every page of the book. From the creators to the director to the actors, everyone involved really feels like they are apart of something special and that feeling really is contagious. After reading the book, I feel like this movie is going to be a big win for us, the fans. If Dr. Henry Higgins from My Fair Lady read this book he would most certainly say, “By jove, I think they’ve got it.”

If you’re anticipating the Kick-Ass film at all, or you’re a fan of the comic book, I highly recommend this book to you. It’s just a really well done look at the property. It really is much more than simply an extended piece of advertising. It’s delicately crafted, magnificently designed and it kicks so much ass!

Check back soon on details on how to win a copy of Kick-Ass Creating the Comic, Making the Movie in an upcoming contest hosted by Geeks of Doom!