Mark Hazzard MERC #1 - Video Review by 80s Comics

Welcome back to 80s comics for the review of Mark Hazzard Merc from November of 1986. Part of Marvel’s new universe, which is known for being terrible, but Merc issue number one is surprisingly good. This is actually much better than I expected. It has been like 30 years since I have read this and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Let us check it out because I am going to recommend this one. Merc. It is very 1986. This actually reminds me a lot of Predator without the Predator, like the team from Predator, a group of mercenaries in the jungle. But it starts out introducing Mark Hazzard. His name is Mark, he has got to be good. You know what Mark means. Powerful warrior. It also means rad dude who likes 1980s comic books. Like this one, Mark. I love that the logo is on fire. It is a cool opening shot here. Mark Hazzard and his friend jump out of a helicopter in the jungle.

Here is the creative team. Gray Morrow does an amazing job with the artwork. It is very gritty, a lot different than most of the other issues that I typically review on here. It is a really cool looking bar. This opening scene plays straight out of a 1980s action film, which is great as Mark Hazzard overthrows a dictator by force while we get a gum dinger adventure on the opposite page. A guy throws a knife at him, looks like he catches the knife, tosses it back at him, stabs him in front of his daughter who comes running out screaming. The guards all start to shoot each other. There are explosions and he has just replaced a dictator with another dictator who is just as bad as the dictator that was replaced in the first place. But he gets paid for it so that is good except Mark Hazzard is a mercenary with a heart of gold.

He finds out what the guards are about to do to that guy’s daughter and he saves her. Reminds me a lot of Dutch from Predator, Schwarzenegger’s character from Predator. The jungle action scenes are really good. We get a nice bit of backstory on Mark Hazzard’s character. He drops out of West Point to enlist in Vietnam as a grunt, infuriating his parents who basically hate him for the rest of the issue. He has a lot of Vietnam flashbacks and ends up saving this girl in the jungle. This shot is great. His mom seems like a real peach. All right Mark, but for old times sake, here is one more order. Get out of my house, you ungrateful snot. After three tours in Vietnam, let us say he is pretty good at his job, and in the end he ends up losing all the money, but he does save the girl’s life. She does not seem particularly grateful about that either. I like this shot where the helicopter mows down a bunch of the guards, and at the very end we actually feel bad for him.

Character Analysis and Themes Mark B

He has a family and an ex wife. His ex wife hates him. His mom hates him. His friends are disappointed in him. The girl that he saves is pissed off at him. The people he shot are probably not very happy with him. But you know what. I am happy with it. I am okay with Mark Hazzard. Merc. It is pretty good. You know what Mark also means. Guy who sucks at gardening. That is what the band aid is there for. But do not worry. I will be fine.

This book gets an A plus for explosions and sound effects, by the way. I do not know about you, but Buddha Buddha is one of my favorite comic book sound effects. That one never gets old. Look, it is over here too. Buddha Buddha Buddha Buddha. If you like Predator, if you like 1980s action movies, and if you enjoy comics like The Punisher, check this one out, even though it is not like The Punisher. The Punisher has a very different vibe. This one is trying to be gritty and a bit more realistic, a bit more believable, with a hard luck story about this guy Mark Hazzard whose name is on fire.

I enjoyed this one. I am not sure how long this series ran. I have issue 11. I have a couple of these Mark Hazzard Merc books to review on here. So check it out yourself. It is not going to cost you very much because of that. Nobody wants that. But you may be surprised. Mark Hazzard Merc number one is pretty good. Highly recommended by 80scomics dot com. You will not see many new universe comics highly recommended around here. But this one is fun. A lot of fun. Dig it.