Human Target #12

Smallwood delivers some beautiful, brilliantly detailed and emotional art in the issue. The visuals are stunning and deliver on the style and tone King brings out in the dialogue and plot. Read Full Review

It's a fitting end that still leaves you wanting, yearning, for more, but I'm tremendously grateful for what we were given. Read Full Review

This series is obviously out of continuity, as its takes on the JLI are pretty far from what we'd expect. Everyone is a little more twisted, a little more corrupt. A fan of the classic comic could be turned off by that, but when you think of it as a noir story using these characters as a jumping-off point for an Elseworlds, it works brilliantlyjust like many of King's past works. Read Full Review

The Human Target was a somber and beautiful ride from start to finish. With amazing storytelling, art and letters by Tom King, Greg Smallwood and Clayton Cowles, this stands as yet another Black Label Classic. Read Full Review

Tom King and Greg Smallwood's The Human Target wraps up, and the spotlight goes to Ice. If you're a fan of hers, check out this issue you'll understand why revenge is a dish best served cold. Read Full Review

Honestly, I think that's what made this ending stick in a way that other Tom King-written series have failed to do the comic feels like it headed towards its natural conclusion in a bittersweet way. Read Full Review

Greg Smallwood hits yet another unqualified home run with his art and coloring, while Tom King proves once again that he is absolutely terrible at endings.Still worth your time, if you've come this far. Read Full Review

The Human Target #12 finishes the run with a mild plot twist and a final act to end the story with typical Tom King hallmarks. The character work is bizarre, and the final resolution comes at least five issues too late, but Small wood's art is mesmerizing. Read Full Review

The final page seems to suggest some happy ending, but again King misses the point. His version of the JLI arent heroes. Theyre pretty loathsome, flawed characters who arent engaging or remotely likable. In the end, King managed to take out Human Target, but the character assassination on the JLI was the far greater tragedy. Read Full Review

Toonstrack

Mar 01, 2023

Tom King has done it yet again. Must read series. Not even gonna spoil anything about this issue just read it.

Brannon.44

Mar 01, 2023

Overall an amazing series. Ending was solid and it had some truly stellar issues throughout.

motorik

Mar 08, 2023

Sticks the landing beautifully. One of best stories King has done.

Avanvolk

Jun 21, 2024

Not much to say other than this was a beautiful ending to an amazing series. Tom King and Greg Smallwood deserve every bit of the praise they've gotten for this run. Both creators brought their 'A' games and I felt it.

MoonyLoony

Feb 28, 2023

A beautiful issue that delivers closure for one of King’s best written characters. It’s rare to see a title character take the back seat in their own series. This issue closes with a somber and heartfelt victory for both Christopher Chance & Ice.

Afre

Mar 02, 2023

A successful finale to a great series. Nothing more needs to be said.

samizrozami

Aug 14, 2023

The only complaint i have is mentioning batman constantly in this series lol

KittyNone

Feb 28, 2023

You could complain, if you like, about King & Smallwood making Ice, of all characters, a femme fatale. But given that King has always struggled to write any female character — even Supergirl! — without slouching into noir cliches, I don't know what to tell you if you come to Tom King writing a full-fledged noir comic expecting anything else. And given the ending, this is unambiguously out of continuity and can reasonably be read as an Elseworlds comic, even these days when what does and doesn't count is not as clear-cut as it was back in the days of Elseworlds. So let's take it on its own terms, because taken on its own terms, this is definitely King's most successful work. This is in no small part because of incredible work from Gr eg Smallwood, who gets the midcentury noir sleaze across beautifully without ever resorting to the obvious chiaroscuro Sin City style that a lesser artist might use, opting instead for colors, shapes and textures that make the comic feel like a napkin from a smoky 1950s bar. Because this is an era of comics where the writer is King (see what I did there?) we talk about comics as though they succeed or fail based solely on the work of the writer, but more than King, this is really Smallwood's masterpiece, and he's the one who makes it truly memorable and unique. But not because Tom King hasn't done the work of his career on this series. The simplicity of a noir detective story and the rigid "12 days" structure works great for him, forcing him away from the excesses that drag so many of his works off the tracks, leaving him free to experiment and go non-linear (as with the J'onn issue) but keeping him from losing the story to it. And in that, this is a damn fine story, perhaps especially because it doesn't reinvent the wheel. Was Ice always the obvious killer to anyone who's ever read a Chandler novel or watched a Bogie flick? Of course, but I grew up watching Columbo with my grandmother, so I know the fun of a mystery isn't in the destination, it's the journey. And this has been a great journey, full of tension and suspense undimmed by the fact that I knew who the killer was the moment she appeared on panel. And if it isn't a JLI comic I'd want in continuity, this was actually one of the best post-Giffen/Dematties JLI comics I've read. For an Elseworlds JLI comic that wasn't primarily a comedy book, this was note perfect all the way to its elegantly executed final panel. Hands down, The Human Target has been one of the best comics to come out of Black Label, and I'm only sad there can't be more more

Linkush

Mar 01, 2023

Modern Classic.

Loafy Trophy

Mar 02, 2023

I think King sticks the landing and the last couple pages are just about perfect. This title really embraced the fact that it's Black Label and we're all better for it. I really just want to gush about Smallwood one more time. His art on this book has been nothing short of impeccable and I cannot wait to read what he does next. He's a superstar. Also, if you haven't checked out his threads on his artistic process get on it: https://twitter.com/SavageSmallwood/status/1572281108301250567

Jawsh

Mar 29, 2023

What can happen when you aren't tied to the constraints of continuity. Fantastic!

daspidaboy

Mar 10, 2023

a satisfying and solid conclusion to this series. Tom King may be polarizing and controversial, but when he lands the ending, it really works.

Kalaoui

Aug 30, 2023

The ride took a slow course towards the end leaving all the suspense from the first half behind to tell a simple human story about characters trying to escape their fate while denying the inevitable loss. A tale of 2 halves that somehow make a hybrid story that only works in this world. It's not bad as a story but if it wasn't for Greg Smallwood's fantastic art, I would've quit a while ago. So kudos to Greg Smallwood who made it shine.

Ryan

Mar 22, 2025

The art carried this comic last couple issues for sure. Good last issue. I definitely think this series was way better 1-5 than 6-12, King probably could have benefited from making this a 10 issue series rather than 12.

DDJamesB

Mar 01, 2023

A touching yet, simple ending to a pretty stellar series. Smallwood made the series must see, and King didn't piss me off. I consider this a solid win.

Psycamorean

Mar 03, 2023

I'm left whelmed by this ending. It's what we expected, no doubt. The main star here is Smallwood, who continues to deliver to the very last page. I was much more hyped on this series in its first half, but I felt its second half has dragged a bit, and again, the story mostly plays out exactly how you expect. Sometimes it's not about that, it's about the experience. And the experience is good. Just not as amazing as I would hope, given this series' praise.