If you’ve ever wondered what would happen in an alternate universe where John Wick is a dad on a road trip with his family, look no further than Thirty-three, currently on Kickstarter.
Writer Juan Ponce displays humor that’s sorely needed right along with his tense plot. We meet Andrew West on the toilet, facing an assassin at his job. If you’ve ever been an office drone and wished your work day were more interesting, this might be the comic for you. Of course, it might also convince you to love your little cubicle as we watch Andrew face down his old coworkers, who see him as a traitor to their hitman secret society, the Jeishu.
As we watch Andrew come to terms with his secret past, Ellie Wright’s bold colors, layered atop Marco Finnegan’s pencils and inks, set the tone of each panel in the first issue. Andrew faces deadly clowns and kids with swords as he tries to convince his ex-wife and kids to leave their comfortable life, which is under threat from his past as number 33.
We get a shift in tone with the art team once we hit issue #2, with Michael Fisher on colors and Gavin Guidry as artist. It would have been nice to have a consistent art team throughout the five issues, but as we know in comics, that isn’t always possible. This new team adds extra layers of emotion and blasts of shading and depth that match the fast-paced action as the West family escapes from the hitmen who tear after them.
We learn Andrew’s backstory as he drives his family out of danger. It’s a fascinating take on the assassin trope, and I found myself relating to his desire to prove himself as a kid, teen and young adult. He navigates trying to find his place in the world along with his own moral compass. Although I’m a bit tired of the jerk ex-husband and deadbeat dad, I could see, through Guidry’s skill, Laura’s recognition as Andrew tells her they’re in danger and she agrees, “OK, I’ll go.”
Unexpected twists and turns abound as the West family travels in a new RV and stops at motels while avoiding disaster. It would never have been easy to have a wife and kids as a hitman, and Andrew’s history sets that up. These vignettes into his life during his time as a hitman and with his young family endear us to the Wests in a way many action comics neglect. The slow, heartfelt times can be just as impactful as the bloody street chases.
I do wish certain side characters, like Spirit, Mikayla/Estelle (number 29) and Elijah (number 17), had gotten more backstory. I was left confused and wanting more from their brief histories. Perhaps that gives us more to look forward to if Ponce meets whatever goal he needs to continue telling the stories of these folks in the world of Andrew West’s post-33 life.
That said, the conclusion is satisfying. The Kickstarter for Thirty-Three isn’t misleading when it calls itself a comic that “pulls no punches” and “tugs at your heartstrings.” If you enjoy National Lampoon’s Vacation or The Equalizer, you’ll want to back Thirty-Three. Ponce displays excellent storytelling, and I’m curious to see what he comes up with next. The life the Wests set up for each other based on trust, honesty and transparency is depicted beautifully in the final snowy pages by Guidry and Fisher. Back this project now if you’d like to see it in its full glory.
Cat Purcell is a Career Services Librarian, cosplayer, artist, and massive coffee consumer.
