The Human Target, by Tom King and Greg Smallwood, features not only Christopher Chance, but also the late ’80s Justice League International roster.
A new Human Target Black Label series written by Tom King and illustrated by Greg Smallwood will feature Justice League International.
Members of the team, including the likes of Batman, Black Canary, Guy Gardner, Martian Manhunter, Mister Miracle and even the Cold War-era Soviet hero Rocket Red were revealed in a preview by DC. King previously teased the involvement of Justice League International.
The upcoming 12-issue series stars Christopher Chance, typically referred to as the Human Target for his unique career of protecting clients from assassination attempts by disguising himself as them. The series is described as “the DC Universe meets gritty detective noir,” and hinted that the plot would follow a botched case where Chance was hired to protect Lex Luthor and had 12 days to solve his own murder.
It remains to be seen how the Justice League International will tie in with the Human Target’s escapades, but the team roster — particularly the inclusion of Rocket Red — indicates the series may take place during the late ’80s when the Justice League International made their debut in a critically acclaimed and fan-favorite run by writers Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis, and artists Kevin Maguire, Bart Sears, Ty Templeton, Mike McKone and more.
Other members of the superhero team that will cameo in The Human Target include Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Captain Atom and the anthropomorphic Green Lantern dog G’nort Esplanade G’neesmache. A variant cover by Trevor Hairsine and Danny Miki, made to look like the box of a classic “whodunnit” board game like Clue, shows several of these heroes looking pensive.
Created by Len Wein and Carmine Infantino, Christopher Chance debuted in 1972’s Action Comics #419. He is the second character to bear the Human Target name after Fred Venable, who was created by Edmond Hamilton and Sheldon Moldoff and appeared alongside Batman and Robin in 1953’s Detective Comics #201.
Chance made regular appearances in backup stories in the pages of Action Comics and The Brave and the Bold during the ’70s and ’80s, before starring in a four-issue Vertigo limited series by Peter Milligan and Edvin Biuković. The series was followed by the graphic novel Human Target: Final Cut, and then an ongoing 21-issue series that ran from 2003 to 2005. The character has made a name for himself on the small screen in two television shows — a short-lived seven-episode ABC series that ran in 1992 and a longer two-season Fox drama that aired in 2010. Since then, Chance has also appeared in the Arrowverse.
The Human Target #1, with a script by Tom King and pencils and inks by Greg Smallwood, goes on sale Nov. 2 from DC.
HUMAN TARGET #1 (of 12)
- Story by TOM KING
- Pencils and inks by GREG SMALLWOOD
- Main cover by GREG SMALLWOOD
- Card stock variant covers by TREVOR HAIRSINE, DANNY MIKI
- 1 in 25 ratio variant cover by JENNY FRISON
- On sale Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Source: DC
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