Pitt is a comic I never really had a chance to get into back in the 90's, and neither was the Darkness. I remember flipping through whatever issues were on display at the grocery store, thinking how cool it was that these comics had blood and curse words (I was young, alright). But like the rest of Image's library at the time (most notably Spawn), it was not “mother-approved.” But now I'm a grown man and drink, curse, stay up late at night, and read whatever comic I want. Take that, mom!

And that brings us to The Darkness/Pitt #3, published by Top Cow, written by Paul Jenkins and drawn by Dale Keown. Unfortunately I missed the first 2 issues and had to play catch up, but the introduction gives you the gist of it. I'm sure I missed a body count along the way, but such is life (no pun intended). The recap gives you what you need to know about the characters' back story and the mess they currently find themselves in. Apparently an alien virus has turned people into zombies who are surrounding our protagonists Jackie Estacado (aka the Darkness), the Pitt, and Timmy (Pitt's genetic half brother). Violence and banter ensue, followed by an impressive display of power from Timmy.

The formula makes me think of buddy-cop films (the bickering between Pitt and Jackie) and John Carpenter's “The Thing” (alien viruses and... well, you'll see). And given the ending, clearly the story isn't over. No spoilers here, but I can safely say I have no idea who the guy in the last panel is. Maybe he was in the previous issues and if he was, then that's on me for missing them. I'm sure those of you who've read this since issue #1 have a better idea of what's going on than I do.

I've always been a big fan of Paul Jenkins' writing, especially his Spider-Man. And one of the things I love about his books is the dialogue. You really get a sense for the characters' personalities. I have very limited exposure with Pitt and Jackie, but the way they were written made them very easy to get to know. I feel like I understand the finer aspects of these characters just from the conversations they have with each other. The artwork is beautiful as well, something I've come to expect from Top Cow (especially when it comes to gore). Dale Keown, the creator of this character, was the perfect choice to bring him back into the limelight after being absent for nearly 10 years (not counting his recent appearance in Invincible #60). I mean seriously, it's a no-brainer.

Whether you're a fan of the Darkness, Pitt, or both, you should definitely check this out. It has zombies; everyone loves zombies. They're the new pirates. And most importantly, coming in on the third and final issue of this story, I did not feel lost or confused about what was going on. Yes, I do feel like I'm missing out by not reading the first two issues (they will be mine), but after the recap it all made sense to me and was easy to understand.

Writer: Paul Jenkins
Artist: Dale Keown
Covers: Dale Keown, Eric Basaldua
Publisher: Top Cow
Cover Price: $2.99
On Sale: December 16, 2009