A hit gone bad. A dead cop. A nagging feeling in the pit of the stomach that says “Get out while you still can.” What’s any self respecting hitman-for-hire to do? If you’re smart, you listen to your instincts and make plans to get out of the life before being introduced to that much talked about bullet with your name on it. And that’s what the star of Archaia Press’s noir series The Killer takes care to do in this latest issue. More than a little tired of the life, the still nameless blonde-haired hitman takes on one last job while waiting for his “fixer” to round up a lifetime’s worth of blood-soaked retirement money. But, naturally, there’s no rest for the wicked and a hitman’s life is wrought with the sound of gunfire and the inevitability of betrayal. “One more job” always turns out to be “one job too many” and this time it’s no different.

With issue four, The Killer wraps up several major and minor storylines and sets a new equilibrium. Matz leaves the killer alone in a cold, dangerous world and I like the way it feels. As a writer, Matz has a wonderful knack for controlled pacing and a talent for potent, Spartan writing. Like Clint Eastwood in every “Man with no name” movie, Matz is a man of few words and it is that quiet eloquence that sets him apart from many other writers in the business these days. With this latest issue, Matz indulges in inner monologue and does a good job of painting his central character as an angry, dangerous man wrought with confusion and turmoil. Matz has created a character that’s easy to hate, but difficult to dislike. In spite of his sociopathic bent on life, the star of The Killer is a difficult man to look away from.

And, while we’re on the subject of things not to look away from, Luc Jacamon at the helm on the artwork is a beautiful, beautiful thing. The greatest strength of Jacamon is his ability to make the simple into something very weighty and profound. His layout is disarmingly simple, but undeniably powerful. It’s an economical style of reminiscent of Dave Gibbons’ work back in the day on Watchmen. It’s a style of artwork where the smallest lines, the gentlest of colors, all meld together to communicate in a fierce, visceral language all their own. If Jacamon loses any points, it’s only because of a brief period of choppiness towards the end of the issue.

Overall: 8 on 10. Game’s almost half over. Jump on while you can.