Synopsis
In an Iraq of the near future, as America?s presence becomes more and more entrenched, elements of American culture have started to seep into the urban landscape of Baghdad. In the green zone, a coffee shop, ubiquitous in the United States, opens up, declaring itself a beacon of change. The proprietor, portraying an image of the American 1950?s caters to a clientele of expatriot contractors, intelligence operatives, and an emerging clique of modern Iraqi youth who are looking beyond Iraq for cultural cues from the world at large. Maybe they just like the chocolate malts.
Today, the door is locked, and the proprietor, the mysterious Mr. Fifty, is holding interviews for a very special job position: International Terrorist.
creators
The Black Heart Irregulars are created by Writer Neil Hendrick. Super Cool art comes from Ulises Carpintero.
Publisher
Published by Blue King Studios, creators of the City of Heroes Comic book.
WHat god do I have to worship to read this awesome comic book?
If you are too lazy or cheap to go buy it in the comic book store, or to pick it up from the Blue King Studios website, and if you are a Graphic Smash subscriber; then you can download the whole first issue right here as a PDF. It's not that big in file size, but it's HUGE in cool. Full of explosions, violence, and profanity.
Cast of Characters
Mister Fifty
Real Name: Michael Orkin
Military: Army Rangers
Ethnicity: All American.
Movie Star he thinks he resembles (but doesn?t): Brad Pitt
Claim to Fame: This guy can fire the .50 caliber machine gun like spreading butter on toast.
How he came to be a Black Heart: After the lousy Army pay and degrading conditions, 50 was delighted to find that he could put his skills to work as a Private Security Specialist with Black Heart Security Inc. the pay was too good to turn down.
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Beaner
Real Name: Alonso Castro
Military: Army Rangers
Ethnicity: Cubano, baby.
Movie Star he thinks he resembles (but doesn?t): Bruce Willis
Claim to Fame: Rabidly anti-Castro.
How he came to be a Black Heart: Alonso was once an accountant for a certain Italian Family Business. Some ugliness with the Mob led him to believe he might be safest if heavily armed. The Army provided that security, but when it came time to re-up, he bugged out for the Big $$$ at Black Heart Security Inc. |
 Mustang
Real Name: Francis Franken
Military: U.S.M.C.
Ethnicity: Marine
Movie Star he thinks he resembles (but doesn?t): Bruce Willis
Claim to Fame: Mustang was a captain in the USMC, until a scandal with the General?s daughter got him busted back to Buck Private. He actually worked himself back up to Sergeant before his problems with authority led him into a more mercenary lifestyle.
How he came to be a Black Heart: Discharged from USMC, and you gotta bring home the bacon, so... |
Squid
Real Name: Geoff DiAngello
Military: Navy SEALS
Ethnicity: Italian.
Movie Star he thinks he resembles (but doesn?t): Sylvester Stallone.
Claim to Fame: He could tell you about it, but then he would have to kill you.
How he came to be a Black Heart: Recruited out of commerical diving and demolitions to be a bodygueard. |
Sparky
Real Name: Ryutaro Nikaido
Military: None. CIA Intelligence
Ethnicity: Japanese
Movie Star he thinks he resembles (but doesn?t): John Koyama
Claim to Fame: Sparky only lasted a few years in the CIA as an analyst, but what he learned about cryptography and comms makes him useful in the paranoid security of insurgent Iraq.
How he came to be a Black Heart:
Blackie met Sparky in Baghdad and took a liking to him. Simple as that. |
Goober
Real Name: Zeke McCoy
Military: U.S.M.C.
Ethnicity: West Virginia Redneck.
Movie Star he thinks he resembles (but doesn?t): Crispin Glover
Claim to Fame: Zeke drove for Mustang in the Marines, a veteran of Afganistan, Iraq, and many Monster Truck shows.
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Pike and Devereux
Real Names: Pike and Devereux
Military: None, N.S.A.
Ethnic: W.A.S.P.
Movie Stars they think they resemble (but don?t): Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore
Claim to Fame: Mysterious intel brokers investigating recent terrorist bombings. |
The Diplomat
Real Name: Abu Jafar al-Mansur
Military: None
Ethnic: Iraqi Arab. Sunni Muslim.
Movie Star he thinks he resembles (but doesn?t): Sean Connery
Claim to Fame: Hires the Black Hearts to conduct him from Falluja to Baghdad. Collects Comic Books. |
Phat Ali
Real Name: Ali
Military: Saddam?s Republican Guard
Ethnic: Iraqi Arab. Shia Muslim.
Movie Star he thinks he resembles (but doesn?t): Bruce Willis.
Claim to Fame: Ali defected from Saddam?s army before the first Gulf War and has provided translation services for invading armies ever since. 50 got him a job with the Black Hearts, so now he thinks he is hip-hop cool. |
