John Wick (comics)

John Wick is an American neo-noir comic book limited series written by Greg Pak and drawn by Giovanni Valletta (issues 1–2) and Matt Gaudio (issues 3–5). Published by Dynamite Entertainment,^[1] the series is a prequel to the neo-noir action thriller media franchise of the same name created by Derek Kolstad and starring Keanu Reeves as John Wick, with the comic book using Reeves' likeness for the character. The series chronicles a young John Wick after his release from prison and his first vendetta.^[2] The series, originally published between November 2017 and February 2019, was published as a graphic novel, John Wick: The Book of Rules, in June 16, 2020.^[3]

John Wick
Cover for issue #5 by Giovanni Valletta.
Publication information
Publisher	Dynamite Entertainment
Format	Limited series
Publication date	November 2017 – February 2019
No. of issues	5
Main character(s)	Jardani Jovanovich / John Wick
Creative team
Written by	Greg Pak
Artist(s)	Giovanni Valletta (#1–2) Matt Gaudio (#3–5)
Letterer(s)	Tom Napolitano
Colorist(s)	David Curiel and Inlight Studios
Editor(s)	Anthony Marques (#1–3) Joseph Rybrandt (#4–5)
Collected editions
John Wick	ISBN 978-152410-6829

Premise

When a young John Wick emerges from prison and embarks upon his first, epic vendetta, he comes up against a strange, powerful community of assassins and must learn how to master the Book of Rules that guides their lethal business.^[4][5]

Characters

Main article: List of John Wick characters

• Jardani "Johnny" Jovanovich / John Wick – A freelancer assassin embarking on a vendetta for the murder of his village twelve years earlier.
• Charon – A concierge at the Continental Hotel sought out by the Three Bills.
• Maria – An Adjudicator of the High Table interested in acquiring Wick's service.
• The Three Bills – Pecos, Buffalo, and Billy, a trio of assassins formerly associated with Wick.
• Calamity – The Three Bills' insane former bazooka-wielding enforcer and the true target of Wick's vendetta.^[6]

Reception

Issue #	Publication date	Critic rating	Critic reviews	Ref.
1	November 2017	6.7/10	21	[7]
2	April 2018	6.5/10	9	[8]
3	September 2018	—	0	[9]
4	December 2018		0	[10]
5	February 2019		0	[11]
Overall		6.6/10	30	[12]