The Pro by Gareth Ennis, Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti and Paul Mounts (graphic novel).
One of the things I often do is hunt around for comic books drawn by Amanda Conner that I haven’t come across before, especially ones that were once expensive and are now more reasonably priced. This time I found two, and The Pro is the first of them. Written by Garth Ennis, inked by Jimmy Palmiotti, and coloured by Paul Mounts, this is not a graphic novel you should leave lying around for under-18s. It is full of strong language and sexual content, but it is also extremely funny.
The unnamed woman at the start of the story is a prostitute — at night, at least. She has a day job, but it doesn’t pay enough to support herself and her baby son, hence the night work. An alien called the Voyeur… no, the Viewer, sees an opportunity to prove that anyone can be turned into a super-hero and chooses her. He grants her superpowers, including flight, speed, and strength, and alerts the League of Honor that they have a potential new member and should introduce themselves.
I should point out that I initially wondered if I had missed a page showing her realising her powers. However, on closer inspection, when she wakes up she is already levitating without even noticing it. It’s very subtle, and you really do have to pay attention to all the panels.
The League explains that they are running out of good super-hero names, but it’s not difficult to spot who they are based on. They provide her with a costume, assembled from parts belonging to deceased League members. She finds them rather stiff and out of touch, and they don’t really understand her perspective. That’s not to say there aren’t moments of connection, such as when the Saint confides a sensitive matter to her and she offers her own unique solution.
If you’ve ever read Larry Niven’s essay Man Of Steel, Woman Of Kleenex, you might recognise the implications when one character shears off the wing of a passing aeroplane and attempts a rescue while otherwise engaged. Fortunately, it isn’t quite what it looks like.
I’m not going into the full plot because so much of it would be spoiler territory, but the chain of events ties together well. I did wonder why this wasn’t expanded into a mini-series, especially as there is an additional short story at the end, The Pro Meets The Ho!, which doesn’t quite fit into the main continuity. However, the material is now over a decade old.
I should point out that the artwork isn’t lurid, and safe sex is depicted. Above all else, this is an adult comic book, so it requires an adult sense of humour.
GF Willmetts
April 2026
(pub: Image Comics, 2016. 72-page softcover graphic novel. Price: varies. ISBN: 978-1-60706-555-5).
Check out the website: www.imagecomics.com
