Book: Hitman: Damnation
Author: Raymond Benson
ISBN: 978-0-7553-9736-5
If you’ve played the Hitman games but haven’t heard of Hitman: Damnation, that’s because is not an unknown game in the series, but is rather a book. It’s a prequel to Hitman: Absolution and a sequel to Hitman: Blood Money.
If you haven’t played the series it revolves around 47, also known as Agent 47, a genetically “cloned” (from several different genetic donors) person of above average abilities designed to be the perfect assassin. The games are based around his various assassination missions.
The character of 47 doesn’t tend to translate too well when portrayed outside of the game – such as in the first Hitman film – as he doesn’t really seem to have one. 47 kills for money although, given how he is living in Blood Money, he doesn’t seem all that fussed about his living conditions and he isn’t interested in normal human relationships, so it’s not as if money seems to be that great an incentive for him. Mostly he seems to assassinate people because that’s what he’s good at.
47 is therefore not the greatest person to build a story around. Damnation tries to get around this by giving him a reason for wanting money by making him fond of expensive food, drink and clothes, although, given how much money 47 tends to make, that would have to be some really expensive food and it’s not like he has a huge wardrobe either. He also manages to behave more normally as well at some points in the book.
Damnation revolves around, fairly naturally, several assassinations by 47 and it appears that it lays the groundwork for the events of Absolution, so the story is not fully concluded in the book.
At the end of Hitman: Blood Money – assuming you didn’t let 47 get cremated and successfully slaughtered everyone at his funeral – Diana was rebuilding the International Contract Agency and 47 was working solo. At the beginning of Hitman: Damnation both Diana and 47 are working for the ICA.
Now, the impression was given in Blood Money that Diana was now running the ICA, there being no-one else left by that time. In Damnation, she’s merely an employee. No explanation is given as to how 47 rejoined either.
Damnation may prequel Absolution in terms of plot – it wasn’t yet out when the book was written so it’s not fully known what the plot is but some points seem to match up – but it doesn’t really follow on from Blood Money. It’s possible the back story from Blood Money may have been changed.
47 also doesn’t seem to know what a Silent Assassin is in the book either. After the release of Hitman 2: Silent Assassin the objective in game has been to only kill your assigned targets and not bystanders if at all possible. Targets should preferably be only killed by accident as well, rather than just gunning them down (despite his signature Silverballers). Bystanders are preferably either disposed of non-lethally or by accident. In Damnation, 47 often isn’t trying to do this, although he does admit he’s not at his best.
Fans of the game series may like to read the book to see how it interlocks with Absolution. Hitman: Damnation is not that likely to appeal to others.
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