Blackbox Comics 2020
Written by Ramel Hill & Dimitrios Zaharakis
Illustrated by Federico Sabbatini
Coloured by Andrea Celestini
Lettered by Ed Dukeshire
A comedic duo, on the hunt for answers to their newfound super powers, unravel the mystery of a seedy underworld of criminal activity in the heart of New York.
What a fun book this is. It is nice to see that these guys are able to put out a wide range of titles that run the gamut of genres. This kind of diversity allows for a broader range of folks to have that opportunity to find something that they will enjoy. For me I rather like how we are brought into the story and how quickly we are engaged. I, for one, am really impressed with the way my mind was working from the get go as we are literally placed in the middle of the episode. It is a risky move but it pays off because it certainly makes me want to know what the heck this is all about.
I really like the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is really well done. Just the way this makes you feel like you're coming in late, feeling like it’s real life time movement and how you become a part of the story is amazing to me. The characterisation is amazing and as we see them interact with one another and act and react to the situations and circumstances tells us a lot about them. The pacing is solid and as it takes us through the pages revealing this world we can see how all of this works together to create the story’s ebb & flow.
I am actually really impressed with how the book is structured and how it is able to really engage the reader. Pulling us into this world, not really giving out any solid information but they are able to grab your attention, keep it and have your mind work in overdrive. It is a really good, solid experience reading this issue. Plus the ending wets the appetite for what is to come beautifully. Plus the personalities, the banter between the boys and just the overall mood, tone and feel of the book is inviting.
The interiors here are solid and nice. This is definitely a comic book style to the work and it suits the book nicely. The linework is great and I do like how we see the varying weights involved in the backgrounds and how we see the brick building. Actually the backgrounds in general are amazing and to see the way that there are times when the city becomes a part of the story, like it’s own character. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a talented eye for storytelling. The colour work is great and I like how we see the different techniques involved to showcase the hues and tones within the colours creating the shading, highlights and shadow work is utterly gorgeous!
If you are looking for a good buddy comedy then this is exactly what you want to be reading right now. It has this kind of throwback feel to it but is completely modern and there is an unquantifiable factor here that makes this an IT book. I do read a lot of books and I can say with certainty that this is something you are going to really enjoy this story.