Dark Horse Comics 2017
Written by Jeff Lemire
Illustrated & Lettered by David Rubin
Flats by Kike J. Diaz
Global Planet reporter Lucy Weber is determined to find out what happened to her father: The Black Hammer! All answers seem to lie in Spiral City’s infamous asylum, where its most dangerous super-villains reside. As she searches for the truth, Lucy uncovers the dark origins of Black Hammer’s greatest foes…. Could they be connected to the mysterious disappearance of Spiral City’s greatest heroes?
I am in love with this story! Lucy is a great character find and a lot like her father in that she’s tenacious, strong and determined. While her father and his teammates are off on an unknown plane or dimension she’s using her know-how, the sum of all that she learned through all her resources to find her father. As she begins to learn about the world of heroes and villains in a way she never thought of before she begins to see that things aren’t always what they seem. There is a symbiotic relationship between heroes and their villains, after the obvious being one cannot exist without the other, and that their adversarial relationship is indeed a relationship after all. No I do not mean in a sexual way.
I love what Jeff is doing here with this story. He is aptly able to demonstrate that a child of a hero isn’t always wanting to follow in their footsteps. She claims to be a journalist and as far as I can tell she’ll make an excellent one someday. Though it really is Jeff who’s own skill in bringing all this to life for us on the page is what we should concentrate on. The way he’s structured this story so that the ebb & flow, leading her from one prospective interview to the next has allowed us a complex and interesting look inside this world has been magnificent to experience.
I find it interesting that the work of a journalist and that of a detective is so similar in nature. It really does take Jeff to kind of hammer that home to us here. After all after Lucy wakes up realising that she’d been cold conked in her father’s secret lair well she continues onward not looking into who could have done that to her but those that were summoned by Sherlock Frankenstein to his meeting. Which of course leads her to the Steel Minotaur.
David’s style while usually something I don’t care much for really does grow on you and I find that it suits this story perfectly. His use of page layouts and the angles and perspective used in the panels showcase a very good eye for storytelling. Plus that he uses backgrounds as often as he can makes me terribly happy. Yes the faces can be a little more on the Mad Magazine style but ya know I'm growing to appreciate that. David creates a very good flow to the visuals here and that it compliments the writing is just icing on the cake.
Okay some of the best writing comes when Lucy meets Parker, whom she mistakenly assumed was Mr. when in reality it’s Ms. Still the dialogue of the conversation the two women have is exceptionally well done. I love that Ms. Parker is a feisty old broad who talks no nonsense and straight from the hip. Her personality shines in the time we get to spend with her. Oh and that she was a black woman in the 70’s who’s creative genius in building just about anything and decided to masquerade as the Steel Minotaur, whom everyone thought to be a man, is utterly delightful. THIS is what we love about comics and Jeff’s writing ability that he can create those individual characters who we marvel at and want more of.
The end of the issue hopefully means that next issue will accumulate in what we hope will happen. Though somehow I do not think that this will end with the Black Hammer’s return home, after all that series is too good and too much fun to end now. No but I do hope that an unlikely partnership will emerge which in turn creates a new arc to be told by these fine folks.
Jeff has managed to create one of the best new universes around and he is filling it with just the right amount of humour and seriousness that will allow us to enjoy this like it’s meant to be enjoyed.