Black Hammer Visions, Vol. 1

Jeff Lemire recruits a number of talented writers and artists to put their spin on

the Black Hammer Universe. 

Black Hammer Visions was an 8-issue anthology that told stories not

necessarily in the continuity of the residents of Black Hammer Farm. But these

tales are definitely in the thick of this growing self-contained universe of

superheroes, mages and monsters. 

Volume 1 reprints the first four issues of the series. Stories include an

examination of the hardships Golden Gail faces as an elderly woman trapped

in the body of a 10-year old child. Abraham Slam must restore his good name

when an usurper sponsored by the US military crosses the line into vigilantism. 

Things get meta when Madame Dragonfly hosts her horror anthology within the

pages of this very anthology as she recruits a young orphan to become the

next caretaker of the Cabin of Horrors.                                                              

        

The last story, which was the worst of this bunch, sees the residents of the farm

starring in a Downton Abbey type television series. Of course, Col. Randall Weird

is behind all of this. So the story is jumbled and uneven. Some readers really liked

this element of Col. Weird. Not me!

Patton Oswalt, Chip Zdarsky, Scott Collins and Johnnie Christmas are among some

of the talent behind the production of this volume. The Goldbergs' Patton Oswalt

brilliantly ties in Daniel Clowes' Ghost World, having main characters Enid and

Rebecca ponders why young Gail Gibbons never seems to age. Chip Zdarsky

(Spider-Man: Life Story) adds his quirky look on things with the Abraham Slam story.

I think the winner of this volume was Geoff Johns (Flashpoint) who crafted the eerie

Madame Dragonfly story.

Even though I wasn't a big fan of that last story involving Col. Weird, I very much

enjoyed this book. The Cabin of Horror concept is one that I really would like to see

become a monthly series, though I really think creator Jeff Lemire has other ideas to

close the books on Black Hammer. But before that happens, hopefully we'll see more

of the untold history of Abraham Slam.

Oh! and there's volume 2 to look forward to! I wonder if my library has that book

currently...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.