Skulldigger and Skeleton Boy

The story of Skulldigger and Skeleton Boy is the Black Hammer universe's version of Batman and Robin. There's also some element of Hit Girl from Kick-Ass. But when you throw in the arch-villain of the sadistic Grimjim, this story is definitely of the Dark Knight with Jeff Lemire flair. 

An unfortunate but inadvertent dropping of this book resulted in me seeing a scene that looked rather tragic and sad. So I held off on reading this library find for a while. But it's time for the books I checked out to go back, so I had to read it. I'm very glad I did. 

This is an extremely gritty book. But I enjoyed the heck out of it. The violence was gratuitous and there were a couple of scenes that show body parts exploding. This typically isn't my thing (and the main reason I've never seen the film Scanners) but for some reason, I was hooked. It felt like the sort of film Tarantino and Sam Peckinpah would have made if they ever decided to get together to do a superhero flick.

I was also a big fan of the artwork. Tonci Zonjic's artstyle is just so minimalist and classic. It reminds me of the late Darwyn Cooke. And I'm not the only one who feels this way. If I'm not mistaken, in the sketchbook section of this read, Jeff Lemire likens Zonjic's work to that of Darwyn Cooke's and I could not have agreed more. 

I really don't feel like this story is over. However, news reports claim that Jeff Lemire is closing the doors on the Black Hammer universe in the next year or so. If that's the unfortunate case, then I really hope Jeff Lemire brings Skulldigger back. There's just so many unanswered questions, like what was Detective Reyes' past history with the vigilante? She mentions a past with Skulldigger in issue #1 and has her reasons for wanting to arrest him. But, then that whole vendetta is glossed over and on the occasions when she does met up with Skulldigger, the two act like they've never meet before.

I'd also like to learn more why it seems that the Chief of Police seems glad that Skulldigger is killing all of the criminal elements of Spiral City. I'd like to learn more as to why it seems like the law enforcer has given up hope in the services of his police force. There seems to be a powerful origin story waiting to be uncovered here.

This story cannot be over. It had better not be. However, it's been about 3 years since Skulldigger and Skeleton Boy was published and time is running out. If that's all there is to this cast of characters, I am going to be sorely disappointed.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

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.

The Quantum Age

After having explored the origins of Black Hammer (with Black Hammer '45), I then continued on to discover its future.

The events of The Quantum Age take place about 100 years after the disappearances of Abraham Slam, Black Hammer, Barbalien and the rest of the occupants of Black Hammer Farm. 

Now don't be duped by the back cover or what some other collected volumes of Black Hammer related books say. The events in this storyline do not occur 1000 years into the future. It's a typo. I think someone just added an extra 0 and proofread just didn't catch the mistake during the editing phase.

Black Hammer '45 was a tribute to war comics. The Cthu-louise one-shot and Madame Dragonfly FCBD entry were tributes to horror and suspense comics that were noted for their twist endings. And The Quantum Age is Jeff Lemire's love letter to DC's Legion of Super-Heroes and Marvel's mutant titles. 

While I was intrigued by the artwork of Black Hammer '45, I was a bigger fan of Wilfredo Torres's (Marvel Legacy Legion) work in this book. Maybe because it was less impressionistic than Matt Kindt's (Mind MGMT) stuff. Or maybe I'm less of a fan of water colors than I am with more traditional comic book coloring methods. 

There's a bunch of surprises and twists to this book. I had mentioned in a previous review of a Black Hammer collection that there were a couple of characters who I felt that their story wasn't over. Well, I was right. I will not spoil it here. But if you go digging through my other reviews, you'll learn just who those characters were. Well, two of them. Jeff Lemire managed to surprise me with a third reveal that I wasn't expecting.

And there was one character that I fell in love with and I had to read ahead to make sure they survived. I am glad to say that I got my wish. And if I hadn't, man was I going to be pissed!

I actually didn't want this story to end. Or maybe I should say, hopefully, there will be more coming. According to articles I've read, Jeff Lemire plans to close the door on Black Hammer in 2023. So maybe in these next 18 months, I'll get my wish and get to revisit The Quantum Age one more time.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Black Hammer '45

Jeff Lemire reveals the waning days of World War II in this Black Hammer spin-off. The Black Hammer Squadron have been given their final assignment. With the Nazis on the brink and the Soviets tearing through Germany, this team of colored American soldiers must rescue a Jewish family of physicists before the Reds do. Seems that their inter-dimensional theories will give whomever obtains the secrets of these Jewish scientists a major advantage in the exploration of space.  

With Mind MGMT's Matt Kindt's artwork, Jeff Lemire offers fans a look at the early days of Abraham Slam as well as some of the origins of the NASA program that will send Col. Randall Weird on the space adventure of a lifetime. And since this is a part of the world of Black Hammer, expect things to be a little more on the side of the fantastical with more advanced technology.

This was a powerful read. And it was another great chapter to the world of Black Hammer. And it was a marvelous tribute to the war comics of the 50s and 60s. But there was something off about the artwork.

The use of an non-white team was pretty brilliant. Originally, Lemire and Kindt didn't plan on this. Thus, a couple of the characters actually look Caucasian. Due to deadlines, only a few changes were ables to be made. Fate allowed the pages to be recolored. However, art touch ups just weren't in the cards. 

But having a team of heroes who are willing to do anything for their country and get little to no thanks for their efforts is so powerful. There's a little bit of the Tuskegee airmen in this story and just a touch of Robert Morales and Kyle Baker's Truth: Red, White and Black. And to have Black Hammer, who was a black man, take his name from a group of commandos of color adds legacy and honor to the whole name of the series and the fallen hero.

While the artwork might have suffered from the tight deadlines, the coloring of this story actually benefited from the retouches. The water-colored effect of this book also aids texture to the page along with giving a slight sepia tone to the story. It's a lot like looking at a series of old photographs. Or maybe it's meant to look like a 1940s era comic book with how the acid in the paper browns out everything. Either way, it helped make Black Hammer '45 a Dark Horse triumph.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Black Hammer: Streets of Spiral

This collection of Black Hammer stories continues to expand the amazing world created by Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston. But instead of a multi-parter, Black Hammer: Streets of Spiral is a collection of 3 one-shot specials as well as a compendium of major players that comprise the world of Black Hammer.

The first segment takes us back to Black Hammer Farm, before the seemingly finalizing events of 'The Age of Doom'. Floating eyeballs have been a familar sight within the para-zone. In this time bendy story, we find out that one of those ocular creatures has a history with all of the members of the farmstead, not just Col. Weird.

Readers are then introduced to a character with what I think is one of the most creative names in probably the last 25 years of comicdom- Cthu-louise! The featured character is a  human/otherworldly squid creature hybrid. In a story that has inspiration in not 1 but 2 episodes of The Twilight Zone, readers will learn Cthu-louise's heartbreaking origin as well as be introduced to her hopeful second chance.

The third segment is not a complete story. It's actually a segment from a Free Comic Book Day offering of (at the time) forthcoming. But it offers glimpses into the future plans of Black Hammer that Lemire and Ormston have in store for the franchise. In a nod to the EC Comics horror anthologies of the 1950s, Madame Dragonfly takes readers on a tour of her infernal cabin of stories.

As for the encyclopedia of all things Black Hammer, it invokes memories of Marvel's Official Guidebook of the Marvel Universe and DC's Who's Who. Yes, it does reveal a little bit of some stories that I haven't read yet. But thankfully it doesn't give away too much.

Along with artwork by Ormston, there's a slew of talent in these pages. Wilfredo Torres (Black Hammer '45), Dave Stewart (B.P.R.D.), Sandy Jarrell (Batman '66), Andrea Sorrentino (Old Man Logan) and personal favorite Mike Allred (Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns & Moonage Daydreams) are just a handful of artists that have a literal hand in things. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Black Hammer, Vol. 4: Age of Doom Part 2

Black Hammer is one of those series that I was reading all well and good and then BOOM!, COVID hit. I had been getting my trade copies from my local library. And for a good 18 months, it became almost impossible to get something from my nearby branch. Between being completely shut down, limited pick-up and wait lists, I eventually gave up. And Black Hammer went on the back burner.

With the library reopening this year, I had a list of things to read that I had been waiting on but not willing to pay for. Jeff Lemire's Black Hammer was tops on my list. But knowing how complex and full of mysteries this amazing series is, I knew better to wait to be able to check out a whole bunch instead of taking my chances one volume at a time. 

In Age of Doom Part 1, the residents of Black Hammer Farm learned the truth behind their mysterious exile. In this volume, we learn what happens when the conspiracy unravels. Colonel Weird awakes in the middle of a strange wasteland that is ever changing. Weird has plopped down into the middle of the land of forgotten characters. It seems that whomever created the adventurous astronaut has deemed Weird's story over. But don't tell him that!

Meanwhile in Spiral City, the heroes have returned. Only things are completely different as there have never been superheroes before. Now rebooted, Spiral City is dark, dank and gritty and a handful of once glorified people live a life of sorrow and misery. 

It did take me a little while to catch up on what I had read 3 years prior before the pandemic made me pause reading the Black Hammer books. But once I followed through, my memory caught up with me and I had a blast reading this book!

I'll admit, I cheated a little. There's a trio of characters that I feel in love with and I had to fumble ahead just to make sure I wouldn't be surprised with their deaths. Thankfully, they made it. But I really can't reveal much more about them or I will definitely spoil stuff. 

The ending for this book was satisfying. True, there's still questions abounding, especially about the fate of at least 1 character. But for the most part, I was pleased with the story's finale. If I wanted, I could just close the book on the story. But, I checked out 3 further volumes which all add to the backstory of the characters and their foes. Plus, I know there's still 2 or 3 more volumes out there that either my library had checked out or they having yet been collected in trade form.

But as long as Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth) and Dean Ormstron (2000 AD) keep knocking it out of the park with this love story to the comic book art form, I see no reason to give up on Black Hammer yet.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Black Hammer, Volume 3: Age of Doom, Part 1

Jeff Lemire's sci-fi epic continues with a new Black Hammer taking up the Hammer of Justice! But before that person can save the stranded residents of Black Hammer Farm-POOF! 

Our new hero awakes in a bar that could be purgatory. Or somewhere worse! 

Before this exciting chapter is through, readers will learn the truth as to why the heroes cannot escape from their supposedly ideal small town life.

I loved how Lemire introduces his version of The Endless. I'm not sure if this is the Distinguished Competitor's version. But if so; it lends credence to possibility how the Justice League are currently in a team-up mini with the Black Hammer crew. 

As for that surprise reveal! Man, I did not see that coming! It just adds to the simply divine complexity of this Lemire/Dean Ormston production! 

I cannot wait until Volume 4!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Black Hammer, Volume 2: The Event

I told you that I was on the hunt for the next volume of Black Hammer. It did not take long to achieve that goal.

A new player enters the once seemingly impenetrable barricade preventing the residents of Black Hammer Farm from returning home. 

Several more origins are revealed as are the final days before the event in which the heroes were removed from their earth and placed inside a bubble dimension. But one solid mystery from the book remains unanswered no matter how much I researched for it- where is issue #12?

This volume reprints issues #7-11 and #13. Where's 12? I would like to say it's going to be reprinted in Black Hammer Volume 3. However, according to the description on Amazon, it's not going to be there. Neither will the first annual in the series. Based on how things are always as they seem in this series, it's kinda spooky for those two issues to not be included. It's almost as if someone based them to another earth...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Black Hammer Volume 1: Secret Origins

I had been hearing a lot of good things about this series Black Hammer. After some patient waiting at my local library, I was finally able to get a chance to read the first volume. Holy Cow! This Jeff Lemire property is amazing!

A group of superheroes find themselves stranded in a small town on an earth that is not their own after a confrontation with a powerful being. Imagine if Captain Marvel was stuck forever as a 10-year old child! What if Batman got old and complacent? Ponder at the thought that  Adam Strange couldn't stop being sent back and forth through time thanks to those pesky zeta beams, and consider if the Martian Manhunter was a closet homosexual. That is the crux of Black Hammer and it's one of the best super hero comics I have read in a very long time!

Writer/creator Jeff Lemire claims in the back of this collection, that Black Hammer is a love letter to the comics he read growing up. I clearly can see that. I'm usually the one pointing out how some is an homage to comics. I'm glad that a professional is doing it for me for once. 

The artwork by Dave Ormston is so much like Paul Pope's art that it's scary. Are you sure they aren't the same person? 

I've got to have volume 2. I also need the spin-off series Sherlock Frankenstein. I can't wait to know what happens next. Dark Horse has really got an masterpiece on their hands. If you are looking for a superhero book that follows certain tropes but also breaks all the rules, Black Hammer is what you have been looking for!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.