Author: Greg Rucka Artist: Nicola Scott Cover Artist: Nicola Scott October 28, 2015 Rating: 5/5 Long Boxes "The hammer falls this Halloween! From New York Times bestselling and Eisner Award-winning writer GREG RUCKA (LAZARUS, Stumptown, Gotham Central) and superstar artist NICOLA SCOTT (Birds of Prey, Secret Six, Earth 2)! Detective Rowan Black works robbery/homicide for the Portsmouth PD, but her greatest mystery is the truth about herself...both who she has been, and who she will become. Yet there are others in Rowan's world with very long memories, and the power that one person holds, another will always covet. PLUS, each issue also features an all-new work of original fiction by GREG RUCKA! A new gothic-noir ongoing series about legacy, destiny, redemption...and the price of magic." |
Although generally reviews will be kept mostly spoiler free, this post does contain images from Black Magick #1 which may be considered a spoiler for the first issue.
Every comic book reader has a set of characters, authors, or artists that they will follow to any book. For me personally, enter Greg Rucka. If this is your first dive into a Greg Rucka world, stop what you are doing, read Black Magick #1, finish this review, and immediately go read every issue of Lazarus that you can get your hands on.
Readers first meet Detective Rowan Black after her phone disrupts a Wiccan ritual gathering. Detective Rowan is immediately summoned to a hostage situation by a mysterious unnamed man, demanding to speak to Ro. This man seems to know everything about our protagonist, but refuses to share any information about himself.
Rucka is a master world builder. Just one issue into Black Magick, Rucka is well on his way to developing a rich and highly developed world that will charm readers as they are absorbed by the sorcery of Black Magick. If possible, make sure you go out of your way to pick up the Magazine Variant for Black Magick. Not only does the over-sized Magazine edition contribute to the enchanting atmosphere, but the supplemental material contained in this version is a phenomenal read.
Black Magick has been in the works for years. Rucka began weaving the story of Ro Black and the world of Portsmouth in his mind in 2009. The result in #1 is a deeply gripping noir, police thriller that casts a spell over readers of the issue. As the title suggests, witchcraft is a major component of the series, and readers will quickly notice the hard work of the entire Black Magic team. This issue shows that this series will be a labor of love for each individual involved.
Nicola Scott is simply outstanding with art duties on this issue. I found myself pacing myself throughout the entire issue, admiring each and every panel. I really found myself at a loss for words trying to describe everything I liked about the art in this issue. Just take my word for it, her art is spot on for this issue and I think it will prove to be for the entire series. The noir-black magic atmosphere is captured perfectly, the character designs are flawless (another benefit of the over-sized magazine edition), and the use of color is wicked awesome. Color is rare in this issue, but when used, the effect is stunning.
Every comic book reader has a set of characters, authors, or artists that they will follow to any book. For me personally, enter Greg Rucka. If this is your first dive into a Greg Rucka world, stop what you are doing, read Black Magick #1, finish this review, and immediately go read every issue of Lazarus that you can get your hands on.
Readers first meet Detective Rowan Black after her phone disrupts a Wiccan ritual gathering. Detective Rowan is immediately summoned to a hostage situation by a mysterious unnamed man, demanding to speak to Ro. This man seems to know everything about our protagonist, but refuses to share any information about himself.
Rucka is a master world builder. Just one issue into Black Magick, Rucka is well on his way to developing a rich and highly developed world that will charm readers as they are absorbed by the sorcery of Black Magick. If possible, make sure you go out of your way to pick up the Magazine Variant for Black Magick. Not only does the over-sized Magazine edition contribute to the enchanting atmosphere, but the supplemental material contained in this version is a phenomenal read.
Black Magick has been in the works for years. Rucka began weaving the story of Ro Black and the world of Portsmouth in his mind in 2009. The result in #1 is a deeply gripping noir, police thriller that casts a spell over readers of the issue. As the title suggests, witchcraft is a major component of the series, and readers will quickly notice the hard work of the entire Black Magic team. This issue shows that this series will be a labor of love for each individual involved.
Nicola Scott is simply outstanding with art duties on this issue. I found myself pacing myself throughout the entire issue, admiring each and every panel. I really found myself at a loss for words trying to describe everything I liked about the art in this issue. Just take my word for it, her art is spot on for this issue and I think it will prove to be for the entire series. The noir-black magic atmosphere is captured perfectly, the character designs are flawless (another benefit of the over-sized magazine edition), and the use of color is wicked awesome. Color is rare in this issue, but when used, the effect is stunning.
In short, issue #1 of Black Magick was amazing. A full 5 long boxes out of 5 long boxes.
Occasionally we all have that comic book that when we are finished, we put the hook down and mutter a softly spoken "Holy Shit". Ready this book for yourself, but Holy Shit.
Occasionally we all have that comic book that when we are finished, we put the hook down and mutter a softly spoken "Holy Shit". Ready this book for yourself, but Holy Shit.