Comic Review by a Comics Newbie
Howdy comics fans. For my review this week I am looking at Blackacre: Volume 1: An Errand into the Wilderness by Image Comics.
Image continues to be my favourite comic publisher. From Alpha Girl to The Darkness to Saga (if you are not reading Saga get on it!), the comics that are coming out from Image are of a very high quality both story and art wise.
Blackacre Volume 1 comprises the first five issues in this ongoing series.
The story is relatively complex but the use of an epilogue at the beginning was a great move by the writer. The epilogue works perfectly as an exposition device so when the story kicks in a few pages in the comic I knew what was going on.
A quick synopsis of the epilogue:
- The USA as it known today has collapsed
- A shadowy well-funded group known as Excorp struck a deal with the government for some undisclosed land
- While the rest of the country descended into chaos, Excorp created a new secure super city called Blackacre.
The story in the first five issues revolves around the following:
- Hull, the protagonist who is a member of Blackacre’s military goes on a secret mission outside of Blackacre in search of a comrade
- The bureaucracy that is taking place at Blackacre
- What has happened to society beyond the walls of Blackacre
The three different stories are well told and they intertwine throughout the five issues. Duffy Boudreau has done an excellent job of editing together a complicated story. It could have very easily become a mixed up mess.
The artwork in the five issues is excellent. The colours used for the different locations really aid the story telling. For example the colours used for Blackacre are brighter and feel very sharp and the colours used when out of Blackacre are much darker and you get the impression that it really is a desolate place. Wendell Cavalcanti and Antonio Fabela have done an exceptional job with the artwork.
I give Blackacre Volume 1 4/5 Lukes. I cannot wait for the second volume to come out in a few months.
I would love to hear your feedback on Blackacre Volume 1, and any other thoughts on Image titles you are reading. Please comment below or you can contact me via Twitter @bennykane1983.
For my next review I am going to be looking at some of the titles I picked up for Free Comic Book Day.
Benny
