2728

3 ( )

Another excellent volume in the series. Although, contrary to most people, I found this one to be a bit slower than the previous volume, and that I liked the first one a bit more. This is still a fascinating series, just the end to this volume wasn't exactly a "twist" (easily saw it coming) but I just felt not much transpired despite two big developments. I was hoping for a bit more meat to the second volume, but I can't say I'm overly disappointed because it was still a fun, great read. ( )

More great retro-coolness and great characters. It's a winning combination, for me at least. The strange thing about the graphic novel is that it doesn't include issue #12. The other strange thing is that it ends with issue 13 on a cliffhanger, but then the "new" series "Age of Doom" starts with #1 right from where it left off.

Anyway, all that is irrelevant, just read the damn thing and thank me later. ( )

Black Hammer: The Event, Volume 2
Author: Jeff Lemire, Dean Ormston, Dave Stewart
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Publishing Date: 2018
Edition/Volume: 1st Edition
Pgs: 152
Disposition: Hoopla e-Book
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REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Summary:
The daughter of the second Black Hammer arrives bringing news that Spiral City is still out there. Old memories awaken. New hope abides. The marooned heroes start looking at their prison in a new light. Though some have the light shine on them differently. And heroes are people too. Their darknesses are closer in this petri dish of humanity. Some wallow in it and become part of it. Some rail against it. Some plot escape. Others protect. And others...we’re really left to wonder at their motivations. Welcome to Black Hammer Farm. You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.
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Genre:
Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Graphic Novels
Fantasy
Science Fiction
Superheroes

Why this book:
Because I liked the first volume.
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Favorite Character:
Love the real feel snippiness between the Witch, Gail, and Barbie.

Favorite Scene / Quote/Concept:
Love the Hammer intro. Starlok and the Lightriders: Escaper, Whiptara, Time Boy, Warpie vs Anti-God. Love the New Gods homage.

Hmm Moments:
I wonder if the group ever liked each other or if they were just acquaintances due to circumstance.

Can’t believe the superhero stood up the Highfather over staying home for his little girl’s birthday. Course, now I’m left to wonder if that was a trigger piece to the Event.

Every couple pages I do the “he did it, he did it” and, then, a few pages further, “she did it, she did it”. And then, I hit on damn are they all in on it for some reason? Really didn’t expect Abe Slam to react that way. He’s comfortable. “Family man” making a home for himself in this prison that he doesn’t think is a prison.

WTF Moments:
Holy crap. In part one, we knew the 2nd Black Hammer was dead. In part two, they showed us how. ...Holy crap. Been awhile since a comic book page made me exclaim out loud. Damn, just damn.

Oh no, Colonel Weird. No. Not you, dude.

Holy crap. I know I’ve said holy crap a few times, but holy crap. The first book was very much about this life they are stuck in. This 2nd books is very much about superheroes losing their touch on reality. I’m not sure who is to blame. They all seem to be invested in some way in its construction. Now I’m left to wonder how many and which of them know what is really going on.

Meh / PFFT Moments:
Why aren’t they more worried about what happened to Talky? Doesn’t add up for superheroes.

Wisdom:
Why shouldn't Gail have a life? Great paradigm flip, Rule 63ing the Marvel Family like that. But trapping her as a child in her powered form was a horrible thing to do.

Juxtaposition:
It really does resemble the Littleton trap from Fantastic Four where Dr Doom and the Puppet Master teched the FF into a fantasy world.

Golden Gail, the Golden Goose, Golden Gwen, and the Golden Family...give me a creepy vibe that I never got from Billy, Mary, and Freddie, etc.

The Unexpected:
Flashback to grown up Gail with her supervillain boyfriend.

And the suicide attempt. Damn.

I thought that Black Hammer books were standard superhero in a trap and that maybe the villain died in an accident before they could take their victory lap, but this is a superhero deconstruction. In Watchmen, the deconstruction played out against the backdrop of an alt history apocalypse and here it’s framed by a small farm and a small town trapped in a bubble.

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Last Page Sound:
“I remember everything.” That’s a good cliffhanger in our jaded everything is a continuation book culture.

Questions I’m Left With:
F’ed up thought. What if Gail can’t change anymore because her alter ego is dead?

Author Assessment:
More.
Editorial Assessment:
Well done.
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