For those that don’t have the time to read a full preview, and want to avoid any minor spoilers that follow the the paragraphs below, I’m going to save you some trouble and tell you to just pick up a copy of “Black Science #1” as soon as it’s released. It’s great. But for those that want a little more detail than that, read on.
There are a lot of comic books out there that can’t balance art and story. In their defense, it’s very difficult to achieve. Not having too much dialogue, making sure people understand what’s happening, and at the same time having art that’s more than just pretty pictures. You have to give your characters emotion, build an entire world, and drive the story forward. Like I said, it’s tough, but “Black Science” strikes a perfect balance in its first issue.
The set pieces seen in this series would cost millions on the big screen, and would take pages of writing to visualize in a novel.
It’s a little nuts, but I think that’s another point in favor of making good use of the comic medium. The set pieces seen in this series would cost millions on the big screen, and would take pages of writing to visualize in a novel. It’s gorgeous as well, and at no point did I find anything that was glossed over. There’s a ton of attention to detail going on in these pages, and it even successfully shows you how a society in a completely different dimension functions. Shows you, not tells you. They never take precious word space away from the main story to shed light on what the strange creatures you see are doing. It’s all in the art.
Speaking of the main story though, it’s incredibly compelling in its simplicity, which is exactly what should be happening in a series’ first issue. Our main character – Grant McKay – wants to get back to his kids. Done. Now you can follow him on his journey and enjoy pages of character development. By the end of the story, I felt like I knew and understood him, and I can’t want to see what happens to him, his kids, and his team. Because at the end of it all, we get a satisfying ending, but it also sets up what the series as a whole is going to be about.
There was only one major flaw in the story that popped out at me while I was reading, and it had to do with Grant’s kids. Hopefully future issues will cover this, and we’ll also get to see exactly why they ventured out into other dimensions and universes in the first place. But I can forgive that, because in the span of one issue, I’ve connected with Grant, and I’ll definitely be coming back to see what happens to him next.
Black Science #1 was written by Rick Remender with art by Matteo Scalera, and it will be released by Image Comics on November 27th for $3.50. I highly suggest you check this one out.