Advance Review: Darkhold Black Bolt #1

I have been a kind of fan of the Inhumans since their very first appearance in Fantastic Four all those years ago. I will say that time has not engendered them favourably within my circle of reading. But back in the day I loved Crystal, Medusa and of course Lockjaw. Black Bolt alway struck me as odd type of character, but nevertheless there is a certain honour about him.

The tome of the Darkhold claims another victim this week, as Black Bolt peers into its dark magic laden pages. How does Black Bolt’s world reshape with the forbidden knowledge now laid bare?

I am a fan of Mark Russell, having interviewed him on Outside the Panels recently. It seems to me that Marvel are utilising a bevy of indie book creators, Russell here and Alex Paknadel previously, to shine a different type of light onto some of their characters. This “off the world” type of idea works well in one-shots where the status quo is, unfortunately, not actually threatened. This then is one of the problems with this book. Firstly, the lack of impact left me with a kind of “so what” feeling at the end of the book. This is no fault of Russell whose writing works well in setting up the hook of the story. The hook is a little too obvious for me to be honest. Finally, unlike the previous Darkhold books, there isn’t an obvious horror vibe, which is disappointing considering how good the Iron Man and Wasp Darkhold books were.

The art is provided by David Cutler in style that looks to be grandiose across a desolate landscape. By utilising smaller figures, at times, give the book and expansive look. This is contrasted by crowded cityscapes with a fair number of different characters and a Jack Kirby vibe in tow. There are inconsistencies around facial elements and I am not sure if Cutler is convinced on a set chin for Black Bolt. Roberto Poggi helps out with some decent inks, adding texture to the figures. Colors from Matt Milla are well conceived, with the use of Black Bolt’s spoken “no” probably the best of his work. VC”s Clayton Cowles is on hand for an inverted font and word box style; you would think that a letterer would have little work to do with a character that chooses not to speak!

Darkhold has been a surprising little mini event for me. I didn’t expect much, then those expectations were smashed and now, this book has effectively lowered them again. Where is the horror? Where is the twist? Where is the sting in the tail? Maybe a book like this is needed to allow future books to bring the heat with only two more issues to go.

Writing – 3 Stars
Art – 3 Stars
Colors – 3 Stars

Overall – 3 Stars

Written by; Mark Russell
Art by; David Cutler
Inks by; Roberto Poggi
Colors by; Matt Milla
Letters by; VC’s Clayton Cowles
Published by; Marvel Worldwide Inc.

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network