Advance Review: Manor Black #1 (of 4)
The end of this month brings about the start of a new four issue mini-series from Dark Horse, that is part Gothic horror and part gallows humour.
Roman Black is the patriarch of a family of sorcerers, whose time is almost up. Prior to him passing over and leaving his mortal coil, he has one final duty to perform; pick his successor. Problem is, his children are evil leaving Roman in a bit of pickle as to who will inherit Manor Black. Still, from out of darkness, there may be hope as Roman saves a young girl from three magical types. Add into the mix an fiery van death and an immolation via coffee and you are well on your way through this first issue.
I like a lot of Cullen Bunn’s work. Sure, he may have had a rough time on X-Men Blue, but lets be fair, not a lot of writers have managed to leave the the recent X-World unscathed. Bunn’s indie work on the other hand has been outstanding, Dark Ark being a personal favourite. Bun has crafted a horror niche for himself with a full range of books from various publishers, a long way from penning Battlestar Galactica books. Here, the book feels a modern, dare I say, Penny Dreadful, although without the cavalcade of famous literary horrors and monsters. Bunn is joined by Brian Hurtt, who may be better known for his art than his writing. Together, the pair have created a character in Black, that feels the weight of his extended life, who is looking to leave the place in a better shape than it was when he got there. His past may not be sanguine, but it is a fair bit better than his children want and who are desperate to be the head of the long lived magical family. The dialogue sparkles throughout, the interaction between the cops for example and the council of the dead, which feels a tad reminiscent of the Centauri Emperor’s own council in season four of Babylon 5. The pace of the book is well suited as an introduction, as it feels quite deliberate in places.
The art is provided by Tyler Crook whose work certainly carries a horror vibe. For those looking a for a polished book, you may be disappointed. Crook’s style, whilst possibly jarring at first, blends into the type story Bunn and Hurtt are trying to write. I will admit being thrown by the not quite finished, almost sketchy figures that display little or no movement. Crook’s style relaxes somewhat with the introduction of the sheriff and his cohorts, before switching back to the horror vibe. Crook pulls double duty as the colorist which in all honesty, makes the art. There is a water color effect that feels like it has stained the page, in a good way, giving the world a true lived in feel. As Hurtt is an artist himself, I wonder how much impact he had on Crook’s artistic decision. There are no credits for the letters, so I am sorry I can’t give credit where it’s due; the font, like some of the art feels suited to a comic strip, rather than a comic book. Its a odd juxtaposition that works.
I sometimes feel that horror can be hard to accomplish in comics. Sure, you can have over the top gore or over the top monsters, but there is nuance that is lost, be it the music track or the “there they are behind the door; now they’re gone!” type of effect. To remain so popular and so consistent as Bunn and to some extent Hurtt, show the calibre of their work, This is no different.
Writing – 5 Stars
Art 3.5 Stars
Colors – 5 Stars
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Written by; Cullen Bunn & Brian Hurtt
Art & Colors by; Tyler Crook
Published by; Dark Horse Comics
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Author Profile
- 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
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