On the brink of an all out invasion by the Martians, the Earth’s greatest team, the Quantum League paid the ultimate price. Now, with the League in tatters, a young Martian sets out to seek their aid against a raising evil. But what was the ultimate price the team paid and how can one person hope to reunite those who have no hope?
Jeff Lemire is no stranger to Black Hammer, especially as it is his series. I have said in the previous reviews that whilst DC are trying to emulate Marvel core characters, The Terrifics being a Fantastic Four book, Damage the Hulk and Sideways sharing its young teen drama and angst vibe with a certain wall crawler, Black Hammer is clearly out to emulate the Silver and maybe early Bronze Age of comics. Lemire has seemingly looked out at the current books on the racks and realised that there is no Legion of Superheroes. Lemire maybe believes that comic fans, much like nature, abhor a vacuum; to whit, he has given us a Legion book. Sure, there are no actual Legionnaires in there, but tell me that you don’t see the similarities with a least a couple of characters and I will happily point them out to you! Lemire’s script works well, as it tries to do two things. Firstly it has to set up the present and secondly lay the foundations of the past. This is no mean trick, with the current world a lot darker than you would maybe expect, a contrast further created when compared to the glorious past shown, in glimpses throughout the book..
Wilfredo Torres supplies the art, gracing the pages with a simple style that reminds me in places of David Mazzucchelli, especially the aforementioned darkness that is the present world. The panel structures are kind of loose in way that allows the action from within the panel to flow, rather than having a chaotic feel that can occur when artists have a large cast and a low page count in which to tell the team’s adventures. The simple style, again, backs up the early age of comics feel that has been so prevalent in the Black Hammer books. The story telling of the art is top-notch. Of course this being a Dark Horse book, Dave Stewart is on hand to provide colors. If the comic book industry has moved on in the last ten years are so, it is due to the fantastic color schemes, textures and methods that are available and Dave Stewart is one of the best, regardless if it’s a Mignola book, Black Hammer or any other type of genre!
I remember, back in the 90’s, when Dark Horse tried to get into the superhero gig. Their big book was X, a sort of violent vigilante that seemed to fit the styling of his time. Now, whilst trying to break into the superhero world again, Dark Horse have looked at what is missing rather than giving reader more of the same. This book, and in fact the whole Black Hammer range, are books for a simpler time, where heroes were heroes and bad guys were bad guys. Men were muscly and women curvaceous and nobody cared if be being that way carried a social impact.  Comics were fun escapism. The fact that Lemire and company have successfully bridged that gap with old school style tales for a more jaded time, just shows how talented he and his compatriots are and maybe how much the world gone by is actually missed.
Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 5 Stars
Colors -Â 5 Stars
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Written by; Jeff Lemire
Art by; Wilfredo Torres
Colors by; Dave Stewart
Published by; Dark Horse Comics
The Quantum Age #1 is out in your local comic book shop on July 4th
Author Profile
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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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