REVIEW: Black Hammer: Age of Doom #3

In Black Hammer: Age Of Doom Issue 3 we continue to follow Lucy Weber, daughter of the original Black Hammer (and the current Black Hammer), stuck in the Dreamworld and trying to find her way back to the farm.

This particular issue doesn’t move the story forward as much as I would like (I’m so curious to know how it will end), but Lemire does further the character development. As mentioned previously, the primary focus is on Black Hammer trying to work her way out of the Dreamland and gaining confidence in her abilities. Back on the farm, the issue lightens up a bit and injects some humor into the interactions. Abe, Tammy, and Barbalien all get ample time to further their stories. In Black Hammer tradition, we get some nice homages to other comics. The only negatives for issue 3 are that the pacing feels a bit too relaxed and the events involving Abe and Barbalien seem like they will ultimately be inconsequential to the main story.

Kudos to Dean Ormston for another outstanding, frameable cover. Black Hammer has a legacy of outstanding covers and this issue follows that pattern. It has become a habit for me to find textless versions of his covers and make them my phone/computer wallpapers, they are that good. Overall, Ormston’s art is up to his usual high standards. The Dreamland sequences, in particular, are an absolute showcase and allows him to flex his skills, with a gorgeous splash page and nice use of framing. Dave Stewart’s colors shouldn’t go without praise. Vibrant and varied, with an awesome palette, the colors never disappoint. Cohesive is a great term for the technical details of this book. Everything just works so well together.

Hindsight is a curious thing, but I feel like this series and the creative pairing of Lemire and Ormston will go down as a classic. The flow and quality of storytelling are done to such a high level that it could be used as teaching material. The dialogue, panel and framing choices all add up to make this a consistently accessible and easy read. Any negatives I have about the issue are overcome by the sheer enjoyment I have in reading it.

Black Hammer and its various tie-ins have been consistent must-read comics for me. I look forward to visiting this world as much as I do following the characters. Jeff Lemire has done so much world building and his characters maintain an interesting blend of Golden Age nostalgia while still feeling original. Age of Doom doesn’t have the sense of urgency that the limited series had, but it still manages to be an essential purchase every month. Lemire and Ormston have a lot of Black Hammer stories to tell. I’m glad this became an ongoing series and I get to visit this world and these characters on a regular basis. 4 out of 5 stars.

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(W) Jeff Lemire (A/CA) Dean Ormston