Since Alan Moore’s “Watchmen,” the super hero has been deconstructed and examined from a variety of angles. Whether it is a superheroes as-celebrity-culture in the Luna Brother’s Ultra, the fallen super hero as jaded villain from Mark Waid’s “Irredeemable” or the who-watches-the-watchmen examinations of Garth Ennis’s “The Boys” (or the Watchmen, for that matter), the genre has been broken down to the point where you would be forgiven for thinking that it’s all been done, Frank J Barbiere’s “Black Market” begs to differ.
WRITTEN BY: Frank J Barbiere
ART BY: Victor Santos
PUBLISHER: BOOM! Studios
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: July 16, 2014
Review By: Ooknabah
The concept for the series is not a new one but the perspective used is. There’s a group stealing the organs of super heroes to be used on the black market. We follow the story of Raymond, our put upon protagonist. He ‘s a beat-down man struggling to support his sick wife while enduring a dreary day to day existence brought about by his own poor choices and bad luck. This first issue of a four part series sets up the stage to show how his brother pulls him into a life of crime and leads us wondering how a man convinced to join with the promise that “no one will be hurt” can be blind to what promises to be a grim business indeed.
Of course, he cannot stay blind to the gruesome implications forever, and how he discovers the depths of his situation and what he will do to get out of it promises to fill the rest of this mini series with tension and suspense. Barbiere has done a fantastic job of setting up the initial circumstances, with Raymond’s narration setting this story apart from similar fare. You really get the feeling of the reluctance and regret in his voice, along with the acceptance of what his bad decisions have wrought. It’s also a smart choice as far as the narrative is concerned, allowing this first issue to really introduce Raymond and establish him as a relate-able and sympathetic character who is difficult not to root for.
Victor Santos’ art does a fine job setting up the tone for the story, with moody evocative shadows playing across the faces of his cartoonish and expressive characters. It is reminiscent of Michael Avon Oeming’s Powers or the work of Darwyn Cooke, both stylized and approachable while capable of supporting the darkness of the material. Adam Metcalfe’s colours are also worthy of mention, balancing the bright and bold colours of super heroes with a muted, dreary tone that underlines the mundane world that our protagonist lives in. In short, it looks great.
I’m not familiar with Frank J. Barbiere’s work, but this issue has made me an instant fan. A well crafted story that finds compelling material in well traveled territory, “Black Market” is the real deal. Buy it now.
Ooknabah AKA Brent Hirose is a writer, actor and gigantic nerd from Vancouver B.C. You can listen to his podcast about that at HugeNerds.Podomatic.Com or check out his many other projects at BrentHirose.com