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Black Hammer
Black Hammer, Vol. 3: Era da Destruição, Parte I
Neste novo volume da aclamada série Black Hammer, grandes segredos vêm à tona, trazendo caos e destruição.
Ao unir elementos de grandes clássicos dos quadrinhos, tramas únicas e personagens complexos, Black Hammer se tornou uma das HQs mais bem-sucedidas dos últimos tempos. Vencedora do prestigiado Eisner Awards, a história dos cinco heróis decadentes que se veem presos em uma cidade fora dos limites do tempo — e de suas tentativas de escapar desse purgatório — conquistou muitos fãs no Brasil e no mundo.
Ao vencerem o poderoso e maligno Antideus, os maiores heróis de Spiral City desapareceram sem deixar vestígios. Todos acreditam que eles estão mortos, mas há dez anos vivem isolados em uma pacata fazenda, relegados ao esquecimento e à melancolia de dias sem glória. Obrigados a disfarçar seus poderes, sua natureza e suas origens aos olhos dos habitantes locais, eles personificam uma típica família disfuncional, tentando criar para si uma vida comum, mas que ainda é atormentada pelos mistérios que envolvem sua chegada e sua permanência na cidade.
O terceiro volume reúne os cinco primeiros fascículos de Era da destruição. Nesta primeira parte, grandes segredos começam a ser revelados quando os ex-heróis recebem uma visita inesperada que tanto pode lhes mostrar o caminho para casa, como ser um prenúncio do caos e da destruição que estão por vir. Criada por Jeff Lemire e Dean Ormston, a série Black Hammer é uma história arrebatadora sobre memória, família, o peso do passado e o medo do futuro.
Ao unir elementos de grandes clássicos dos quadrinhos, tramas únicas e personagens complexos, Black Hammer se tornou uma das HQs mais bem-sucedidas dos últimos tempos. Vencedora do prestigiado Eisner Awards, a história dos cinco heróis decadentes que se veem presos em uma cidade fora dos limites do tempo — e de suas tentativas de escapar desse purgatório — conquistou muitos fãs no Brasil e no mundo.
Ao vencerem o poderoso e maligno Antideus, os maiores heróis de Spiral City desapareceram sem deixar vestígios. Todos acreditam que eles estão mortos, mas há dez anos vivem isolados em uma pacata fazenda, relegados ao esquecimento e à melancolia de dias sem glória. Obrigados a disfarçar seus poderes, sua natureza e suas origens aos olhos dos habitantes locais, eles personificam uma típica família disfuncional, tentando criar para si uma vida comum, mas que ainda é atormentada pelos mistérios que envolvem sua chegada e sua permanência na cidade.
O terceiro volume reúne os cinco primeiros fascículos de Era da destruição. Nesta primeira parte, grandes segredos começam a ser revelados quando os ex-heróis recebem uma visita inesperada que tanto pode lhes mostrar o caminho para casa, como ser um prenúncio do caos e da destruição que estão por vir. Criada por Jeff Lemire e Dean Ormston, a série Black Hammer é uma história arrebatadora sobre memória, família, o peso do passado e o medo do futuro.
139 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 15, 2019
35 people are currently reading
682 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Lemire
1,404 books3,867 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 272 reviews
December 25, 2020
Age of Doom picks up immediately where Black Hammer left off and hits the ground running.
Lucy Weber takes us on a tour of the universe/multiverse and we see how everything is interconnected while she fights to make sense of what happened to her father and his friends.
You know what? I'm actually enjoying this more than the first few volumes of Black Hammer. The story seems to really be going somewhere now!
Recommended.
Lucy Weber takes us on a tour of the universe/multiverse and we see how everything is interconnected while she fights to make sense of what happened to her father and his friends.
You know what? I'm actually enjoying this more than the first few volumes of Black Hammer. The story seems to really be going somewhere now!
Recommended.
March 1, 2019
We finally get answers behind what's up with the farm, but not before Lucy takes a tour of Vertigo. She visits analogues of John Constantine, the House of Mystery, and The Dreaming. There's even a Sweet Tooth easter egg. I like where Lemire's headed. This actually feels like a Vertigo book that's published by Dark Horse. Dean Ormston and Dave Stewart knock the art out of the park. Even a brain injury can't keep Ormston down.
March 1, 2019
Well, I just read this and am not sure what I think of it. Is it brilliant or just crazy? I’ll need to read it again. A story of aging superheroes stuck on a farm, a meditation on loss, and aging, a slow burn, suddenly speeds up, takes a sharp left turn and goes crazy with revelations. The 2017 Eisner award winner for Best Continuing series features Jeff Lemire at the top of his game, with many recent successful accomplishments and his place—at such a young age—in the history of comics secured (Essex County chief among his works, I think). He is joined by probably the most celebrated-of-all-time colorist (Dave Stewart) and letterer (Todd Klein) and a pretty fine illustrator at the top of his game, Dean Ormston (The Sandman: The Kindly Ones, Lucifer), and the appearance of it is terrific. Do we trust them in this sudden wild new direction?
One way I think about this is that Lemire likes superhero comics, he likes horror/pulp comics, he likes sci fi comics,, he likes most of all character-driven stories with some depth and ache in them, and so in this volume of the series he mashes all of his interests together. I’ll try to explain without giving everything away.
So Lucy Weber, the new Black Hammer, is about to reveal what she knows about the Farm when she is spirited away from rural Ontario with a gang of silver-age sci fi superhero types, to a kind of crazy para-zone, a kind of nightmare, to Hell. Here we meet all sorts of pulpy horror characters from the non-sci fi/superhero side of comics. In doing so, this volume expands the meta- and historical dimensions of comics they are exploring to other areas, so many I can’t even recognize them. I see something like The House of Mystery, the Dreaming, and sure enough, there’s Lemire’s own Sweet Tooth. It’s like we are Dorothy falling down to Oz, passing images of comics history in the dream along the way. It’s like Alan Moore or Neil Gaiman making obscure references to comics in every panel. Ormston not only gets to reference the history of comics in his work here, but also things from the history of art, from among other things, surrealism.
When Lucy (I mean The Black Hammer, ahem!) returns to the Farm, we learn the surprising truth about it, the truth about where Spiral City's heroes ended up after the battle with the Anti-God. I really don’t like plot devices like memory erasing or dream sequences that reveal we never knew what was truly going on, but one of these happens as part of the reveal.
Anyway, he new Black Hammer ascends to her rightful place as successor to her father, and this at least looks promising. I am at this moment going to lean in the direction of liking this a lot and hoping to like it even more when someone smarter than me tells me more what it is about. Or maybe the team will make it clearer in the next issues. I bet they will try.
One way I think about this is that Lemire likes superhero comics, he likes horror/pulp comics, he likes sci fi comics,, he likes most of all character-driven stories with some depth and ache in them, and so in this volume of the series he mashes all of his interests together. I’ll try to explain without giving everything away.
So Lucy Weber, the new Black Hammer, is about to reveal what she knows about the Farm when she is spirited away from rural Ontario with a gang of silver-age sci fi superhero types, to a kind of crazy para-zone, a kind of nightmare, to Hell. Here we meet all sorts of pulpy horror characters from the non-sci fi/superhero side of comics. In doing so, this volume expands the meta- and historical dimensions of comics they are exploring to other areas, so many I can’t even recognize them. I see something like The House of Mystery, the Dreaming, and sure enough, there’s Lemire’s own Sweet Tooth. It’s like we are Dorothy falling down to Oz, passing images of comics history in the dream along the way. It’s like Alan Moore or Neil Gaiman making obscure references to comics in every panel. Ormston not only gets to reference the history of comics in his work here, but also things from the history of art, from among other things, surrealism.
When Lucy (I mean The Black Hammer, ahem!) returns to the Farm, we learn the surprising truth about it, the truth about where Spiral City's heroes ended up after the battle with the Anti-God. I really don’t like plot devices like memory erasing or dream sequences that reveal we never knew what was truly going on, but one of these happens as part of the reveal.
Anyway, he new Black Hammer ascends to her rightful place as successor to her father, and this at least looks promising. I am at this moment going to lean in the direction of liking this a lot and hoping to like it even more when someone smarter than me tells me more what it is about. Or maybe the team will make it clearer in the next issues. I bet they will try.
January 25, 2019
Lucy Weber finally discovers the truth about the Farm and her father's death...
The big payoff is finally here, the truth behind the Farm, the truth behind where Spiral City's greatest heroes wound up after the battle with the Anti-God, and it's a whopper! I don't want to spoil too much but the revelation is well worth it. The new Black Hammer proves she's worth of her father's name and hammer.
I love how Jeff Lemire has woven together elements of silver age super heroes and DC's science fiction and horror titles into a long Twilight Zone episode. I did not expect to see the character analogues Lemire threw my way.
Lemire's writing is great and the rest of the creative team more than holds up their end of things. Dean Ormston and Dave Stewart knock the art out of the park and Todd Klein's lettering is as masterful as always.
Barbalien, Golden Gail, and Abraham Slam reacted like I thought they would to the revelation of what was going on. Now the way for the next installment begins. 4 out of 5 stars.
The big payoff is finally here, the truth behind the Farm, the truth behind where Spiral City's greatest heroes wound up after the battle with the Anti-God, and it's a whopper! I don't want to spoil too much but the revelation is well worth it. The new Black Hammer proves she's worth of her father's name and hammer.
I love how Jeff Lemire has woven together elements of silver age super heroes and DC's science fiction and horror titles into a long Twilight Zone episode. I did not expect to see the character analogues Lemire threw my way.
Lemire's writing is great and the rest of the creative team more than holds up their end of things. Dean Ormston and Dave Stewart knock the art out of the park and Todd Klein's lettering is as masterful as always.
Barbalien, Golden Gail, and Abraham Slam reacted like I thought they would to the revelation of what was going on. Now the way for the next installment begins. 4 out of 5 stars.
September 22, 2018
Another great volume of Black Hammer and this one holds all the answers, folks!
Or... does it?
I'm not sure I'm buying all these 'revelations', Mr. Lemire... but colour me intrigued...
Or... does it?
I'm not sure I'm buying all these 'revelations', Mr. Lemire... but colour me intrigued...
October 31, 2018
Another great volume but notch below 5 stars and spearhead bellow brilliant Doctor Star and Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows (standalone set in same universe).
May 16, 2019
No Spoilers here!
Jeff Lemire's main Black Hammer storyline is back with a new series and we finally get to see what happens after Lucy appears on the farm and the surprising events at the end of volume 2. The secrets of the farm and the town are finally revealed here so there are plenty of major twists and turns that had me making the "whoa" face!
The opening events with Lucy jumping around different dimensions got a little boring and was seemingly unnecessary, but the subsequent issues were exciting as everything comes to a head at the farm, setting the stage for a new chapter in the overarching tale, where anything can happen! Black Hammer remains one of the best comic book series being published now, with it's memorable characters and astute plotting, which one should always expect from a creator like Jeff Lemire. And his universe is only growing bigger. Jump into this now!
Jeff Lemire's main Black Hammer storyline is back with a new series and we finally get to see what happens after Lucy appears on the farm and the surprising events at the end of volume 2. The secrets of the farm and the town are finally revealed here so there are plenty of major twists and turns that had me making the "whoa" face!
The opening events with Lucy jumping around different dimensions got a little boring and was seemingly unnecessary, but the subsequent issues were exciting as everything comes to a head at the farm, setting the stage for a new chapter in the overarching tale, where anything can happen! Black Hammer remains one of the best comic book series being published now, with it's memorable characters and astute plotting, which one should always expect from a creator like Jeff Lemire. And his universe is only growing bigger. Jump into this now!
February 17, 2019
Just as I thought I was starting to get into Black Hammer after volume 2, Lemire pulled an absolute clunker of a book. This volume is full of pointless references and “homages” (more like straight rip-offs) to better comics yet again, and the original story surrounding these knock-off characters is told entirely through stalling, playing the pronoun game, channeling every cheesy storytelling cliche in existence and oh so much exposition dumping. Black Hammer is the Stranger Things of comic books — a series built entirely on success of other, better things (classic superhero comics in this case) without even a hint of originality, charm or smart writing, and yet it’s somehow crazy popular, because in our day it seems that referencing pop culture is all you have to do to win over the general public. Fuck that. Lemire could and should do so much better than this soulless garbage, and this being one of his most popular books is an absolute disgrace when you consider that the guy wrote actual masterpieces like Essex County and Roughneck. Shame on you, Jeff.
February 27, 2020
Lucy now knows what happened,
This volume is mostly a nailbiter due to finally knowing what happened and wondering what the heroes will do. With Dragonfly losing her grip on the situation, Lucy going through hell and back to get answers, and everyone else trying to figure out life, it all comes to one big conclusion, which might not be mindblowing but holy hell is it screwed up.
Another great volume from the Black Hammer universe. Lemire obviously has been wanting to write this series his whole life. Plenty of nods to famous DC characters and storylines but all done more mature in a lot of ways. Every character gets a big moment here and the reveal is pretty crazy. I'm excited to jump into the 4th volume.
A 4 out of 5.
This volume is mostly a nailbiter due to finally knowing what happened and wondering what the heroes will do. With Dragonfly losing her grip on the situation, Lucy going through hell and back to get answers, and everyone else trying to figure out life, it all comes to one big conclusion, which might not be mindblowing but holy hell is it screwed up.
Another great volume from the Black Hammer universe. Lemire obviously has been wanting to write this series his whole life. Plenty of nods to famous DC characters and storylines but all done more mature in a lot of ways. Every character gets a big moment here and the reveal is pretty crazy. I'm excited to jump into the 4th volume.
A 4 out of 5.
January 4, 2019
Another amazing story!! This is currently my favourite run alongside Deadly Class. Such great characters and we finally have some answers.
January 3, 2021
What a trippy, mind-bending twist, we finally have an answer to what the hell was going on in the Black Hammer universe, and I bet none of you saw it coming.
May 14, 2019
4.5🌟 rounded down
Well that was one hell of a whacked out final issue in this volume. To speak anything of the plot would be dropping major spoilers to any would be readers. In other words this story has been flipped inside out... and I love it.
This began with a mini arc with Luce Weber going on an oddysy that reminded me very much of Neil Gaimans Sandman masterpiece. We get a feel for different realms even the art work looked like it was paying homage to Sandman. Even Gus from sweet tooth makes an appearance, which was enjoyable.
This started out as a descent arc, than in usual Lemireian fashion the bombshell is dropped and now the reader has no F'ing clue what is going down with this series. Which leaves me craving more and more story.
Well that was one hell of a whacked out final issue in this volume. To speak anything of the plot would be dropping major spoilers to any would be readers. In other words this story has been flipped inside out... and I love it.
This began with a mini arc with Luce Weber going on an oddysy that reminded me very much of Neil Gaimans Sandman masterpiece. We get a feel for different realms even the art work looked like it was paying homage to Sandman. Even Gus from sweet tooth makes an appearance, which was enjoyable.
This started out as a descent arc, than in usual Lemireian fashion the bombshell is dropped and now the reader has no F'ing clue what is going down with this series. Which leaves me craving more and more story.
June 29, 2019
Sonunda çiftlikle ilgili merak ettiğim şeyleri öğrendiğim için aşırı mutluyum şu an. Tatmin edici cevaplar aldım ve özellikle Lucy'nin boyutlar arasında dolaştığı fasikül favorimdi. ÇOK GÜZELDİ. ÇOK SEVDİM. Okuyun bu seriyi. Lütfen.
July 7, 2024
I'm really interested in where this all is heading. It's an amazing story so far.
September 22, 2021
Oh! My new library has all the newer Black Hammer books that my old one didn't. Time for a week-long project of catch-up.
When last I saw the mopey heroes of the Black Hammer universe, they were moping around a farm being mopey. Despite their best mopey efforts to remain mopey, the secret of the farm is at last revealed and the status quo gets status broke. However will they mope now?
Along the way we get a pastiche within the pastiche as one character takes a trip into DC's old Vertigo imprint to meet some slightly askew versions of John Constantine and the Endless and also, according to the end notes, The Ramones, though I did not recognize them as such in the story.
This was borderline 2-stars for me, but I'm relieved that some progress has finally been made and am actually curious about the next book.
When last I saw the mopey heroes of the Black Hammer universe, they were moping around a farm being mopey. Despite their best mopey efforts to remain mopey, the secret of the farm is at last revealed and the status quo gets status broke. However will they mope now?
Along the way we get a pastiche within the pastiche as one character takes a trip into DC's old Vertigo imprint to meet some slightly askew versions of John Constantine and the Endless and also, according to the end notes, The Ramones, though I did not recognize them as such in the story.
This was borderline 2-stars for me, but I'm relieved that some progress has finally been made and am actually curious about the next book.
December 6, 2021
This was so good!
Omg the twists here just makes this series so much better than the things that have come before..just wow!
So we see the characters getting what they want and Barbie and Abe are happy but then we follow Lucy's adventure through the cabin of horrors as she travels through different regions like first in the Ante-room then in hell and other places and some cameos from Lemire's other works and its awesome and then finally we see all characters confront Madame Dragonfly and she reveals the reality of whats happening to these characters finally!
And its a fantastic reveal and totally turns things around its heads and yeah its DC inspired sure but the reveals are some of the best thing about this volume and it is a great one at that and sure can be out of nowhere but thats the point of it all and where the story is going lives up to its title and the pencils and colors here do well to compliment it! I am loving the exploration and world building here and Lemire is becoming a master at it with all the stuff he does and this is no different, just perfect!
Omg the twists here just makes this series so much better than the things that have come before..just wow!
So we see the characters getting what they want and Barbie and Abe are happy but then we follow Lucy's adventure through the cabin of horrors as she travels through different regions like first in the Ante-room then in hell and other places and some cameos from Lemire's other works and its awesome and then finally we see all characters confront Madame Dragonfly and she reveals the reality of whats happening to these characters finally!
And its a fantastic reveal and totally turns things around its heads and yeah its DC inspired sure but the reveals are some of the best thing about this volume and it is a great one at that and sure can be out of nowhere but thats the point of it all and where the story is going lives up to its title and the pencils and colors here do well to compliment it! I am loving the exploration and world building here and Lemire is becoming a master at it with all the stuff he does and this is no different, just perfect!
March 23, 2019
This series continues to entertain me. And if all it was was a meditation on aging and loss, that would be fine. But Jeff Lemire just sent us in a new direction. The new Black Hammer (Lucy Weber) returns to the farm to reveal where the former superheroes really are, when she’s spirited abruptly to a new weird place. Being used to digging for answers, Lucy does just that, and ends up bopping around a bunch of other weird places, including a hallway with multiple doors, opening onto different places/times/realities, including Lemire’s Sweet Tooth dystopia.
The gang at the farm, meanwhile, thanks to Gail’s determination, end up together at Dragonfly’s cabin, where Lucy’s also ended up. And wham-o, the revelations start flying; we’re suddenly in the parazone, with some big truths hitting our gang, and big choices ahead of them.
I admit, I was a wee bit shocked at how quickly Lemire shook us out of the slow pace of the gang’s farm life. I liked how he threw revelations at us, and how this opens up the story to go in who knows what directions. I’m hanging on to find out.
The gang at the farm, meanwhile, thanks to Gail’s determination, end up together at Dragonfly’s cabin, where Lucy’s also ended up. And wham-o, the revelations start flying; we’re suddenly in the parazone, with some big truths hitting our gang, and big choices ahead of them.
I admit, I was a wee bit shocked at how quickly Lemire shook us out of the slow pace of the gang’s farm life. I liked how he threw revelations at us, and how this opens up the story to go in who knows what directions. I’m hanging on to find out.
January 6, 2019
And the truth shall set you free! As Lucy attempts to uncover the truth behind Black Hammer Farm and the heroes imprisonment, she finds herself on a trip through time and space and all the dimensions in between. But the end of her journey is in sight, and once she discovers the secrets that the heroes have been keeping from each other, nothing will be the same again.
Black Hammer's third arc begins a new direction for the title, as we rename and finally begin to move towards something of a resolution. With new interpretations of classic concepts like the Dreaming and characters like John Constantine, Jeff Lemire continues to craft the universe of Black Hammer with each and every page. You only have to look at the breadth of tie-in material that he's produced to realise just how well-thought-out all of this is, and his stories interlock to create an even richer tapestry at the end of it all. The final reveals are both unexpected and eerily familiar, but the emotional resonance is undeniable after all the time we've spent with these characters so far while Dean Ormston's Silver/Modern Age straddling artwork remains the perfect fit for Black Hammer.
Black Hammer is an instant classic, even twelve issues (and countless tie-in series) later. Get on board, while you still can.
Black Hammer's third arc begins a new direction for the title, as we rename and finally begin to move towards something of a resolution. With new interpretations of classic concepts like the Dreaming and characters like John Constantine, Jeff Lemire continues to craft the universe of Black Hammer with each and every page. You only have to look at the breadth of tie-in material that he's produced to realise just how well-thought-out all of this is, and his stories interlock to create an even richer tapestry at the end of it all. The final reveals are both unexpected and eerily familiar, but the emotional resonance is undeniable after all the time we've spent with these characters so far while Dean Ormston's Silver/Modern Age straddling artwork remains the perfect fit for Black Hammer.
Black Hammer is an instant classic, even twelve issues (and countless tie-in series) later. Get on board, while you still can.
May 11, 2019
Lucy. You guys...Lucy. Can we thank the heavens for Lucy because that girl is NOT HAVING IT and with NO CHILL WHATSOEVER she works her way through the unending maze that has been build around her and her new friends.
Friend, I might add, that get more and more comfortable in the lazy lazy lazy town they're trapped in. People change, relationships bloom. Mark Markz gets a little less tragic by the day.
This sad bunch, slapped stupid by the death of their dear friend, is falling apart. They're either content with their position in life (in town) or they're just too depressed. But Lucy, Lucy is NOT HAVING IIITTT. Thank the heavens.
This plot gets silly. Metaphysical. It makes fun of you, the reader. Another reboot, you're familiar with reboots, this shouldn't bother you. Same characters, new coat, new home. This is what the storytellers do.
But it also comforts. Don't mourn old characters long gone. Kirby might be dead but his characters still live. They're here. Waiting for you to think up new adventures for them.
This comic is lovely.
Friend, I might add, that get more and more comfortable in the lazy lazy lazy town they're trapped in. People change, relationships bloom. Mark Markz gets a little less tragic by the day.
This sad bunch, slapped stupid by the death of their dear friend, is falling apart. They're either content with their position in life (in town) or they're just too depressed. But Lucy, Lucy is NOT HAVING IIITTT. Thank the heavens.
This plot gets silly. Metaphysical. It makes fun of you, the reader. Another reboot, you're familiar with reboots, this shouldn't bother you. Same characters, new coat, new home. This is what the storytellers do.
But it also comforts. Don't mourn old characters long gone. Kirby might be dead but his characters still live. They're here. Waiting for you to think up new adventures for them.
This comic is lovely.
May 19, 2019
Okay, well we know what the farm’s all about now.
This is one of those books that's hard to talk about without spoilers.
I did enjoy the Sandman homage. And the Sweet Tooth cameo.
I’m guessing that the next volume will possibly be the last? Without some major last minute revelations I’m not sure how they’d run more than another volume, maybe two at the outside. And now everyone can point and laugh when Black Hammer eventually runs to more volumes than One Piece and Naruto combined …
Recommended!
This is one of those books that's hard to talk about without spoilers.
I did enjoy the Sandman homage. And the Sweet Tooth cameo.
I’m guessing that the next volume will possibly be the last? Without some major last minute revelations I’m not sure how they’d run more than another volume, maybe two at the outside. And now everyone can point and laugh when Black Hammer eventually runs to more volumes than One Piece and Naruto combined …
Recommended!
June 18, 2019
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
The Eisner Award-winning superhero saga continues its foray into the world heroes with its insightful exploration of humanity within these godlike individuals. In this third volume, Jeff Lemire begins to draw the curtain on the mysterious circumstances that encapsulate the reality of our heroes and looks to further expand this universe by tying in more of his quirky characters. As if things could not get any weirder, the story he turns over to fans of this franchise will clearly establish his run within a grander scheme that is far more ambitious than anyone could have imagined. While there are already spin-offs, set in this universe, released so far in this series, this third volume is a two-part mystery that will unload a stockpile of questions and answers that no hero would want to take in arms.
What is Black Hammer: Age of Doom (Part 1) about? The story continues where it left off in Black Hammer: The Event with Lucy Weber discovering the truth and ready to unveil it to everyone stuck on the farm. As she is about to stutter the first words of the ultimate discovery, she suddenly vanishes and leaves the awestruck heroes with an overwhelming feeling of despair, wondering what had just happened and what they were supposed to do. Convinced that it is not the moment to lose hope, on the verge of finding out the truth, they conjure a little bit of inquisitiveness to give one final collective effort to uncover the truth behind their faith as heroes stuck on a farm isolated from the world. Collecting Black Hammer: Age of Doom #1-5, this is the beginning of many revelations.
Fans of Jeff Lemire’s ongoing superhero universe will agree that Black Hammer: Age of Doom (Part 1) is a turning point in the series’ narrative as the characters and the readers face the truth behind everything that has been going on to our heroes. With the past volumes building up the emotional development of each of the characters and their unfortunate faith to be stuck together on a farm without any means to escape it, this story arc looks to destroy the status quo in a stunning fashion and allow the story to explore new uncharted territory where the stakes are even deadlier than ever imagined. What I loved most about the story’s angle is how it questions the reality in which they live and how our heroes need to decide between selfish interests and humanity’s well-being. With a rewarding payoff, it is now only with great anticipation that fans will have to wait for part two as the cliff-hanger ending did nothing more than torture the reader as to what will happen next.
When it comes to consistency, this series has been spectacular since the very beginning. Dean Ormston deserves a standing ovation for the sheer willpower and passion that he puts into delivering issue after issue despite the severe complications that he faces. In fact, he underwent a brain injury that left his right hand physically impaired. With the help of Peter Gross and the rough breakdowns he did, Dean Ormston was able to pencil his work and see it completed even if it took him twice the time to do so. Although on a personal level, I am not a die-hard fan of the art style, I did grow to associate it with this universe and would have a hard time accepting any new artwork. The character designs and overall setting details are still rough to my eyes with its relative simplicity and rugged penciling but I cannot say that it isn’t, however, a style that doesn’t work since the story continues to go strong with every installment.
Black Hammer: Age of Doom (Part 1) is a solid story arc that unleashes a torrent on our heroes and readers as the twist demystifies the world in which we revel in.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
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July 24, 2023A friend of mine once told me that it is much easier to set up a mystery than it is to finish one, and as we've seen with shows like Lost or The X-Files, that is definitely true. Beginning this volume had me nervous. Lemire has crafted a mystery that is so enthralling, so entrancing, that you almost feel bad once you get the answers, because the questioning and theorizing proved to be far more fun than actually getting the answers. Did Lemire falter?
Happily, I can say no. But I was slightly disappointed that we didn't get more of the character depth that was in the first two volumes. It was there, but this arc was much more plot focused and finally explaining the big mystery. I noticed a lot of people complaining on here about things not really happening in the first two comics, but I was won over by the characters, their struggles, and Lemire's attention to detail when it came to their relationships. Luckily, Lemire doesn't overexplain himself and fall into the trap that Mignola and Tynion did by killing the mystique of their world by neatly explaining everything. Lemire explains most things, but never loses track of the strange and the mysterious when telling his story.
But what did disappoint me was that the emotional angle was neglected in this arc. It makes sense since the story is moving along, but I wish that Lemire would have found the balance between character and story that he did in the two previous arcs. Of course, there are times for angst and there are times for being on the mission. There has to be a plot to move along in order for all of these
Despite my gripes, Black Hammer continues to be a delight and Lemire makes up for his more plot focused arc in this by flexing his and Ormston's imaginative muscles. We see expies of John Constantine, The Endless from The Sandman, Deadman, and we even see a small cameo from my favorite Lemire series Sweet Tooth, which gave me a chuckle. As mentioned before, Lemire's commentary on comics proves to have a lighter touch than Moore's or Cooke's, and his focus tends to be more personal than the approach of those men. But Lemire takes the right notes from those two and continues to make his heroes human as much as they are super, which is always appreciated.
Ormston's art continues to be a delight, he combines the blockiness of Jack Kirby's style with a grounded realism, with a tinge of Frank Quitely's style that puts him right at home in a superhero comic, while also distinguishing himself from other superhero stories by creating his own distinct feel. It's a style that's familiar and distinct, and it's often hard to find an artist who can balance that well. It's all the more impressive considering that during the creation of this series, he suffered a nearly fatal stroke. I am saddened that he has retired from comics after Black Hammer, as his style is fitting for the story that Lemire wants to tell.
As I've noted, I've found Black Hammer to be such a breath of fresh air because it isn't trying to make any grand statements about the superhero genre or anything of that sort. It's quietly commenting on the history of the genre, as well as the medium of comics itself while grounding itself with its characters and down to earth storytelling. Even when we get to the weirder stuff, Lemire never loses that personal tone...at least not fully. There is a deeply human element that keeps this series compelling to me.
Lemire and Ormston continue strong, and I can only hope that they stick the landing...and I think we'll find that out sooner rather than later...
January 12, 2020
They've crafted a really fun book here! And there's a twist which I did not see coming!!
June 2, 2019
The first half of this book pays homage to DC's Vertigo, from Hell to the Dreaming. It's kind of fun, but somehow it doesn't have the deconstructive power of the earlier issues, where the homages were part homage, part satire, and part something greater. This is just the comics in question, with their characteristics exaggerated to the point of humor.
Then we get the long awaited answers to the mysteries of the Black Hammer series, and I sadly found them somewhat disappointing. I mean, the worst thing you can do with a mystery box is offer answers that don't make sense but the *second* worst thing you can do is take a magnificent, dreamy mystery and offer a solution that feels mundane. And that's what this one feels like to me.
Mind you, this is still a good book. It's still got great characters, and it's still an exciting read ... but that excitement comes mainly from wanting to learn the answers to the setup of the previous two volumes, rather than anything inherent to this one. (I gave it 3.5 stars.)
Then we get the long awaited answers to the mysteries of the Black Hammer series, and I sadly found them somewhat disappointing. I mean, the worst thing you can do with a mystery box is offer answers that don't make sense but the *second* worst thing you can do is take a magnificent, dreamy mystery and offer a solution that feels mundane. And that's what this one feels like to me.
Mind you, this is still a good book. It's still got great characters, and it's still an exciting read ... but that excitement comes mainly from wanting to learn the answers to the setup of the previous two volumes, rather than anything inherent to this one. (I gave it 3.5 stars.)
May 19, 2019
Трохи слабша частина за попередні, але однаково все чудово як з розвитком характерів, так і розвитком історії. Хочеться трохи більше динаміки, адже під кінець цієї арки починаєш куняти носом, проте Лемір уміє пробуджувати несподіваними поворотами, деталями. Подорож доньки Чорного Молота видалась доволі непоганою, хоча й нічого оригінального в цьому нема. Проте вона була необхідна для розкриття основної інтриги.
September 23, 2020
A+ volume, the wait for the next one is going to be so long...
May 10, 2020
(4 of 5 mostly for Lucy Weber and her voyage back to the farm)
I must say I like this arc of Black Hammer more than the first one. Atl east in this book. And that's mainly due to the Lucy Weber's (aka all-new Black Hammer) part in it. While parts back on the barn are rather dull to almost annoying, Lucy's adventurous travels are awesome. Black Hammer is kind of mockery/parody of superhero genre, but the "farm" part of it got boring and "stale" very quickly already in the first arc. So Lucy brings fresh wind here, her adventure brings even bit Hellblazer and Sandman (parody) notes to it. And that is enjoyable. Farm - yuck. Lucy's adventures - yay!
Concerning the art, I'm not a big fan here. It's not the style and "finesse" I prefer, but it works for this comics and the '"sequential art" here is fine, so I won't complain. But, I liked some covers very much, though.
This volume motivates me to give Black Hammer Univers a chance, especially with the end of this volume promising the change of wind. We'll see.
I must say I like this arc of Black Hammer more than the first one. Atl east in this book. And that's mainly due to the Lucy Weber's (aka all-new Black Hammer) part in it. While parts back on the barn are rather dull to almost annoying, Lucy's adventurous travels are awesome. Black Hammer is kind of mockery/parody of superhero genre, but the "farm" part of it got boring and "stale" very quickly already in the first arc. So Lucy brings fresh wind here, her adventure brings even bit Hellblazer and Sandman (parody) notes to it. And that is enjoyable. Farm - yuck. Lucy's adventures - yay!
Concerning the art, I'm not a big fan here. It's not the style and "finesse" I prefer, but it works for this comics and the '"sequential art" here is fine, so I won't complain. But, I liked some covers very much, though.
This volume motivates me to give Black Hammer Univers a chance, especially with the end of this volume promising the change of wind. We'll see.
August 27, 2019
Have we jumped the shark???
I want to know, but I don't know. We finally get a revelation, we know what's going on with the damn farm, but the mystery is almost always greater than the truth. What the hell is next huh? There's plenty of AWESOME character writing in here, still Lemire's best in terms of characters and dialogue. Plot though? I'm not sure how I feel about the twist. The way Lucy was tripping through time and space, the weight wasn't there for me. I couldn't tell if it was pure comic book paradox-parody, or just a little junky and distracting from the soul of the book.
I reserve final judgement for part two. I'm sure as darn invested, I'm curious, I want to read more, and I want to finish the series. That's a success already. But golly, will it be a GOAT or just some ol' great comic book?
To be continued.
I want to know, but I don't know. We finally get a revelation, we know what's going on with the damn farm, but the mystery is almost always greater than the truth. What the hell is next huh? There's plenty of AWESOME character writing in here, still Lemire's best in terms of characters and dialogue. Plot though? I'm not sure how I feel about the twist. The way Lucy was tripping through time and space, the weight wasn't there for me. I couldn't tell if it was pure comic book paradox-parody, or just a little junky and distracting from the soul of the book.
I reserve final judgement for part two. I'm sure as darn invested, I'm curious, I want to read more, and I want to finish the series. That's a success already. But golly, will it be a GOAT or just some ol' great comic book?
To be continued.
September 6, 2024
Davvero bella la svolta nella storia di questo volume, ma mi è piaciuto soprattutto come ci si è arrivati. Il vero protagonista è l'inganno, perché nulla è davvero quello che sembra in questo capitolo della saga. Ma c'è anche un grande omaggio a Sandman e all'arte di inventare storie. Tutte le storie vengono da un bacino comune che appartiene a tutti e a cui attingiamo continuamente. Credo che l'autore si sia divertito molto a creare il percorso contorto di Lucy Weber e questo piacere creativo si trasmette anche al lettore. Tutto resta comunque sempre funzionale al racconto che si chiude con un altro cliffhanger. Dal punto di vista grafico si conferma un lavoro pazzesco e curatissimo che mi colpisce sempre.
March 22, 2019
En determinadas historias que se nutren de los estereotipos, encontrar el equilibrio entre la rima, la repetición y el homenaje resulta tan complicado como trabajar la nostalgia sin caer en la naftalina, lo tramposo... Por momentos Lemire ofrece páginas lamentables en este sentido, llevando a un personaje a conocer un supuesto infierno o unos remedos de los Eternos de Sandman sin venir a cuento ni aportar no solo nada a la historia. Su universo ni gana profundidad ni riqueza. Esa gratuidad apenas medio sirve para acompasar dos hilos: el de los superhéroes atrapados en la granja y el del personaje que ha llegado para sacarles. Que evolucionan con la parsimonia habitual.
Suena duro pagar 4 pavos por un tebeo como dos o tres de los que aquí recogidos. Después pienso en los 16 que he pagado por el tomo y... Al menos Ormston sigue haciendo una labor de primera.
Suena duro pagar 4 pavos por un tebeo como dos o tres de los que aquí recogidos. Después pienso en los 16 que he pagado por el tomo y... Al menos Ormston sigue haciendo una labor de primera.
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