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The World of Black Hammer #3-4
The World of Black Hammer Library Edition, Vol. 2
An expanded look at the past and future of Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston's Eisner Award-winning Black Hammer universe, with two complete series drawn by Wilfredo Torres and Matt Kindt!
Far in the future of Black Hammer, a collection of superheroes, inspired by the legendary heroes of Black Hammer Farm, must band together to save the planet from an authoritarian regime. During the Golden Age of superheroes, an elite Air Force crew called the Black Hammer Squadron bands together to combat the Nazis, a host of occult threats, and their ultimate aerial warrior the Ghost Hunter. Collects The Quantum Age and Black Hammer '45 in a deluxe, oversized hardcover format with a new cover, sketchbook extras, and more!
Far in the future of Black Hammer, a collection of superheroes, inspired by the legendary heroes of Black Hammer Farm, must band together to save the planet from an authoritarian regime. During the Golden Age of superheroes, an elite Air Force crew called the Black Hammer Squadron bands together to combat the Nazis, a host of occult threats, and their ultimate aerial warrior the Ghost Hunter. Collects The Quantum Age and Black Hammer '45 in a deluxe, oversized hardcover format with a new cover, sketchbook extras, and more!
296 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 23, 2021
8 people are currently reading
157 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Lemire
1,419 books3,880 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 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 8, 2021
Collects Black Hammer '45 and The Quantum League spinoffs from Black Hammer. Below are my reviews for both.
Black Hammer '45 by Ray Fawkes & Matt Kindt - ★★
The first of the Black Hammer offshoots I didn't care for. This is Lemire's ode to DC's old war comics like Enemy Ace or Sgt. Rock. The story was your standard WWII fare. The Kindts crayon looking art really ruined this for me. As an ode to DC's war comics, I don't know why Lemire didn't bring in someone who had more of a Joe Kubert look to their art. The lettering was exceptionally bad as well. The font was supposed to look hand printed but the letters were butting up against one another making this really difficult for me to read.
The Quantum League by Jeff Lemire & Wilfredo Torres - ★★★★
In Lemire's desire to pay homage to all the comics of yesteryear, Lemire presents us with his version of the Legion of Super-Heroes. I like how he was able to make this a Legion story while still tying it well into the Black Hammer mythos. I do have to say I liked this much better upon a second read.
Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
Black Hammer '45 by Ray Fawkes & Matt Kindt - ★★
The first of the Black Hammer offshoots I didn't care for. This is Lemire's ode to DC's old war comics like Enemy Ace or Sgt. Rock. The story was your standard WWII fare. The Kindts crayon looking art really ruined this for me. As an ode to DC's war comics, I don't know why Lemire didn't bring in someone who had more of a Joe Kubert look to their art. The lettering was exceptionally bad as well. The font was supposed to look hand printed but the letters were butting up against one another making this really difficult for me to read.
The Quantum League by Jeff Lemire & Wilfredo Torres - ★★★★
In Lemire's desire to pay homage to all the comics of yesteryear, Lemire presents us with his version of the Legion of Super-Heroes. I like how he was able to make this a Legion story while still tying it well into the Black Hammer mythos. I do have to say I liked this much better upon a second read.
Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
August 4, 2024
3.5 stars. I really didn’t enjoy the ‘45 story in this one. I appreciate the story for what it was and the style it was written in, and there is much more to the story than just a war book, but at the end of the day it was still a war book and those just are not my jam. I did though absolutely love The Quantum Age! I really hope they spend more time later with these other characters in this universe. The way that new characters were tied back into the original cast of characters was done really well!
August 11, 2021
Well it had to happen eventually. A Black Hammer volume that does not get 4 or more stars, this is not a bad book, but just not the quality that i am used to from Jeff Lemire's Hammerverse. Maby its me or the excellent predecessor, which was just sublime, but this one was just decent for me. In this library edition we get another 2 stories set in the world of Black Hammer. The stories are all writen by Lemire, but drawn by Matt Kindt which i think is very underated, and Wilfredo Torres, a first time seeing this guys artwork. We get a story set in world War ll and a story set in the future, both are just ok stories for me, maby i like them better when i reread them, we will see, for now a solid ⭐⭐⭐ stars from me.
June 11, 2021
Both ‘45 and Quantum Age were the first Black Hammer series I did not finish in single issues as they were both releasing. BOTH read better (for me) collected. I still like the idea of ‘45 and it’s still even collected one of the weaker series in the BH universe. Quantum Age was MUCH improved being able to read in a single sitting.
May 5, 2021
The first half of this book (the war story) was my least favourite of the Black Hammer stories so far. The art didn't bother me as much as the lettering. The lettering felt constantly out of focus, and detracted from the reading experience.
That said, I really enjoyed the second story, it read like another classic, with twists and turns, and while things constantly changed, it felt like a proper Black Hammer story.
I've read that Lemire has chosen to make a return back to the core of what the series is, the core characters and story, and I don't think that will be a bad thing. Though I will miss some of the characters from the future if they aren't featured again.
That said, I really enjoyed the second story, it read like another classic, with twists and turns, and while things constantly changed, it felt like a proper Black Hammer story.
I've read that Lemire has chosen to make a return back to the core of what the series is, the core characters and story, and I don't think that will be a bad thing. Though I will miss some of the characters from the future if they aren't featured again.
May 26, 2022
While I loved the previous books, this one didn’t grab me the same way. Part of BH’s appeal is the far-reaching ‘do whatever the hell he wants’ cart Blanche creator Jeff Lemire has - but here, you can see it has some downsides. While not every story needs to ‘matter’ in the purest sense, these unfortunately felt more like filler. Still, I’m absolutely in love with the Black Hammer universe, and there’s Easter eggs galore. It just didn’t have the wallop I wanted.
July 3, 2024
Volume 2 of The World of Black Hammer collects two of Jeff Lemire's mini-series spinning out of Black Hammer, essentially covering the two ends of the timeline. Black Hammer '45 is a WWII aerial ace story in the style of the Blackhawks, and The Quantum Age is a riff on the Legion of Super-Heroes in this universe's far future. The stories in the collection are so disparate (in era and art style) that readers are sure to show a strong preference for one over the other. '45 is the most disconnected from the main action of the original Black Hammer series, though there are links. Matt Kindt on art is no stranger to the time period, though his work in the past has been more on the spy end of things, and I find his action beats a little messy. I have nothing bad to say about his plane action, however, as he draws some great hardware despite the expressionism. The story concerns an attempt by all parties to get to a key Jewish scientist, and it gets good when the Soviets show up, but the back and forth flashbacks only trick you into thinking there's any kind of plot complexity here. As a Legion fan, The Quantum Age was more to my tastes, and I thought ended on a marvelous twist. Willfredo Torres' clean art is perfect for rendering a hopeful future (even if Lemire is really tapping into the 5YL period for his story). The links to the main series are much more obvious here, and we find out what happened to several of the characters in the continuity.
July 10, 2022
After so many good stories from Black Hammer, eventually, one would have to suck, right? This was it.
This edition has 2 stories:
"Black Hammer '45" is simply trash. It's easily one of the worst stories I read recently, if not the absolute worst. You can easily tell this one was not written by Jeff Lemire. (1 out of 5)
"The Quantum Age" is OK. To be honest, I think the 1st story injured my enjoyment for Black Hammer so much that ended up affecting my reading mood for this one. I would probably have enjoyed it more if I have read it separately. Overall, still a decent experience. (3 out of 5)
This oversized edition is not very comfortable for reading. If I could go back, I would buy the "The Quantum Age" in TPB format and not buy the "Black Hammer '45" at all.
This edition has 2 stories:
"Black Hammer '45" is simply trash. It's easily one of the worst stories I read recently, if not the absolute worst. You can easily tell this one was not written by Jeff Lemire. (1 out of 5)
"The Quantum Age" is OK. To be honest, I think the 1st story injured my enjoyment for Black Hammer so much that ended up affecting my reading mood for this one. I would probably have enjoyed it more if I have read it separately. Overall, still a decent experience. (3 out of 5)
This oversized edition is not very comfortable for reading. If I could go back, I would buy the "The Quantum Age" in TPB format and not buy the "Black Hammer '45" at all.
April 5, 2023
After reading the first volume of WOBH I was super excited for this one and boy was I disappointed. First off the text was super blurry and almost unreadable. I tried to push thru I really did, but it was causing a headache. This alone is a huge problem. The art was ok at best and the story was meh at best. 1 star on the first story.
The second story the Quantum age the text was readable and not blurry which was great! Just saying this as a plus is kind of silly, but it applies unfortunately. The art was much much better in this story. The story however was meh.
Overall after giving the first volume 5 stars this is a massive let down. Hopefully it’s only up from here.
The second story the Quantum age the text was readable and not blurry which was great! Just saying this as a plus is kind of silly, but it applies unfortunately. The art was much much better in this story. The story however was meh.
Overall after giving the first volume 5 stars this is a massive let down. Hopefully it’s only up from here.
January 18, 2022
The new direction isn’t something I’m super excited about. The first part especially, with the retelling of WW2 in this universe. I just do not care at all about war/military fiction generally, but then WW2 as well. I’ve had enough of it.
The second part was better. A futuristic version of the universe we know. The narrative tension is fine, not great. Eventually a let down when you get to a certain part. But the finale rekindled some momentum. Because I have my brothers copy of the oversized edition of the next one, I’ll continue on. Otherwise I probably wouldn’t.
The second part was better. A futuristic version of the universe we know. The narrative tension is fine, not great. Eventually a let down when you get to a certain part. But the finale rekindled some momentum. Because I have my brothers copy of the oversized edition of the next one, I’ll continue on. Otherwise I probably wouldn’t.
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February 3, 2026Matt Kindt's art is always great, but the lettering in the '45 series is hard to read on a computer screen (both phone and desktop) - they really should have darkened it somewhat. That said, these are still the first two Black Hammer spinoffs that feel inconsequential - sure The Quantum Age brings back some of the OGs for a look into the future but it also feels a bit like an uninspired Legion of Superheroes x Invincible riff when Invincible is already a riff. Riffs all the way down!
July 18, 2021
Two new stories to expand the world of black hammer. Although I like some of the concepts in the first story Black Hammer 45, I felt it was lacking in other areas. The characters were kind of one dimensional and the story was nothing new. Maybe additional issues would've made this story better. On the other hand, the second story The Quantom Age gave us more interesting characters and story. In addition to some nice connections to the original story of Black Hammer.
January 26, 2022
The Quantum Age is one of my favorite Black Hammer stories, a loving tribute to the Legion that also ties in nicely with the main Black Hammer narrative. Unfortunately, in this hardcover it’s paired with Hammer ‘45, a tribute to WWII action comics that I liked in theory but couldn’t plug into in either of my attempts to read it. Kindt’s art is not as clear as it usually is, and the lettering is terrible, making the whole thing a chore to read.
June 12, 2022
Probablemente el más flojo de los libros que expanden el universo de Black Hammer. Contiene 2 historias: Black Hammer '45 and y la liga Quantum.
La primera homenajea a los antiguos cómics bélicos y tiene una historia pasable. La segunda nos habla del futuro del mundo de Black Hammer y como unos heroes descendientes del escuadrón original aparecen para enfrentarse al mal. Lo mejor volver a ver y saber de personajes como Talkie, el coronel Weird o madame Libelula.
La primera homenajea a los antiguos cómics bélicos y tiene una historia pasable. La segunda nos habla del futuro del mundo de Black Hammer y como unos heroes descendientes del escuadrón original aparecen para enfrentarse al mal. Lo mejor volver a ver y saber de personajes como Talkie, el coronel Weird o madame Libelula.
January 10, 2026
Αξιόλογη δουλειά σε σχέδιο και χρώμα, οι δύο ιστορίες αυτού του τόμου δεν είναι ισάξιες του προκατόχου του για εμένα τουλάχιστον. Μου άρεσε όμως η ιδέα της εξιλέωσης των Colonel Weird/ Dragonfly έστω και με τον τρόπο / χρόνο που έγινε.
June 22, 2021
#1466. So, so good. Highly recommended.
August 11, 2021
Contains the meh Black Hammer '45 and the extraordinary Quantum Age in beautiful oversized format.
August 17, 2021
Everything related to Black Hammer is worthy of reading. Another fantastic collection. I enjoyed Quantum Age quite a bit. Infinitely rewarding.
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January 28, 2024Black Hammer’s always a good time.
May 28, 2024
The universe can’t really justify a lot of the ancillary stories. The further from the main characters the less I’m interested.
April 20, 2023
Black Hammer '45: Well the Matt Kindt art style is just not for me. Quite often I have trouble following which character is which. On the other hand sometimes some of the pages are wonderful. But I can't like it. As for the story it's a bit of a world building, to show us how the heroes of this world participated in WW2. Although a story about heroism and self sacrifice for the greater good, it did not resonate with me, I have seen these story beats hundred times. 2/5
Quantum Age: Let's see how this universe is doing a thousand years in the future. I loved this. Did not go the way I expected, some unexpected characters showed up, some new iterations of current era heroes popped up. The Quantum Leages fucks up and the word needs saving. In the end it goes into a very unexpected solution. 5/5
After finishing the BH '45 part I felt that I can not get rid of this hardcover fast enough, but after the QA part now I am hesitant if I want to keep this in my collection. I avaraged it to 4 stars, but really its's more like a 3.5/5.
Quantum Age: Let's see how this universe is doing a thousand years in the future. I loved this. Did not go the way I expected, some unexpected characters showed up, some new iterations of current era heroes popped up. The Quantum Leages fucks up and the word needs saving. In the end it goes into a very unexpected solution. 5/5
After finishing the BH '45 part I felt that I can not get rid of this hardcover fast enough, but after the QA part now I am hesitant if I want to keep this in my collection. I avaraged it to 4 stars, but really its's more like a 3.5/5.
November 19, 2022
Black Hammer ‘45 is, without a doubt, the low point of this amazing series. The art is just atrocious.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews