BLACK BOLT VOL. 1: HARD TIME

I really love Saladin Ahmed, who wrote one of my favorite fantasy novels ever (Throne of the Crescent Moon), whose Twitter feed brings joy and insight into my world, and whose mind is constantly full of ideas (see his short story collection or his great creator-owned comic Abbott). But even so, it took me a while to pick up his 12-issue run of Black Bolt. It's not that I didn't trust Ahmed with a superhero comic - far from it - but this was a character I knew nothing about and who I had little connection to. Add to that how little I read real superhero comics anymore...well, I bought it, because I love Ahmed and trust him, but I didn't read it for a while.Then the run ended, which meant that I knew I had a complete story on my hands...and what's more, a story that ended up winning an Eisner award for best new series. That's no small thing, and it gave me the push I needed to bump Black Bolt to the top of my "to be read" pile.And I'm so glad I did, because what I got is one of the best stories I've read in years, regardless of whether I knew a thing about Black Bolt or not.What Ahmed pulls off here - along with his partner, the astonishing artist Christian Ward - is miraculous, taking a character I knew nothing about and creating something that absolutely invested me not only in his success, but in his emotional well-being. This is a redemption arc on a big scale, but it's also a look at how we're perceived by other people, what happens when we let down the ones we love, and what legacy we leave behind after we die. It's also a book about imprisonment and what being in prison does to people, how it can institutionalize them and change them forever. It's a book about how people become "villains" and how often that label doesn't get at the shades of gray that fill our lives. And it's about love - parental love, spousal love, and so much more.And, it's also a comic about super-powered characters punching each other, fighting, using powers, and generally being superheroes.In other words, Ahmed and Ward create not just a superhero comic, not just something thoughtful and emotional, but something that unites the best parts of both, giving us a look at what happens when someone is forced to make their peace with their mistakes and come to terms with the things they've done - and how you move on from there.The first volume, Hard Time, opens with Black Bolt awakening in a prison. He doesn't know how he got there, or even exactly where he is - and nor do we. Christian Ward's psychedelic, hyper-colorful art immerses us quickly in this bizarre landscape, though, giving us walls that don't always look exactly right, boundaries that seem to shift, and a general sense of unreality that keeps us ill at ease. It also allows anything to happen - a young alien girl who's being tortured comes back to life; a monstrous creature that runs the prison emerges, terrifyingly, from the shadows; and a notorious super-villain, Absorbing Man, seems to emerge as the prison champion.But it doesn't take long for us to understand that so many of our assumptions don't apply here. Not everyone that's here is a villain; what's more, even those that are don't deserve a punishment that seems more intent on mental and physical torture than any kind of redemption. (As always, any resemblance to any matters in the real world must be coincidental, right?) Nowhere is that more clear than in what Ahmed does with Crusher Creel, a b-villain who becomes genuinely tragic and moving here, explaining how he gradually became a supervillain from a lack of choices and desperation, and what it feels like to be not only defeated, but brutalized, so often by "heroes". It's a remarkable feat, and gives this first half of the series an absolute wallop, emotionally speaking.Which doesn't even get into the fact that Black Bolt is, so often, incredibly funny. (There's a joke here about Black Bolt's name that absolutely cracked me up.) Nor does it convey that, for all its big ideas and emotional heft and points about imprisonment, that this is an exciting, unpredictable comic that makes great use of its characters' wide-ranging backstory, filling in gaps and drawing off of a mythology that's never been explored in depth. (One sequence, which tells the story of Black Bolt's childhood through the eyes of an unexpected faithful companion, is beautiful and moving in its simplicity.) And it also doesn't convey just how gorgeous it all is to look at, with Ward filling every page with unreal art that leaves you in awe of how it all fits together on a page. (I loved reading this on a screen and going panel by panel, but I would also always stop and take in the entire page, especially with my screen able to truly make the colors pop.)Hard Time is a complete arc in of itself, dealing with Black Bolt's time in this bizarre prison, his relationships with the inmates around him, and the choices he makes with regard to them. It's also, though, the story of the choices he's made in the past - choices with real consequences, and his own ability to accept his failings as a hero, a father, a king, and even just as a human being. It's beautiful, heartfelt, and really incredible work - and somehow, does all of this in six issues. Especially when put together with volume 2, Black Bolt does something incredible: it takes characters that I had next to no emotional connection with and makes them truly empathetic, investing me in their mythology, sure, but more importantly investing me in their self-worth, their efforts to make peace with their shortcomings, and their journeys to find redemption and peace. That's universal stuff, no matter if the people involved have superpowers or not, and the way that Ahmed approaches his material gives us a sense of the universality of his tale without ever forgetting that he's telling a superhero story. I truly loved Black Bolt in a way I haven't loved a comic in a long time - it's funny, it's jaw-droppingly gorgeous, it's exciting, and it packs an emotional punch that hit me hard. It's perfect in pretty much any way I can think of, and deserves every bit of the acclaim its gotten and then some.

Saladin Ahmed's writing manages to get around some of the more difficult elements of the Black Bolt character while keeping him engaging. It was skeptical as I have often found some of the post-1990s attempts to expand the role of the Inhumans in the Marvel universe both forced and tended to hit narrative limitations quickly. Ahmed's arc here,while not perfect, does give the Black Bolt some depth and a subtly cosmic scale that does feel forced or artificially silver aged.

Saladin Ahmed and his artistic collaborators managed to make me care about what happens to a character I've always found boring and stuffy. Of all of Marvel's classic Inhumans line-up, Black Bolt has always been the last interesting to me. Ahmed and company's work is proof that in the world of comics there are very few bad characters -- something interesting can always be done with them with the right creative team.

This is a good starting point if you're unfamiliar with Black Bolt. I wasn't sure I'd like this, as I'm not a big Inhumans fan, but the writer smartly puts Black Bolt in a Space Prison where he CAN talk, and this helps to humanize the character through dialogue (instead of thought bubbles). I really became attached to the supporting characters (one of them in particular), and was also glad to see Lockjaw make an appearance. Artwork is good to great, with clean lines and an otherworldly feel. Not only worth reading, but worth a re-read.

Phenomenal! This book blew me away and I am barely a passing fan of the Inhumans and was indifferent to Black Bolt. Definitely changed my mind. I was completely enthralled, I laughed, I had my heart squeezed, and I can't wait for more.Crusher freakin' Creel! Who would have thought I would love that guy? So well written and the art is total eye candy. Seriously, the color scheme and overload of beautiful things to catch the eye enhanced the experience rather than distract.Easy 5* and recommended for everyone.

Loved this book. Ward's art is, as always, phenomenal—"realistic," at least in terms of the comic-book spectrum, but also impressionistic, emotional, and evocative. His use of color is masterful. Ahmed's storytelling is intimate, personal, well-paced, and runs the gamut of human experience and emotion. There are definitely some impressive action set-pieces, but this run is primarily about relationships, and specifically about the work of humility, vulnerability, and forgiveness necessary to repair broken relationships. Same goes for Vol 2: HOME FREE.

For a character that has been around since the 60s, little had been done to develop Black Bolt past the stoic monarch he was originally presented as in his first appearance. This series delves into not only the mind, but the soul of the man who wore the crown but now resides in a hell without end. Words and art add to the pleasure of the story. Very satisfying for long time fans and a great jumping on point for new readers.

I had no interest in the inhumans as a story line and I only had cursory knowledge of black bolt as a character. This is an excellent story. I image there is only so much depth you can add to a character that can’t speak but in this setting it worked very well.

Fantastic stand alone take on an underdog quirky tragic hero. Item received quickly and in good condition. I have to order volume 2 an complete. You can enjoy without need to much marvel knowledge

Awesome

Este primer volumen (Black Bolt #1 - #6) es una joya. La trama puede parecer simple, pero en su economía de diálogos entrega un mensaje poderoso: una no tan sutil crítica a los sistemas de prisiones en USA desde la improbable voz de Crusher Creed (Absorbing Man), el personaje que menos me imaginaría robándose el reflector en esta primera entrega de Black Bolt. Ahmed demuestra un gran talento para destripar el alma de este villano clásico de Marvel hasta el punto en el que no podemos evitar empatizar con él.El arte de Ward es igualmente impactante y expresivo, bellamente acabado con fondos y texturas que nos recuerdan a los comics 70ros de donde estos personajes provienen, pero con paletas, sombreados, y detalles faciales definitivamente modernos. No conozco a nadie actualmente que dibuje ojos tan expresivos como Ward.

This was a first time comic by a relatively unknown writer starring a character that can't talk... Normally this would spell disaster, but Saladin Ahmed delivers a beautiful trippy jail break story with a surprisingly engaging protagonist and delightful supporting cast. One of the most pleasant surprises of my comic reading life!

No conocía mucho al personaje. Lo compré porque el arte de Christian Ward me pareció increíble en Ody-C y quise tener algo más de él en mi colección. No me arrepiento. La historia es muy buena y el arte es excelente.