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renatasnacks's review
3.0
I don't know much about the Inhumans in general and Black Bolt in particular, but I picked this one up because of all the buzz around it.
I can tell it was good and I'm sure it would be better if you were more familiar with these characters? It was a bit confusing and perhaps a bit grittier than I personally prefer my comics to be. Still--it was a pretty moving story arc despite me not being the ideal reader for this title.
I can tell it was good and I'm sure it would be better if you were more familiar with these characters? It was a bit confusing and perhaps a bit grittier than I personally prefer my comics to be. Still--it was a pretty moving story arc despite me not being the ideal reader for this title.
wordnerdy's review
3.0
I have never read anything with The Inhumans, butnthis gave me a vague idea of what they were about. It’s the usual ragtag group taking on a big bad, but with some unsubtle messages about the prison-industrial complex. Really cool art though.
walkerct's review
5.0
It's been a while since I've read a superhero comic this good. Ahmed knocked it out of the park in every way.
Black Bolt is a character that I only have passing familiarity with, and he never really seemed that interesting to me. He always came off as one of those goofy Lee/Kirby Fantastic Four creations, a fun idea but without much possibility of depth. Ahmed has taken that framework and grounded it into a complex, nuanced hero. Moreover, he's taken some equally goofy villains (Metal Master and Carl Creel the "Absorbing Man") and breathed new life into them. The character interaction is what really sells this book, with the scenes between Creel and Black Bolt being especially well written. The scenes manage to do something incredibly hard, which is take the often ridiculous 50+ years of backstory and both poke fun at it and turn it into something more meaningful.
The plot of the book is tight and well-focused. There's a good ratio of dialogue to action, and the action also carries some emotional weight, rather than just be an excuse to have two people pummel one another for a couple of pages. I was worried that my unfamiliarity with the character would be a hindrance, and while I'm sure that there are a number of references that I didn't fully appreciate, in general I was fully engaged the entire time.
I wasn't sure about Christian Ward's art as first, as the characters would sometimes be captured in odd poses, but what finally won me over was his panel work. There are some crazy configurations throughout the book, particularly in issue five, and they add a great deal to the storytelling. Even better, though some of the pages are quite busy, I always felt that I understand both what was going on and where the characters were in relation to one another, which is sadly not usually the case in action heavy comics.
Anyone who is a comic book fan should pick up this book. It doesn't matter if you don't know or care who Black Bolt is. Saladin Ahmed takes this character and makes him his own. I can't wait to read the future titles in this series.
Black Bolt is a character that I only have passing familiarity with, and he never really seemed that interesting to me. He always came off as one of those goofy Lee/Kirby Fantastic Four creations, a fun idea but without much possibility of depth. Ahmed has taken that framework and grounded it into a complex, nuanced hero. Moreover, he's taken some equally goofy villains (Metal Master and Carl Creel the "Absorbing Man") and breathed new life into them. The character interaction is what really sells this book, with the scenes between Creel and Black Bolt being especially well written. The scenes manage to do something incredibly hard, which is take the often ridiculous 50+ years of backstory and both poke fun at it and turn it into something more meaningful.
The plot of the book is tight and well-focused. There's a good ratio of dialogue to action, and the action also carries some emotional weight, rather than just be an excuse to have two people pummel one another for a couple of pages. I was worried that my unfamiliarity with the character would be a hindrance, and while I'm sure that there are a number of references that I didn't fully appreciate, in general I was fully engaged the entire time.
I wasn't sure about Christian Ward's art as first, as the characters would sometimes be captured in odd poses, but what finally won me over was his panel work. There are some crazy configurations throughout the book, particularly in issue five, and they add a great deal to the storytelling. Even better, though some of the pages are quite busy, I always felt that I understand both what was going on and where the characters were in relation to one another, which is sadly not usually the case in action heavy comics.
Anyone who is a comic book fan should pick up this book. It doesn't matter if you don't know or care who Black Bolt is. Saladin Ahmed takes this character and makes him his own. I can't wait to read the future titles in this series.
tanekaberi's review
4.0
I really love Christian Ward's dynamic art work and a solid redemption story for the characters.
nwhyte's review
3.0
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3003217.html
I'm not into Marvel mythology, but this seems to be an origin myth for the superhero Black Bolt, tricked out of his rightful kingship and imprisoned in deep space along with various other hard cases (most with their own super powers). He makes allies with his fellow inmates and breaks free. There is a certain amount of social commentary on the US prison system (though perhaps slightly pulling its punches). I think I would have needed to be more invested in the overall Marvel universe to really appreciate this.
I'm not into Marvel mythology, but this seems to be an origin myth for the superhero Black Bolt, tricked out of his rightful kingship and imprisoned in deep space along with various other hard cases (most with their own super powers). He makes allies with his fellow inmates and breaks free. There is a certain amount of social commentary on the US prison system (though perhaps slightly pulling its punches). I think I would have needed to be more invested in the overall Marvel universe to really appreciate this.
bookgazing's review
4.0
Black Bolt, Vol. 1: Hard Time is narrated in the third person - a narrative choice I'm not used to seeing in current comics, but one that works well here. I was worried that third person narrative would make the whole comic feel overly grandiose, but instead it contributes just the right amount of structured, epic tone to this story of a king laid low. And Saladin Ahmed's choice to use repetition and the rule of three at the start of the story only enhances that tone, which fits well with Black Bolt's own formal way of speaking.
Ahmed's story follows the king of the Inhumans as he struggles against his false imprisonment in a secret prison known only to his own royal family. Ahmed and Ward's vision of Black Bolt's story is definitely at the darker end of the Marvel comics spectrum. Ward's art is full of nightmarish creations, rendered in a palette of deep blues, purples, reds and black; like a variation on a bruise. And Ahmed's ultimate villain is unsettling, as are the questions this issue pushes Black Bolt to ask about his own culpability in subjecting anyone to such a hellish prison.
At the same time, the comic still maintains a structure that revolves around a team of misfits coming together and forming tight, if sometimes short, bonds to save the day - sort of like a creepier version of Guardians of the Galaxy. And the creative team make time for some softer moments, such as including the story of Lockjaw and Black Bolt's longtime friendship. This is drawn in soft focus panels which evoke a sense of misty nostalgia. And the ending is laced with a sense of hope that Black Bolt can, and will, work to atone for every injustice he has committed as a ruler. With Ta-Nehisi Coates and Saladin Ahmed both using established characters to investigate whether a monarchy can be just, it's an exciting time to be reading superhero comics.
Ahmed's story follows the king of the Inhumans as he struggles against his false imprisonment in a secret prison known only to his own royal family. Ahmed and Ward's vision of Black Bolt's story is definitely at the darker end of the Marvel comics spectrum. Ward's art is full of nightmarish creations, rendered in a palette of deep blues, purples, reds and black; like a variation on a bruise. And Ahmed's ultimate villain is unsettling, as are the questions this issue pushes Black Bolt to ask about his own culpability in subjecting anyone to such a hellish prison.
At the same time, the comic still maintains a structure that revolves around a team of misfits coming together and forming tight, if sometimes short, bonds to save the day - sort of like a creepier version of Guardians of the Galaxy. And the creative team make time for some softer moments, such as including the story of Lockjaw and Black Bolt's longtime friendship. This is drawn in soft focus panels which evoke a sense of misty nostalgia. And the ending is laced with a sense of hope that Black Bolt can, and will, work to atone for every injustice he has committed as a ruler. With Ta-Nehisi Coates and Saladin Ahmed both using established characters to investigate whether a monarchy can be just, it's an exciting time to be reading superhero comics.
bluehairedlibrarian's review
3.0
Great art, but I really didn't care about the characters or the story.
afreen7's review
3.0
I would've liked this more had the story been not so contrived and done before a million times. The characters aren't as relatable either. Maybe you get a bit of an insight into Creel but he's still a villain. I've wanted to get a better understanding of Black Bolt as a character and this issue does it a bit but everytime it's because of the fact that he can suddenly speak without demolishing everything.
I do enjoy Saladin Ahmed's writing but I wish at some point someone is able to bring more depth to Black Bolt without him having to lose his powers.
I do enjoy Saladin Ahmed's writing but I wish at some point someone is able to bring more depth to Black Bolt without him having to lose his powers.
tabman678's review
5.0
Loved every single thing about this. I love the art, arc, characters, villain, writing, and the end.
I cannot stress how good this title is and how much you should read it.
5 stars
I cannot stress how good this title is and how much you should read it.
5 stars
dark_reader's review
2.0
I have heard a lot of critical acclaim for this comic series, but based on this volume, I don't see what the big deal is. It was fine; good art, decent pacing, the character treatment was okay, but I simply did not find it compelling. Some great comics and graphic novels just grab me, but this was not the case here. Black Bolt is in prison, frees himself, frees some others, they try to take down their captor, setbacks occur, meh. I was unimpressed with the appearance of any of the Marvel characters found herein. However I am willing to give volume 2 a try, given the low time commitment to read such material.
Out of interest to read this based on the hype, I went so far as to have my local library add this to their collection, citing the reported critical acclaim and popularity of the series. Can I just say that I have a great libary? Not for the first time, I made a suggestion for an addition to their collection, and within a couple of weeks, they have it in and it is automatically placed on hold for me as the requester. Hopefully other patrons will enjoy this volume more than I did, now that they have the opportunity.
I am glad to see Saladin Ahmed gaining acclaim for his writing here. I enjoyed his first novel and short stories when he popped onto the fantasy field. I am a little mad at him still for destroying his draft of the second book of the Crescent Moon Kingdoms (intended) series with no indication to date that he is working on this again, but I would prefer that he seek happiness over any perceived obligation. The first book does not require a sequel (although the publisher who put "Book One of..." on the cover of Throne of the Crescent Moon back in 2012 may feel differently). I don't see that he gets any shit for it, a la Patrick Rothfuss or G.R.R. Martin, so hopefully it's all cool for him.
Out of interest to read this based on the hype, I went so far as to have my local library add this to their collection, citing the reported critical acclaim and popularity of the series. Can I just say that I have a great libary? Not for the first time, I made a suggestion for an addition to their collection, and within a couple of weeks, they have it in and it is automatically placed on hold for me as the requester. Hopefully other patrons will enjoy this volume more than I did, now that they have the opportunity.
I am glad to see Saladin Ahmed gaining acclaim for his writing here. I enjoyed his first novel and short stories when he popped onto the fantasy field. I am a little mad at him still for destroying his draft of the second book of the Crescent Moon Kingdoms (intended) series with no indication to date that he is working on this again, but I would prefer that he seek happiness over any perceived obligation. The first book does not require a sequel (although the publisher who put "Book One of..." on the cover of Throne of the Crescent Moon back in 2012 may feel differently). I don't see that he gets any shit for it, a la Patrick Rothfuss or G.R.R. Martin, so hopefully it's all cool for him.