Reviews

Black Hammer Volume 4: Age of Doom Part Two by Jeff Lemire

forsidious's review

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Hmmm interesting that we ended right back where we started. I didn't dislike it, it just felt sort of ... purposeless... I guess it did lead to a new black hammer and allowed them to restore balance properly and make sure they were happy....what happened to talky-walky and Strange though? It seemed they didn't make it? 

Loved the super meta volumes with Strange

C - 8, A - 9, W - 8, P -7, I -8, L -7, E -8

howardtaftmd's review

adventurous emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

peterongcook's review

5.0

Hey, I liked this ending. I think it was a bittersweet way and fitting way for it to end. With the universe Weird visits at the beginning, it makes sense. What happens to heroes we forget? That are past their time? Stick them in the attic they want to live in.

joshgauthier's review

5.0

Very weird and truly remarkable.

shri_ace13's review

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

some_okie_dude27's review

I had heard from a lot of people that the ending of Black Hammer was not great, so I was expecting to be left a bit cold by the end of the series. After all, it is much harder to end something in a satisfying way than it is to begin something well. But then I read this last volume, and I wondered what everyone was talking about, because I thought that the ending was pretty good.

I can see where some might be turned off, as leaning on the meta-storytelling that Lemire has been playing with in this series can be a dangerous thing. Metafiction is like nitroglycerin, it can be effective when its used well, but it must be used carefully. If it's not, it can blow up and level everything in its path. Luckily, Lemire manages to tamper the meta-storytelling and commentary about the nature of superhero stories and stories in general with his signature emotional touch that's made Black Hammer so enjoyable.

My criticism of the previous volume is that it was looking like Lemire was losing the emotional beats that made the first couple of volumes so memorable and engaging, but luckily with this final volume, he's managed to bring back the emotional beats and give us an ending that's both intimate and satisfying for fans who had been reading since the beginning. I am impressed that Lemire found a way to have this wild and imaginative arc while never losing sight of the emotional core of the story that he is attempting to tell here. I do wish that some of the emotional moments with the 'leftover' characters were a bit more drawn out, but I was left mostly satisfied with the emotional beats.

I also enjoyed how Lemire takes notes from Kirkman and Moore and flips the idea of a reboot on its head, and showcases new emotional angles for our cast of characters. We even see some payoff from some of the other arcs, predominately the surprisingly good Sherlock Frankenstein miniseries from a few years ago. Seeing all of the characters going back to their mundane, normal lives again proved to be an interesting exploration, though again I was slightly bugged that we didn't see more of this and see the exploration be drawn out more. But I was left mostly satisfied, and the emotional beats were very strong.

Ormston's art is once again delightful, and I must once again state my sadness that he is no longer a part of the comic book industry due to health issues. Once again, I admire how he manages to be both familiar and distinct in his art style. His style in this series being a mix of Jack Kirby, Frank Quitely, and his own indie sensibility that gives this series its character. The art from Rich Tommaso was also good, though it reminded me a lot of Dan Clowes' style if he decided to take a crack at a superhero comic. I was also reminded of Michel Fiffe's style from his series Copra, and I did see that he got a credit in this volume. It makes me wonder where his illustration was.

As for the ending, I find that it was the ending that felt right for this series. It was quiet and somber, but there was a warmth to it that felt natural for the series' tone. Lemire leaves this characters in a good place and showcases that while the Black Hammer universe may continue on, the story of these characters is over and it's time to move on from them. I'll definitely miss Barbie, Abraham Slam, Gail, Colonel Weird, Madame Dragonfly, and Talky Walky. But I am glad that I went on this journey alongside them, and I will always cherish our adventures together.

Once again, Lemire shows why Black Hammer was so engaging in the first place: it was doing its own thing in a litany of superhero deconstructions/reconstructions/reimaginings and being itself unapologetically. It isn't attempting to make any grand points about the superhero genre, but is quietly showcasing that you can create a serious superhero story by taking these characters seriously and showcasing their humanity. Black Hammer is not a deconstruction or reconstruction of the superhero genre, but the fulfillment of what superhero comics could be, if only people could dream of those possibilities.

lisaroystoj's review

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I didn't love the way this all wrapped up, but I'm still glad to have finished this little run

stefanvalenti's review

5.0

Dear god, the ending of this comic fucked me up. Really fantastic comic. I came in already a fan of Jeff Lemire, but this comic might be my favorite from him. It gets so meta in how it approaches comics, it’s so cool.

kryten4k's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

darkbackground's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0