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A review by bookgazing
Black Bolt, Vol. 1: Hard Time by Saladin Ahmed
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.