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A review by dozmuttz
Black Bolt, Vol. 1: Hard Time by Saladin Ahmed
4.0
Saladin Ahmed and Christian Ward team up to give us a series on a character that doesn't get the spotlight very much, Black Bolt. The king of the Inhumans finds himself waking up in a prison-like room while being chained and muzzled. It was supposed to be his double crossing brother, Maximus who was locked up, but with his psychic powers and some high tech, he swapped places with his brother and now Black Bolt must figure his way out. He is imprisoned in a strange place in space where there are many prisoners who are being tortured by the one known as ‘The Jailer’. Inmates are forced to die and come back to life to repent for their crimes. Black Bolt finds himself powerless and can not use his mountain shattering voice. It’s going to be a challenge escaping this strange prison, however Black Bolt runs into some help with some familiar characters; one of Thor and Hulks biggest foes, Absorbing Man, an alien telepathic little girl named Blinky, Metal Master, and a Skrull warrior named Raava. Together they work to get to the bottom of the Jailer and escape the prison.
This was my first time reading a story by Saladin Ahmed and I gotta say he provides a pretty epic space story. I also appreciate his ability to write a grounded version of such a powerful character in Black Bolt. This is the characters first solo series and there's a reason it took 52 years for that to happen since his first appearance. The character, although interesting, was never a ‘main character’ type of hero. He was so tied to the Inhumans, and with him being so powerful, and part of that power coming from his ability to speak, makes it a challenge to write a solo book for him. Ahmed thinks outside the box though, and gives us a nice in depth look into the character. It’s looking more into the person Black Bolt is, and less on the power he possesses. The whole prison escape story is also always a fun one, and making it in space is also a nice twist.
Christian Ward is the artist of this series, and like Ahmed, this was my first time seeing this creator's work. Ward is highly praised for his work on this run, and I’d say it’s pretty well deserved. He has a sort of water-color like style with some psychedelic-like elements. I think what stands out the most with Ward, however, is his color work. It’s such a beautiful collage of colors, and makes the perfect fit for a space adventure. It’s the right amount of pop to capture your eyes and immerse you into the book itself.
Overall; This was a fun first read and both creators did great in their departments. This first volume is only 6 issues of the overall 12 issue series, so I’m excited to see what the next volume holds, especially after the ending of this first one.
This was my first time reading a story by Saladin Ahmed and I gotta say he provides a pretty epic space story. I also appreciate his ability to write a grounded version of such a powerful character in Black Bolt. This is the characters first solo series and there's a reason it took 52 years for that to happen since his first appearance. The character, although interesting, was never a ‘main character’ type of hero. He was so tied to the Inhumans, and with him being so powerful, and part of that power coming from his ability to speak, makes it a challenge to write a solo book for him. Ahmed thinks outside the box though, and gives us a nice in depth look into the character. It’s looking more into the person Black Bolt is, and less on the power he possesses. The whole prison escape story is also always a fun one, and making it in space is also a nice twist.
Christian Ward is the artist of this series, and like Ahmed, this was my first time seeing this creator's work. Ward is highly praised for his work on this run, and I’d say it’s pretty well deserved. He has a sort of water-color like style with some psychedelic-like elements. I think what stands out the most with Ward, however, is his color work. It’s such a beautiful collage of colors, and makes the perfect fit for a space adventure. It’s the right amount of pop to capture your eyes and immerse you into the book itself.
Overall; This was a fun first read and both creators did great in their departments. This first volume is only 6 issues of the overall 12 issue series, so I’m excited to see what the next volume holds, especially after the ending of this first one.