Jeff Lemire – Writer
Teddy Kristiansen – Artist
Nate Piekos of Blambot® – Letterer
Welcome to The Kingdom of Spiral City, a perfect spot where life and love are the most important characteristics of this sublime place. Unfortunately, Spiral City was corrupted by The Great Beast, a strange being confronted by the champions in a legendary fight – a perpetual war between light and darkness – but all of them disappear for far too long after the battle. The conflict lays dormant until now.
This is where readers will find themselves entering Dark Horse’s Black Hammer: Spiral City, a sprawling story featuring the splendid creative team of Jeff Lemire, Teddy Kristiansen, Nate Piekos of Blambot®, and a group of brilliant artists offering a variety of different covers, including; Mike Mignola, Dave Stewart, Matt Wagner, Brennan Wagner, and Duncan Fegredo. These creators excellently interweave a revolutionary story of mystery, monsters, and social problems in the memories of an ancient city of our dreams.
Their impeccable work continually prompts a rush of feelings that complement the story. From the moment you flip open the cover, it is clear this comic is much more than just its narrative. With visual feats that transport the reader into a sublime realm, characters are rendered with a level of depth that invites empathy with their journey. They depict and relate a range of emotions, including subtleties that help the characters´personalities come alive in an engaging manner.
Our setting is a troubled city divided in two parts; humans and superheroes. Normal people reckon with those who use their powers to be more influential in society without bringing further attention to themselves, as depicted with Belle, who has become a famous dancer. Conversely, some superheroes are rejected by society, pushed to live in the worst quarter, like beggars. The inequities garner the attention of the Inspector; a strange being who wants to discover what is really happening throughout the city.
The internal pages reveal a mysterious atmosphere, providing opportunities for moments of artistic flourish where Kristiansen presents beautifully rendered scenes, enriching the introduction of the principal characters within the story.
The lettering is completely amazing, as can be expected of Nate Piekos from anyone who has seen his work on Blambot. It works expertly with the art of the pages. Thanks to this, we can become fully involved in this fantastic and mysterious story´s ambience without distraction.
In my personal opinion, this comic book is a narrative of mystery and enigmas, opposition and acceptance in a turbulent city full of figures that desperately desire acknowledgment; the perfect combination of elements needed to start a really good story.
In my personal opinion, this comic book is a narrative of mystery and enigmas, opposition and acceptance in a turbulent city full of figures that desperately desire acknowledgment; the perfect combination of elements needed to start a really good story.
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The image(s) used in this article are from a comic strip, webcomic or the cover or interior of a comic book. The copyright for this image(s) is likely owned by either the publisher of the comic, the writer(s) and/or artist(s) who produced the comic. It is believed that the use of this image(s) qualifies as fair use under the United States copyright law. The image is used in a limited fashion in an educational manner in order to illustrate the points of the author and not for the purpose of entertainment or substituting the original work. It is believed the use of this image has had no impact on the market value of the original work.
All Black Hammer: Spiral City characters and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are trademarks of and copyright of Dark Horse or their respective owners. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
