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geekwayne's review against another edition
5.0
In a great homage to pulp heroes, Francesco Francavilla's Black Beetle is a cinematic hero in a graphic novel filled with eye popping art. Panels careen around the page. Action swirls amongst sheet music. You can almost envision it as animated.
Sometime in the 1940s in Colt City, a masked hero with bulging red goggles and an array of cool gadgets fights crime. His real identity remains a secret, even from the reader. His true face is never seen.
As I mentioned, the art is the real star here. Colors are minimal, but used to maximum contrasting effect. Panel layouts and full pages are phenomenal. In notes at the end of the book, you find out that one of the key fight scenes was actually choreographed by a Hollywood fight choreographer. The whole book feels like it's in motion and would make an incredible animated feature. Recommended for the art alone.
I was given a copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Sometime in the 1940s in Colt City, a masked hero with bulging red goggles and an array of cool gadgets fights crime. His real identity remains a secret, even from the reader. His true face is never seen.
As I mentioned, the art is the real star here. Colors are minimal, but used to maximum contrasting effect. Panel layouts and full pages are phenomenal. In notes at the end of the book, you find out that one of the key fight scenes was actually choreographed by a Hollywood fight choreographer. The whole book feels like it's in motion and would make an incredible animated feature. Recommended for the art alone.
I was given a copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
dantastic's review against another edition
4.0
Evildoers in Colt City beware! The city is under the protection of... The Black Beetle!
I got this from Netgalley. Thank you, Netgalley!
Without giving too much away, The Black Beetle is a throwback to the pulps of the 1930's and 40's. While visually he looks like a mix of Batman and Blue Beetle, The Black Beetle most resembles Norvell Page's The Spider in my mind. Or early Batman stories where he gunned people down fairly regularly. He goes out of the frying pan and into the fire so many times his flesh should be a charred mess.
The plot was actually my least favorite part of the book but it was still engaging, an action-packed detective tale. When The Black Beetle finally catches up with Labyrinto, it does not disappoint. The zero issue, the tale of a bunch of Nazi agents looking for a lizard amulet, did a great job of introducing the Black Beetle while not revealing too much.
The art was the star of the show for me. It reminded me of 1990's Mike Mignola, Guy Davis' Sandman Mystery Theatre run, and also Tim Sale's art on Batman: The Long Halloween. Francavilla used shadows very well and his art and panel arrangement gave The Black Beetle kind of a timeless quality, like it was something great I was remembering from years ago rather than something I was reading for the first time. You can see the love Francavilla has for the comic medium and for his Black Beetle character in every panel.
The Black Beetle himself has a very simple but iconic look, like some member of the Justice Society introduced in the 1940's that you forgot about. If a two-gun gadget-driven Batman type hero is your thing, give The Black Beetle a try. He's influenced by Batman, The Spider, and other masked mystery men without being a generic homage. 4.5 stars. I'm ready for more Black Beetle!
I got this from Netgalley. Thank you, Netgalley!
Without giving too much away, The Black Beetle is a throwback to the pulps of the 1930's and 40's. While visually he looks like a mix of Batman and Blue Beetle, The Black Beetle most resembles Norvell Page's The Spider in my mind. Or early Batman stories where he gunned people down fairly regularly. He goes out of the frying pan and into the fire so many times his flesh should be a charred mess.
The plot was actually my least favorite part of the book but it was still engaging, an action-packed detective tale. When The Black Beetle finally catches up with Labyrinto, it does not disappoint. The zero issue, the tale of a bunch of Nazi agents looking for a lizard amulet, did a great job of introducing the Black Beetle while not revealing too much.
The art was the star of the show for me. It reminded me of 1990's Mike Mignola, Guy Davis' Sandman Mystery Theatre run, and also Tim Sale's art on Batman: The Long Halloween. Francavilla used shadows very well and his art and panel arrangement gave The Black Beetle kind of a timeless quality, like it was something great I was remembering from years ago rather than something I was reading for the first time. You can see the love Francavilla has for the comic medium and for his Black Beetle character in every panel.
The Black Beetle himself has a very simple but iconic look, like some member of the Justice Society introduced in the 1940's that you forgot about. If a two-gun gadget-driven Batman type hero is your thing, give The Black Beetle a try. He's influenced by Batman, The Spider, and other masked mystery men without being a generic homage. 4.5 stars. I'm ready for more Black Beetle!
wouter_dhondt_old's review against another edition
4.0
So much pulp, if it was orange juice it would not be considered a liquid anymore. Love it.
wouter_dhondt's review against another edition
4.0
So much pulp, if it was orange juice it would not be considered a liquid anymore. Love it.
callanstraw53's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
wesleystephen's review against another edition
5.0
If you're looking for something with a lot of depth and character development, this might not be your best option. But gosh darn it, it was a fun read. It's a fast-paced entertaining murder mystery with a lot of heart, and I personally think Francavilla does some of the coolest art in comics these days. I loved this book, and am so glad to hear that part two will finally be coming out this year after a few year hiatus - hopefully we'll actually get to see the Black Beetle's ray gun in action in round two!
old_tim's review against another edition
5.0
Perhaps the best of the recent pulp revival. Absolutely stunning art.
http://fedpeaches.blogspot.com/2013/11/best-of-pulp-revival-you-decide.html
http://fedpeaches.blogspot.com/2013/11/best-of-pulp-revival-you-decide.html
blackestclovers's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic book, 100% Francavillian gold. You can check out my review on my site here: http://all-comic.com/2013/picks-trade-black-beetle-way
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