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A review by carroq
Black Badge Vol. 1 by Tyler Jenkins, Matt Kindt
4.0
Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Someone thought it was a great idea to take a bunch of kids, train them to be spies and assassins and turn them loose on the world. This all happens in the guise of a scout troop system similar to the Boy Scouts. The missions that we get to see the members of the Black Badges on in this volume are somewhat disconnected. They flow pretty well from one to the next. I didn't feel like there was an overarching plotline that tied them together well enough, which is perfectly fine. I like Matt Kindt's writing quit a bit and can forgive a looser storytelling style in hopes of seeing a payoff down the line.
I think the big thing is that I enjoyed reading the characters. The first chapter is clearly an introduction because each of the Black Badge members is presented based on the role that they are meant to fill. They start to develop within that first issue, but it is really in the second and later parts that they take off. There is a new kid and a bit of mystery about what happened to the Black Badge that he replaced. This gets some payoff before the end of the book, yet it doesn't get resolved. And that's part of why I enjoyed this book. It sets down a lot of story points, introduces the characters and the system they work in, and ends with a clear direction for the next volume. The worldbuilding that goes into this volume definitely lays out the potential for the setting, with these characters or new ones.
The art is great. The drawings are good and the watercolor effect is great. After reading this book, I want to see more of this series to find out what happens next.
Someone thought it was a great idea to take a bunch of kids, train them to be spies and assassins and turn them loose on the world. This all happens in the guise of a scout troop system similar to the Boy Scouts. The missions that we get to see the members of the Black Badges on in this volume are somewhat disconnected. They flow pretty well from one to the next. I didn't feel like there was an overarching plotline that tied them together well enough, which is perfectly fine. I like Matt Kindt's writing quit a bit and can forgive a looser storytelling style in hopes of seeing a payoff down the line.
I think the big thing is that I enjoyed reading the characters. The first chapter is clearly an introduction because each of the Black Badge members is presented based on the role that they are meant to fill. They start to develop within that first issue, but it is really in the second and later parts that they take off. There is a new kid and a bit of mystery about what happened to the Black Badge that he replaced. This gets some payoff before the end of the book, yet it doesn't get resolved. And that's part of why I enjoyed this book. It sets down a lot of story points, introduces the characters and the system they work in, and ends with a clear direction for the next volume. The worldbuilding that goes into this volume definitely lays out the potential for the setting, with these characters or new ones.
The art is great. The drawings are good and the watercolor effect is great. After reading this book, I want to see more of this series to find out what happens next.