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A review by archipeligo
Black Hammer Volume 2: The Event by Jeff Lemire
5.0
Yesssss, Black Hammer! I'm in!
The volume starts with the origin story of Black Hammer, a.k.a. Joseph Weber. He is volunteering at a local soup kitchen when he's almost run over by two muggers. He goes to check on the victim to discover the body of the previous Black Hammer. Weber goes to pick up the hammer, which seems to be calling to him, and is suddenly transported to the New World. He's introduced to Starlock and the Lightriders. They are in an eternal struggle against the Anti-God and recruit Weber. Weber insists that he will live in Spiral City with his wife and teleports home, only to discover that he's been missing for 4 months and his wife is pregnant.
Throughout the comic, we get flashbacks to various heroes' lives. We see Black Hammer fighting The Jackhammer and his Demolition Squad. After knocking Jackhammer out, Golden Gail tells Black Hammer to head home. It's his daughter's tenth birthday. As they're celebrating Starlock interrupts, insisting that Black Hammer must come to fight Anti-God. Weber refuses, saying that it's more important to be there for his daughter's birthday.
As the heroes gather to fight Anti-God, Black Hammer hugs his daughter, promising not to die. They fight Anti-God and Black Hammer eventually strikes him in the forehead, declaring, "No more!" A flash of light and suddenly they're at the Farm. We see Black Hammer try to escape, only to be torn apart.
At the Farm, Lucy Weber, Black Hammer's daughter, has arrived, but, due to Dragonfly's magic, has forgotten how she got there. Everyone tries to get her to remember anything, but she cannot. As everyone argues, Lucy suddenly realizes that Black Hammer is not there. It's revealed that, when everyone appeared at the Farm, Black Hammer was the first to try to escape, almost immediately. He flew past a magical perimeter and was completely torn open. His hammer has been laying on the grass since. Lucy tries to understand the rules of this world: how have they blended in? Where is Rockwood? Have they used the Internet? (Yes. No one knows. What's the Internet?)
Flashback for Golden Gail: she has given some of her powers to others, (including a goose) and declares "Zafram!" She returns to being an middle-age woman and says that she intends to retire. The Golden Family can take it from here. She flies over to Sherlock Frankenstein's offices, an old, also retired nemesis. She tells him that she's retiring and that she's super into him. We see flashes of their relationship.
In the present, Lucy visits the library to find information about Rockwood's history, only to discover that all the books are empty. Barbie, the Martian prince, is selling cookies at the church sale. He chats with the priest and the priest invites him back for a drink later. Lucy goes to talk with Talky-Walky about the information she might have gathered about the magical perimeter and how they might reverse it so they can leave. Talky-Walky gets very excited about this possibility and Lucy leaves her to work. As Talky-Walky works, Colonel Weird shows up and blasts Talky-Walky. Weird insists that, if he had any other choice, he wouldn't have done it, but he had to shoot Talky-Walky.
We see Talky-Walky and Colonel's Weird's first meeting. Weird goes to a planet where an S.O.S. has been originating. It turns out to be a planet full of sentient robots, all of whom hate carbon-based life. When Weird is discovered, the planet's citizens try to kill him, but TLK-E WLK-E swoops in and gets him out. TLK-E WLK-E, our Talky-Walky, reveals that it was she who sent out the distress signal. After many, many years of watching Earthling television and came to like humans. The two get to Colonel's Weird's spaceship and escape.
After shooting Talky-Walky, Colonel Weird appears in the basement, where he runs into Lucy. In his rambling, he mentions that, in the Para-Zone, he has seen the future and Lucy insists that he tell her what happens. Weird vanishes, saying that the conversation will not end to her satisfaction. We see a light go on in Colonel Weird's ship - it seems that Talky-Walky is now existing in the ship.
Flashback to Abraham Slam: he pays a man named Smith to build him a new, better suit. He mentions that business at the gym hasn't been stellar, so he can only pay a little at a time for the suit. In his new suit, Abraham Slam goes to confront a Mud Monster terrorizing the subway, but it easily knocked aside by the Monster. Y-Force shows up and saves him. Abraham Slam begins to feel out-of-date and useless and returns to his gym.
Back at the Farm, Abraham and Lucy finds Talky-Walky. Lucy mentions the blank books to Abraham. Abraham is not bothered and seems to be upset with Lucy for referring to the Farm as a jail. Meanwhile, Sheriff Earl Trueheart goes to the diner to confront Tammy over her relationship with Abraham and the dinner she had with the family. He threatens her safety. Abraham shows up later and Tammy tells him what happened. Abraham is furious and leaves to confront the Sheriff. Barbie/Mark visits the priest for that late night drink and broaches his feelings for the priest. The priest says he only saw Mark as a friend and asks him to leave. Later, we see the Sheriff enter his house, only to find Dragonfly waiting for him. Dragonfly says that the Sheriff has developed too much free will and has become the one thing she cannot allow: a super-villain. She dissolves him.
Flashback for Barbie/Mark: we see his life, cop by day, superhero by night. Yet, at the station, people scrawl offensive language on his locker and he eventually quits the force. He prepares to leave Earth entirely, but, as he flies into space, lightning appears and he vanishes.
At the Farm, Mark confronts Father Quinn, saying that Quinn's feelings were obvious to him and, while Quinn might deny it, Mark refuses to see his lifestyle as a sin. Quinn asks Mark to never come back and Mark agrees. Meanwhile, Gail leaves a note for Mark and approaches the magical barrier. Mark discovers the note and swoops in to pull Gail from going through the barrier. He acknowledges that, while he doesn't feel the same towards her as she does to him, she is still his best friend and he needs her there. Some cops show up to collect Abraham to question him in the mysterious disappearance of Sheriff Earl Trueheart. Lucy sits in the town, watching people pass. She believes that, while Rockwood resembles a town, it's all on the surface, but there's no depth to it (e.g. the blank pages on Rockwood's history). She moves around town, but we still see the same couple pass her.
We see Abraham Slam back in Spiral City also get surrounded by lightning and vanish. Golden Gail with Sherlock Frankenstein is also taken away. Everyone appears in the New World with Starlock, who reveals that Anti-God has killed all the heroes: Y-Force, the Golden Family, etc. Although they don't want to, the group agrees to team up to fight Anti-God.
At the Farm, Abraham speaks with the police who accuse him of being involved in the disappearance of Trueheart. Dragonfly appears, hypnotizes the cops, and has them release Abraham. Before Abraham can get her to explain herself, she vanishes. Abraham goes back to talk to Tammy, who doesn't 100% believe that Abraham wasn't involved with Trueheart's disappearance. She says that they should spend some time apart. Lucy approaches Dragonfly's cabin, but is startled by a giant eye in the window and leaves. She goes to find her father's hammer, hearing his voice call to her through the hammer. Everyone else has gathered in the kitchen, clearly emotionally defeated. Suddenly, Colonel Weird appears and declares that the Event, the moment that all of this has been built around, has happened. There's a flash of light and everyone rushes outside to find that Lucy has picked up her father's hammer and has become Black Hammer. She also declares that she remembers everything.
Spoiler
The volume starts with the origin story of Black Hammer, a.k.a. Joseph Weber. He is volunteering at a local soup kitchen when he's almost run over by two muggers. He goes to check on the victim to discover the body of the previous Black Hammer. Weber goes to pick up the hammer, which seems to be calling to him, and is suddenly transported to the New World. He's introduced to Starlock and the Lightriders. They are in an eternal struggle against the Anti-God and recruit Weber. Weber insists that he will live in Spiral City with his wife and teleports home, only to discover that he's been missing for 4 months and his wife is pregnant.
Throughout the comic, we get flashbacks to various heroes' lives. We see Black Hammer fighting The Jackhammer and his Demolition Squad. After knocking Jackhammer out, Golden Gail tells Black Hammer to head home. It's his daughter's tenth birthday. As they're celebrating Starlock interrupts, insisting that Black Hammer must come to fight Anti-God. Weber refuses, saying that it's more important to be there for his daughter's birthday.
As the heroes gather to fight Anti-God, Black Hammer hugs his daughter, promising not to die. They fight Anti-God and Black Hammer eventually strikes him in the forehead, declaring, "No more!" A flash of light and suddenly they're at the Farm. We see Black Hammer try to escape, only to be torn apart.
At the Farm, Lucy Weber, Black Hammer's daughter, has arrived, but, due to Dragonfly's magic, has forgotten how she got there. Everyone tries to get her to remember anything, but she cannot. As everyone argues, Lucy suddenly realizes that Black Hammer is not there. It's revealed that, when everyone appeared at the Farm, Black Hammer was the first to try to escape, almost immediately. He flew past a magical perimeter and was completely torn open. His hammer has been laying on the grass since. Lucy tries to understand the rules of this world: how have they blended in? Where is Rockwood? Have they used the Internet? (Yes. No one knows. What's the Internet?)
Flashback for Golden Gail: she has given some of her powers to others, (including a goose) and declares "Zafram!" She returns to being an middle-age woman and says that she intends to retire. The Golden Family can take it from here. She flies over to Sherlock Frankenstein's offices, an old, also retired nemesis. She tells him that she's retiring and that she's super into him. We see flashes of their relationship.
In the present, Lucy visits the library to find information about Rockwood's history, only to discover that all the books are empty. Barbie, the Martian prince, is selling cookies at the church sale. He chats with the priest and the priest invites him back for a drink later. Lucy goes to talk with Talky-Walky about the information she might have gathered about the magical perimeter and how they might reverse it so they can leave. Talky-Walky gets very excited about this possibility and Lucy leaves her to work. As Talky-Walky works, Colonel Weird shows up and blasts Talky-Walky. Weird insists that, if he had any other choice, he wouldn't have done it, but he had to shoot Talky-Walky.
We see Talky-Walky and Colonel's Weird's first meeting. Weird goes to a planet where an S.O.S. has been originating. It turns out to be a planet full of sentient robots, all of whom hate carbon-based life. When Weird is discovered, the planet's citizens try to kill him, but TLK-E WLK-E swoops in and gets him out. TLK-E WLK-E, our Talky-Walky, reveals that it was she who sent out the distress signal. After many, many years of watching Earthling television and came to like humans. The two get to Colonel's Weird's spaceship and escape.
After shooting Talky-Walky, Colonel Weird appears in the basement, where he runs into Lucy. In his rambling, he mentions that, in the Para-Zone, he has seen the future and Lucy insists that he tell her what happens. Weird vanishes, saying that the conversation will not end to her satisfaction. We see a light go on in Colonel Weird's ship - it seems that Talky-Walky is now existing in the ship.
Flashback to Abraham Slam: he pays a man named Smith to build him a new, better suit. He mentions that business at the gym hasn't been stellar, so he can only pay a little at a time for the suit. In his new suit, Abraham Slam goes to confront a Mud Monster terrorizing the subway, but it easily knocked aside by the Monster. Y-Force shows up and saves him. Abraham Slam begins to feel out-of-date and useless and returns to his gym.
Back at the Farm, Abraham and Lucy finds Talky-Walky. Lucy mentions the blank books to Abraham. Abraham is not bothered and seems to be upset with Lucy for referring to the Farm as a jail. Meanwhile, Sheriff Earl Trueheart goes to the diner to confront Tammy over her relationship with Abraham and the dinner she had with the family. He threatens her safety. Abraham shows up later and Tammy tells him what happened. Abraham is furious and leaves to confront the Sheriff. Barbie/Mark visits the priest for that late night drink and broaches his feelings for the priest. The priest says he only saw Mark as a friend and asks him to leave. Later, we see the Sheriff enter his house, only to find Dragonfly waiting for him. Dragonfly says that the Sheriff has developed too much free will and has become the one thing she cannot allow: a super-villain. She dissolves him.
Flashback for Barbie/Mark: we see his life, cop by day, superhero by night. Yet, at the station, people scrawl offensive language on his locker and he eventually quits the force. He prepares to leave Earth entirely, but, as he flies into space, lightning appears and he vanishes.
At the Farm, Mark confronts Father Quinn, saying that Quinn's feelings were obvious to him and, while Quinn might deny it, Mark refuses to see his lifestyle as a sin. Quinn asks Mark to never come back and Mark agrees. Meanwhile, Gail leaves a note for Mark and approaches the magical barrier. Mark discovers the note and swoops in to pull Gail from going through the barrier. He acknowledges that, while he doesn't feel the same towards her as she does to him, she is still his best friend and he needs her there. Some cops show up to collect Abraham to question him in the mysterious disappearance of Sheriff Earl Trueheart. Lucy sits in the town, watching people pass. She believes that, while Rockwood resembles a town, it's all on the surface, but there's no depth to it (e.g. the blank pages on Rockwood's history). She moves around town, but we still see the same couple pass her.
We see Abraham Slam back in Spiral City also get surrounded by lightning and vanish. Golden Gail with Sherlock Frankenstein is also taken away. Everyone appears in the New World with Starlock, who reveals that Anti-God has killed all the heroes: Y-Force, the Golden Family, etc. Although they don't want to, the group agrees to team up to fight Anti-God.
At the Farm, Abraham speaks with the police who accuse him of being involved in the disappearance of Trueheart. Dragonfly appears, hypnotizes the cops, and has them release Abraham. Before Abraham can get her to explain herself, she vanishes. Abraham goes back to talk to Tammy, who doesn't 100% believe that Abraham wasn't involved with Trueheart's disappearance. She says that they should spend some time apart. Lucy approaches Dragonfly's cabin, but is startled by a giant eye in the window and leaves. She goes to find her father's hammer, hearing his voice call to her through the hammer. Everyone else has gathered in the kitchen, clearly emotionally defeated. Suddenly, Colonel Weird appears and declares that the Event, the moment that all of this has been built around, has happened. There's a flash of light and everyone rushes outside to find that Lucy has picked up her father's hammer and has become Black Hammer. She also declares that she remembers everything.