BLACK HAMMER: VISIONS #5
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Leonardo Romero
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Nate Piekos
Release Date: June 9, 2021
Cover Price: $3.99
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
What it’s about…
An exciting reimagination of the Eisner Award-winning Black Hammer series told by guest writers and artists such as Patton Oswalt, Geoff Johns, Mariko Tamaki, Chip Zdarsky, Kelly Thompson, and more of comic’s top talents!
Eisner nominated writer Kelly Thompson and her superstar Marvel collaborators on Hawkeye Leonardo Romero and Jordie Bellaire team up once again for an action-packed Black Hammer one-shot that pits the powerful Spiral City vigilante Skulldigger against a new and cunning thief that is sure to leave him with scars.
Part of an expansive look at the Black Hammer universe following a full cast of colorful characters
What I thought about it…
Holy crap, Black Hammer: Visions #5 came out of nowhere to hit me like a ton of bricks. This is not a series that I’ve followed, but I was aware of. After I saw some of the art designs on Twitter and decided to check it out. Once I say it was written by Kelly Thompson, I knew the story would be good. But damn, this issue had a little bit of everything: action, humor, high stakes, and an entire story in a single issue, and I haven’t even mentioned the art by Leonardo Romero!
The comic features a vigilante named Skulldigger and a thief calling herself Bijou meeting for the first time. Despite this being the first interaction between these characters. Kelly Thompson somehow made me care about them, the reasons they do what they do, and what happened to them in the end. Not only that, but I felt like I’d been reading Skulldigger and Bijou’s adventures for years, when in fact this is my first time seeing these characters in any comic.
I won’t lie, there are some Batman/Catwoman vibes to the Skulldigger/Bijou relationship. But Thompson made them different enough that the comparison faded the more I read. I also loved how Bijou figured out Skulldigger’s secret identity with the help of some close friends. As for the dialogue, it’s witty, sharp, and doesn’t waste the reader’s time. Everything we see and read is there for a reason and I liked that. In other words, there was no filler here.
The art in Black Hammer: Visions #5 by Leonardo Romero is pure perfection. I loved how the strong inking on Skulldigger and the dramatic use of shadows, whenever he appears to emphasize, make the panels pop. Then we have the amazing Bijou. The contrast between her and Skulldigger could not be starker. She’s a thief but her costume is almost all white. This makes her the opposite of shadows and it stands out whenever she’s next to Skullduggery. Simply brilliant work by Leonardo Romero. I wasn’t familiar with Romero’s art before this comic, but I will be looking for his work from now on.
Anthology series are usually hit or miss, but Black Hammer: Visions #5 hit all the right marks. Kelly Thompson wrote a beautiful love story that captures a moment in Skulldigger’s life. Add to that the stellar art by Leonardo Romero and you got a gem of a comic book. It left me wanting to see more, and I hope Dark Horse considered at least a mini-series. Even if you don’t like anthologies, I implore you, read this comic, you will not be disappointed.
Black Hammer: Visions #5 final grade: A+
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