There's certainly been a strong marketing push by Boom! Studios in advance of this comic's release. It's not often one sees many online ads for a specific comic series, but I've seen quite a few Black Plague logos and blurbs adorning the front pages of some of the higher profile comics websites in the past few months. This comic is actually a one-shot tee-up to a forthcoming Black Plague limited series, it seems, and it sets the stage well, spelling out the players and premise clearly and accessibly. I can't help but wonder why Boom! would release a one-shot lead-in to a larger story. I worry it's an attempt to cash in on two #1 issues.
It's been years since the costumed criminal known as the Black Plague has been seen, and the reason is clear: Sidney, the man behind the mask, has been retired for some time, and he actually spends time occasionally with his former arch-nemesis, playing chess and reminiscing about old times. But a new Black Plague reveals himself as he plucks a valuable cargo from under the noses of two of the city's most dangerous criminal organizations. It seems the Black Plague is once again out to make himself Public Enemy No. 1, but what's his connection to the original villain?
Julia Bax's art on this book is a little stiff at times, but she handles the complex choreography of the actions scenes pretty well. There's a clear manga influence in her work, but it's not an overpowering one. The design for the title character is a simple but striking one, and I like the dark, fluid look used to demonstrate how his powers manifest themselves. Some scenes look a little rough, though, and I suspect Bax still needs to refine and polish her style. The colors throughout the book are sharp and vibrant, and they help to compensate for the occasional looseness of the line art.
We meet two of the players in this drama in the chess game scene that serves to open the story. The friendship between Sidney and Martin seems genuine, but I wish the tone of the scene wasn't so obvious about the fact that one of them is not quite done with the world of costumed conflict. The script is clear and accessible from start to finish, and the character concept revealed on the final splash page is a striking one, both chilling and campy at the same time.
The idea of a crimefighter going undercover in a world of costumed villains is a good and interesting one. It's not exactly an unheard of basis for a super-hero story, but it's rare enough that there's a certain degree of freshness to Casey's plot. This is a decent start for the property, but I think if a smaller publisher really wants to make an impression and compete with the larger companies with the longer histories, there needs to be a greater "wow" factor at play when launching a new book and character. 6/10
