A little bit of dark fantasy and modern horror from the guy who brought you... X-Men and New Warriors? Yes, it's true, Blackburne Covenant is a new mini-series from Fabian Nicieza, and though many may be surprised by the darkness that lurks within, they really shouldn't be. Fabian Nicieza has done darker stuff than people generally know about (Nomad pushed the boundaries of the super-hero genre in the 90s, for one example), and I hope Blackburne Covenant is the first of many projects where people will see the variety he is capable of. He's joined on artwork by Stefano Raffaele, who gives a strong performance reminiscent of Michael Lark, built on a gritty and shadowy realism that leaves important things in the shadow and up to the imagination of the reader.
Nicieza's script blends conspiracy, fantasy and horror in equal measure, and he grounds this rather out-there concept in the persona of a struggling author who finds that his big break might come with some nasty strings. I enjoyed the portrayal of Richard Kaine as something of an arrogant and even self-destructive jackass, especially since Nicieza managed to make this characterization work without making Kaine entirely unlikable. Given that he's at the center of vast pressures as well as a conspiracy that may have shaped the world, it's certainly easy enough to understand his frustration and over-indulgences, and I think all of us can relate to the idea that sudden fame could cause a bit of unhealthy arrogance.
While much of the story takes place in modern-day Manhattan and in the relatively quiet world of book publishing, Nicieza hints at something much bigger behind the curtain. Opening the book with a visual representation of Kaine's book is a great touch, because we see the brutal realities that are at the heart of the conspiracy, and though Richard may not know for sure whether his book is real or not, we the reader certainly get that sense. Nicieza has some real nastiness for his bad guys, as they seem to have a thing for torture and issues with powerful women, leading to a powerful opening and finale.
Some of the credit on this belongs to Raffaele, of course. His depiction of Talinada at the beginning speaks to the torture she has endured even as it shows her defiant spirit unbroken, and the mutilated form at the end of the book is all the more effective because of the contrast of a lively, warm character on the previous pages. Raffaele seems to be playing relatively all-ages with this mature readers book, hiding the naughty bits with convenient shadows, but the important sex and violence implicit in the script still shines through thanks to the staging of his work. And the vision of a Manhattan covered in plants comes across as spooky and powerful, just as it should, in Raffaele's hands.
Blackburne Covenant is the second of Dark Horse's new horror offerings, following in the footsteps of the equally strong Devil's Footprints. It's got more in common with Stephen King than Hellboy, and it's an intriguing new book from a publisher and creator not best known for their horror work to date.
