Rise Of The Black Flame #1 (comic) Review

Are you a fan of the Hellboy stories? Then you have probably encountered Black Flame once or twice. Check out Rise of the Black Flame to learn more…

The Rise of the Black Flame

Black Flame has been around since the 1930’s stories, inhabiting several bodies over the years. Raimund Diestel and Landis Pope are two such identities that we know of. We see in a flashback that there was a summoning in 1923, calling for the ‘formless great darkness’. Cut back to civilization, and we learn that several girls have gone missing in Siam. A few investigators take up the case, not knowing what they are in for.

We are introduced to some travelers of distinction, Ms. Jewell and Ms. LaFleur. These ladies are aware of the sorts of things that really lurk in the shadows, and aim to educate our investigators, as well as the readers.

Story goes a long way

This is issue one out of five, so we have time to get into the details. I love this – getting into what makes a demon so dangerous. The story begins a bit dry until we locate the lady travelers. Things liven up with part of Ms. Jewell and Ms. LaFleur’s backgrounds. Having travelled all over the world, these ladies are no slouches when it comes to the strange and paranormal. The groups’ shared experiences of witnessing “strange things…” helps to bring them together for, what we can only assume will be some dastardly sights ahead.

Though it begins a tad rough, once it gets moving, the writing here reads effortless, these master storytellers take you to another world. You could easily find yourself among the adventurers at the Silver Lantern Club in London. There is limited amount of action in this title, but don’t worry. The foreshadowing is showing us that there is plenty to be had in the coming issues. Now, starting out the next string of the story on the last page seems a bit cheap to me, but I can’t say I blame them for it.

Style for days

The inking and color do a wonderful job of portraying the varying scenarios: washed out beiges to highly-styled luxury. Though the colors jump around, there is no difficulty in telling what is going on, or who the main character is addressing.

I’m certain that I’m not alone in saying that I can’t wait to get my hands on the next episode. The Hellboy universe continues to grow, and I am looking forward to learning more.