The story of Black Hammer continues in Black Hammer: Spiral City #1, written by Jeff Lemire and art by Teddy Christiansen. Have you ever wanted to read a Black Hammer book but are intimidated by the plethora of series and miniseries that have been published over the past few years? Don’t worry. This issue is the perfect introduction, starting with a short backstory of the universe and giving you everything you need to know to dive into space.
Once the issue begins, the atmosphere in Spiral City couldn’t be more bleak. It is shrouded in darkness, despair and poverty. The city is in decline due to something, but what is it? Have no fear, the Inspector (love that name!) is working on the case!
The great thing about the Black Hammer universe is that you can do any genre of story with it. Any type of story is possible within the vast Black Hammer universe, including horror, pure superhero action, sci-fi, and noir.
Here we begin a wonderful film noir-style story with a bit of the paranormal thrown in. Inspector is a fun movie straight out of a 1940s movie. His character design is perfect, with his insect/ant-like skull and four appendages all adorned with a trench coat and fedora hat, making him a weirdo to Sam Spade, played by Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon. It makes it look like an alien version. He’s the self-proclaimed world’s best detective (take Batman!) and is hungry to tackle new cases.
dark horse
We watch him wander the alleyways and seedy areas of Spiral City, trying to find some detective work, and meeting equally fascinating characters (some of whom are homeless and living on the streets) along the way. We follow the encounter throughout much of this issue.
It’s a great way to introduce the current state of Spiral City, making Gotham City’s crime-infested hellscape look Xanadu-like by comparison. We see all the remains of a once-great city through the eyes of the Insector, who walks through torn chain-link fences and past one abandoned building after another. Despite the hopeless and dark setting, I really enjoyed following the police inspector through the city and just reading his musings.
It is no exaggeration to say that this book reflects what we experience in the real world. Spiral City is divided between those who support past superheroes and those who see them as a threat. There are frequent protests, rampant gentrification, the destruction of statues trying to bury the past, and an out-of-control SHIELD-style organization doing strange things with former supervillains.
My only complaint is that this book is a little too dark. That’s why I love Insector so much. Because no matter what he encounters, no matter how empty his pockets are, no matter how much Spiral City’s brutal security torments him. Despite the passage of time, he still retains a streak of optimism and goodwill toward others.
Few people are better at creating stories and new characters than Jeff Lemire, and his imagination seems limitless. The two characters that Insector encounters are visually stunning and I would love to see more of them, but unfortunately they seem to be throwaways. However, there is no need to worry. No doubt there will be many other great characters (and plot twists).
“Black Hammer: Spiral City” #1 Review
Black Hammer: Spiral City #1 Review
Black Hammer: Spiral City #1 is a good starting point for those new to the Black Hammer world. Although cruel, the main character, Inspector Insector, cannot be overlooked.
I loved Inspector Insector and everything about his character design.
This book sets up some interesting subplots that will be fun to watch unfold in future issues.
There is an almost suffocating darkness to this book.
