Francesco Francavilla made huge waves in the comic book world after “Black Beetle #0†selling out its entire print run in a very short time. Now with the release of “The Black Beetle #1: No Way Out,†Francavilla is sure to sell even more copies.
It is a blast.
In this comic the Black Beetle investigates a crime family’s meeting. When he arrives somebody gets there ahead of him and blows up the Irish pub they’re holding the meeting. Now the Black Beetle wants to find out who blew up the meeting place and why.
As with “Black Beetle #0,†this comic is masterfully written with the Black Beetle being one of the most interesting comic characters to date. Even though 90 percent of the comic is written in narrative form, Francavilla uses it to bring the comic to life in a way only a true master can. As with “Black Beetle #0,†Francavilla managed to take an overused idea, in this case mobsters and bring them to a dimension that is unparalleled. The only real downside is that it ends a bit early, making the reader hungry for more.
The art is as brilliant and as that noir style that makes this series truly shine. The many uses of colors such as orange, black and black and white give this comic and its world a character that screams noir that any fan will just eat up. Even the huge explosion at the beginning looks neat.
Francavilla can even pull off what’s supposed to be New York City/Chicago in the 40s very well. This can be a detriment to some readers in that in may look like any cliché copy and paste noir city we’ve all need before. It does look neat and fits into the world, but some people may disagree.
“The Black Beetle #1: No Way Out†is another wild ride by Francavilla. It’s fast-paced, well written and has great art that’s sure to please more than just noir fans. This one will sure sell out as fast as the last one.
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