The Good
We're only four issues in but new readers can easily dive right in. As we see Tony Quinn, the Black Bat, confronted by a bunch of gun-totting police officers, the narration fills the readers in on what he's about. We also see a continuation between Black Bat and Officer Mezza in trying to explain why they could work together. In a typical Brian Buccellato fashion, the dialogue is kept real. Black Bat tries explaining how he can do things the police can't. It comes across as 'comic book dialogue' that works great on paper but the officer calls him on it, adding a realistic touch to the story. It's refreshing seeing a comic acknowledge that some things wouldn't exactly fly in the real world.
Black Bat: Look, I can go places and do things that you can't. I can push the limits, I can cross lines...I can make the hard choices."
Officer Mezza: Get the hell out of here with that bullshit. I have the resources of the entire police department at my disposal. You're a whacko in a cape.
Buccellato also adds to the concept of trying to be a hero by showing it's not as easy as it is usually depicted. We've seen countless stories where the hero gets their mission and easily takes on their role. Black Bat realizes that he needs to focus and can't try to rely on others if he wants to survive and succeed.
As the story moves forward, we also see flashbacks to the moment Quinn's life turned around. He got in deep with the wrong crowd and paid the price when trying to do the right thing for once.
I'm really digging Ronan Cliquet's art and Mat Lopes' colors. There is a nice and clear distinction between the present day and flashback scenes. The action is well laid out and it all just has the right feel to helping establish the tone of the story.
The Bad
Things are heating up here. The more issues I read, the more I want. The only distraction is that while some backgrounds are nicely detailed, others feel a little plain. Some panels have walls, buildings or ground that just looks too clean rather than the gritty look other parts have.
The Verdict
Brian Buccellato is crafting a great little universe for the Black Bat. As we find out more of his current mission, we get more to his story in how he became a crime fighter. Ronan Cliquet's art and Mat Lopes' colors fit the story perfectly in establishing the tone of series. There is violence and language but it also fits with the tone that Buccellato is conveying here. Buccellato is making a 'superhero book' feel realistic in terms of the tone and structure of the story. This is the kind of comic I want more of. The book takes the superhero ideas that could seem 'silly' in the real world but Buccellato makes it work and feel realistic in an actual comic. The unfortunate thing is it the four weeks in between issues feels so long.
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