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CBG SATELLITES
The ADD Blog by Alan David Doane
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Black Diamond On Ramp
The concept of this insane highway keeping all the
criminals and psychos who get behind the wheel safe
from the rest of the world is interesting in a 70’s
action movie sort of way. One good man must stare down
this Black Diamond in hopes of hitting Baltimore in
time. Young’s writing for the few pages of story we
get bleeds cool with its smooth “voice over” and
cynical, quick phrases. The Tarantino-influenced
exchange between the two baddies was a high point,
hinting that the book might go deeper than just seeing
cool automobile shenanigans.
Frankly, if Jon Proctor is the artist throughout the
book, it will have to give us more than a good
“popcorn comic book.” Not that his depiction of action
is bad, it’s quite skillful in fact. He just doesn’t
show that he has the chops to keep up with Young’s
writing when it comes to the quieter scenes.
Character’s face never seemed fully defined, as if
they just were an after thought. It would be great if
any of the emotions Dr. MacLaughlin was going through
were put across to us, but it doesn’t happen. Procotor
has some really cool approaches to panel set-ups that
reflect the stylistic cool of Young’s writing and the
action wasn’t too shabby. Perhaps it would be better
if another artist completed the book over Proctor’s
layouts. I can’t imagine the book being too successful
with the artwork staying this way. It’s a shame that
one of the first Ait/Planet Lar books that feature
color interiors had this to offer as artwork.
Turning the book over is a preview for Smoke and
Guns, written by Kirsten Baldock and drawn by
Fabio Moon. Here is a book that sticks with black and
white and with Moon’s excellent artwork that’s a smart
idea. Moon creates this awesome, noir-ish mood in just
the first page. The rest feature a real awesome mix
between slickness and explosive violence, all wrapped
around the spunky idea of cigarette girls gone bad.
Over Black Diamond or Five Fists of
Science (of which we only get one page where
nothing happens) that is the book to get excited
about.
-- Ian Brill
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This book is a preview
package, hyping up The Black Diamond and two
other forthcoming AiT/Planet Lar books. “How on Earth
am I going to review not an actual series but an
advertisement for an actual series” I asked
myself. After worrying about the predicament for what
seemed like minutes the conclusion was clear: we’ll
just have to see if it does its job of getting this
one reader excited for the book and then report thusly.
So does this book, with its accompanying text pieces and all, meet its
goals? Eh, sort of.