Bob Benton’s been through a lot as his alter ego, the Black Terror. He’s dealt with Nazis, disgruntled customers at the pharmacy and now, hippies? When a hippie commune captures Black Terror it makes for a very confusing but enjoyable adventure. Writer Max Bemis (Evil Empire, Fool Killer) and artist Ruairi Coleman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) take Black Terror #2 to some unexpected places and still manage to craft an interesting and humorous story.
The Story
Bob Benton aka Black Terror takes a back seat for most of this issue. Instead, the story focuses on a young woman named Christina who finds herself in the midst of a hippie cult led by a chubby, dreadlocked gentleman known as Father Kind. Father Kind has captured and locked Black Terror up in a cage, perched upon a hill. He preaches to his followers to praise a goddess named Maya and that he has the ability to take Black Terror’s powers and redistribute them amongst the group. But Christina isn’t buying into Father Kind’s story and sets out to find out what he’s really up to.
Black Terror #2 is definitely a psychedelic head trip. For starters, when you start to read it and realize Black Terror has been captured, it feels like you’ve missed an issue before reading this one. Second, you kind of have no clue what’s going on or what Father Kind and his hippie disciples are up to until the very last few pages and even then it’s still a bit trippy. Within all the chaos and nonsense Bemis does find moments to add a bit of realness to the story, touching on topics like the loss of a child and alcoholism.
The Art
Coleman’s artwork is pretty good for the most part in this issue, and has a strong emphasis on facial designs. His illustrations of the hippie commune are believable and the bonfire is a nice touch to really add to the detailed craziness that’s going on around the Black Terror. There are a couple of moments where Coleman adds some cool transitions between the hippie ritual taking place and Christina’s backstory. He does an excellent job of blending the two without confusing the reader.
The Verdict
Black Terror #2 seems to serve as more as a filler issue than one that drives the story forward. Hopefully, the next book either elaborates on what takes place at the hippie commune or connects to Black Terror somehow. The story still manages to be interesting and the ending is pretty wild. It’s worth reading just to experience the trip and can’t wait for the next one. Make sure to download your copy or add it to your list on your next trip to your local comic shop.
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