Palicki and Cavalcanti are back for issue #2 of Black’s Myth. Things heat up as Strummer and Ben take on an interesting case that gives the title more context. On top of that, it’s an AHOY book, so expect plenty of extra content like the three short prose pieces by Dave Dellecese, Robert Jeschonek and Rob Staeger.
The Good
This is a great issue. Now that readers have been introduced to the characters, Palicki and Cavalcanti go all in on the mythical noire. We get more character work with Strummer and see what she’s like outside of the job. The excellent pacing of the 3×3 panel pages does a great job of dramatizing the opening dialogue scenes. You almost forget you’re reading about a werewolf detective; Strummer feels so real.
But once the duo meet their prospective employer, things turn on their head. Last month’s issue called into question the title of the series, but everything starts to make sense now. Almost immediately, the book goes from intriguing to edge-of-your-seat stuff. Palicki’s mix of old school noir with much older school mythology is fantastic. On the mythology side, a character is introduced who is sure to be a fan favorite.
Artwork is still stellar. The black and white aesthetic fits the tone of the book superbly. Stylistically, the black and white works wonders as it emphasises the mundanity of everyday life at the beginning of the book, then grounds the mythology towards the end. Cavalcanti’s art is stunning.
As it’s an AHOY book, extra praise needs to be given to the extra pieces included. As always, they’ve knocked it out of the park. Each prose story does its own thing and shouldn’t be spoiled with any kind of synopsis. All you need to know is you should read them. AHOY are doing a great thing by including the likes of these.
The ‘Bad’
There’s really nothing bad about the issue. If there was a complaint however, this does feel like a #1. While it was probably necessary to devote the opening issue to introducing our protagonists and the world, a lot of this issue feels like the beginning. This is our main characters getting the titular job. Additionally, the character work praised earlier goes a long way to tell readers who Strummer is, so the introduction last month feels less important in hindsight. Not the biggest gripe, but a complaint nonetheless.
Black’s Myth #2 builds significantly on the first issue. What was an interesting concept last month is now a proper conversation starter. Only two issues in and it has the feeling of a book that has word passed around at a con. “Have you read that mythological noir book?” It’s well worth the read.
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