The Black Bat #9 Review

Our icon is faced with a very difficult situation, but should you really care what he does when his back is against the wall? Read on to find out.

The official description from Dynamite:

To save Carol Baldwin’s life, the Black Bat must do the unthinkable and break his most hated enemy out of prison. But will doing so cement his status as an outlaw? Also, the police start to lose their grip on the city as vigilantism takes hold with disastrous results.

It’s a dark time for this particular crusader, but it’s moments like this that define a heroic archetype. And to the creative team’s credit they waste little time getting the ball moving as our protagonist does the unthinkable all in the name of something he desires more than revenge.

Brian Buccellato hands in what should be described as a turning point in this character’s ongoing odyssey. The author grabs attention early on and keeps the focus on our primary character while allowing enough room for a decent amount of suspense and mystery. There were some stumbles, as clunky communication between police officers and a few predictable plot twists left me a bit underwhelmed. But by the end the cliffhanger we’re given set things up in a very interesting light that’s sure to get people excited for what comes next.

The art is perfectly suited to the ongoing narrative, as Ronan Cliquet demonstrates his illustrative skills from the first page to the final panel. It’s a sight to behold when he gets to tackle action oriented sequences, but there were a few instances that came off a tad bit rushed. Despite that I can easily say that the bulk of the work garners both attention and praise especially when combined with the colors done by Mat Lopes. To sum up: the visuals work when called upon but they’re not perfect by any stretch of the imagination.

The Black Bat #9 is exactly the type of comic book that needs to be on your pull-list. It’s got action, suspense and just enough spirit to easily earn a dedicated audience. Recommended.