PROJECT SUPERPOWERS: BLACKCROSS #1 Review

Is this a good start? Read on to find out.

The official description from Dynamite:

In the all-new Project Superpowers series, Warren Ellis and Colton Worley take readers on a sinister journey away from the brightly clad heroes of the Golden Age, and into the small town of Blackcross, nestled in the Pacific Northwest. All small towns have secrets, but Blackcross has more secrets than most… it’s a lonesome place, haunted by something truly impossible. Project Superpowers: Blackcross is a ghost story about something reaching out from the other side of the night, through the forest and mist of a remote town, to grasp at the hearts of its unsuspecting residents–victims who won’t know that they’re the targets of a strange killer until it’s much, much too late.

If there’s one word to describe this issue it’s this: haunting. The creative team does their job setting a mysterious series of events in motion that are meant to leave an impact with their audience. And they soundly succeed, as what we hold in hand is a release that happens to be all hook.

Warren Ellis pens the script and if you’ve never heard of Project Superpowers don’t worry because this is a sturdy beginning for new readers. What plays out in the small town of Blackcross has an impact, as the script offers up plot with little explanation. It’s a steady flow of progression that does exactly what a #1 needs to do, namely offer up something that’ll get fanboys and fangirls to pick up #2. In other words: this is an outstanding start to something that might be special when all things are said and done, as the opening sequence alone warrants your purchase.

Flipping through I can’t help but feel that these are some of the best visuals I’ve seen, as Colton Worley crafts a world that embraces its narrative without a moment of hesitation. Each panel and page drew me in through a constant use of atmospheric details that never felt like a bombardment, but rather a welcoming signal for this particular outing. And in the colors by Morgan Hickman and the whole of the book is ready to impress. So buy it for the pictures!

Project Superpowers: Blackcross #1 is a smartly conceived outing that may be all hook but you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way as this comic earns the right to come highly recommended.