Writer: Saladin Ahmed / Artist: Christian Ward / Marvel
Got treasures in my mind but couldn’t open up my own vault”-Kanye West
Maaaaaan, it’s hard for a king out here. Black Bolt done lost his kingdom, his queen, and now his freedom. We got Saladin Ahmed on the track behind our first solo series adventure with Black Bolt and things are not looking good for ya mans. Black Bolt is one of the most powerful beings in Marvel period and we find big homie helpless and being tortured at someone else’s whim in a prison that was meant for his brother, Maximus. This prison ain’t a white color day spa. This shit is deep out in space and got Black Bolt’s ass running around as if he’s in the Diddy Victory music video [which was an homage to The Running Man film].
Ahmed is giving us Prison Break in space people. Now you may also be thinking that Black Bolt can use his powers to escape, and you’d be wrong there. This place ain’t letting your boy live his best life which is what will keep you intrigued. Ahmed has taken away Black Bolt powers, which means now we’re really going to see the mechanics that makes the Inhuman / man that was once king, tick. I’m feeling the dread and lack of wherewithal happening for Bolt in this issue, they got your boy out here looking like Bane in the pit, man.
The entire time I was reading this issue I had the Deshi Basara chant in my head while I was looking at Black Bolt muzzled up.
Give it up for Christian Ward’s visuals killing this iteration of Black Bolt being down on his luck. From the opening shot, the desperation is full on as we see Black Bolt being knocked unconscious from pain and trying to endure. The repetition of trying to figure out where he is and at times who he is in the narration is a subtle touch that helps drive home just how out of his wheelhouse Black Bolt truly is this time. I can’t remember a time where Black Bolt was this down and out (Hulk fight doesn’t count in WWH cause that was a Skrull) and I’m fucking with it entirely.
Ahmed is going to give us the root of Black Bolt and Ward on art is the perfect pairing to get this adventure sold for us readers. I found it interesting with the narration style of the captions that are telling the story. It feels like a trek back to the older comic books with the character’s point of view being interpreted instead of us listening in to the character’s thoughts on a personal level. I’m looking forward to how this way of navigating through Black Bolt’s series will shape our point of view for this adventure.
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