There's something unusual about the sleepy farming community of Rockwood: it's now the home of Spiral City's mysteriously vanished superheroes. But not by choice: they were banished to the town after a battle with the Anti-God, and now they're stuck within its boundaries. Lately, a new arrival in town has started asking questions, and she's discovering that its superpowered residents aren't the only strange thing about Rockwood . . .
Black Hammer is Dark Horse's best title to date. It's everything you want from this style of story in that it's taking the golden age and adding modern darkness to it. It works incredibly well, especially when paired with the mystery of why these people are trapped and if they'll ever get back home. I know I'll be here to find out. Read Full Review
Eight issues in, Ormston and Jeff Lemire have allowed readers to care about these fallen heroes as if they're lifelong friends. That, above everything else, is what makes this the best superhero comic on the stands. Read Full Review
With the story progressing it seems Black Hammer moves right back into the grooves of emotion I expect it to inhabit. Black Hammer is probably not for everyone, but if you enjoy the sadness and heartache that I've come to expect from the series this issue definitely kicks off the new arc with a kick to emotions. Read Full Review
Black Hammer continues to be one of my favorite books in general and it's the kind of thing I already can't wait to read in full when all is said and done. The opening arc brought a lot of things into focus and now we're digging into the details more, piece by piece, and it's becoming an even more chilling storyline. If you subtract the super powers you basically have a Twilight Zone kind of storyline going on here and it works very well just from that perspective. Lemire and Ormston continue to craft a larger tale here and each new piece of it that comes into focus is engaging, but it's the smaller stories that win me over from issue to issue. There's a lot to like here and I already liked Gail, but damn if this round of backstory just make her all the more a tragic figure that I'm really hoping finds a safe path out of this to what she deserves. Read Full Review
Lemire has stated that the series will only be about 18 to 20 issues, so we are already almost half way through. The uniqueness of this story, though, will certainly make readers wish there was no end in sight. He has done so much excellent character building by both past and current events in their lives that we have a strong connection to our heroes. If they are going to survive in the town much longer they are going to have to let go of whats holding them back. Otherwise they arent going to see the dangers around them until its too late. Absolutely grab this issue if you have been following along and if you havent then this would work as a jumping on point. Read Full Review
Black Hammer #8 does lay to rest most of my concerns coming out of issue #7. Its back to being great, which I guess shouldnt be a huge surprise considering the precedent it set with the first six issues. More people should be reading this book. Read Full Review
Another bittersweet, moving issue of Black Hammer. Check it out if youre looking for something different from normal superheroics. Read Full Review
A spooky and puzzling issue that leaves us with more questions than answers. Read Full Review
I give this issue a 4 out 5 rating. However, I highly recommend this entire series. It has been incredible and expertly paced. It's an extremely well written and drawn title that mixes mystery with touches of a Golden Age look and feel. The characters themselves are interesting homages on existing characters that make them familiar to you at first, especially if you are a long time comic book reader, but then the story takes them in an entirely different direction, which is grounded and told in a realistic, adult manner. Read Full Review
Another great black hammer issue. What an end didn't see that happening.
Did Jeff Lemire really just kill Talky-Walky? Another great issue, but one that passed by so quickly. The Barbalien plot line was important, and the revelations about Gail were important too, and yet at no point does it feel like the pace slows, or that there is info-dump. Jeff Lemire is a great writer (I love so much of his work) and Black Hammer is a superb example of his abilities that is perfectly matched by Dean Ormston's art and Dave Stewart's exemplary colouring.
Black Hammer is close to a perfect comic book, and #8 is a great example if it.
Damn Gail... Damn Walkie.. Best superhero book. PERIOD. Nuff Said