Series: Black Science
Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: Matteo Scalera
Colorist: Dean White
Summary from Comixology: “Anarchist scientist Grant McKay has done the impossible! Using the Pillar, he has punched a hole through the barriers between dimensions, allowing travel to all possible universes. But now Grant and his team are trapped in the folds of infinity, the Pillar sending them careening through a million universes of unimaginable adventure, sanity-flaying danger and no way home… Presenting the first mind-warping chapter of the critically acclaimed sci-fi epic by superstar creative team of writer RICK REMENDER (Uncanny Avengers, Captain America) and artist MATTEO SCALERA (Secret Avengers).”
Overview:
I’m pretty much becoming a Rick Remender fan boy at the moment. He is knocking out some seriously awesome books as of late. Deadly Class, Uncanny Avengers, Captain America and Low have all been great series. Now, I haven’t read Captain America or Low, but Stephen Andrew really loves those series and talkes about them fairly often. One of the reasons I really like Remender as a writer is because he’s an old school punker, and, I used to be heavily involved in my local punk/hardcore scene so I can relate with Remender on that topic. Although It wasn’t the 80’s when I was involved… One of my all time favorite bands is Black Flag (Henry Rollins Era) and our main character Grant McKay has the Black Flag bars tattooed on him (which I’ve been meaning to get done for a while now). I also think of myself as somewhat of an “anarchist” so that grabbed my attention as well. What’s more badass then an anarchist science adventure that goes terrible wrong? I would also like to mention that black is the “color-code” for anarchy. Which explains the band name Black Flag, and this series be titled Black Science. The more you know!
Highs:
This book is really weird. Like, dancing stripper frogs weird. Or like fishes as horses weird. It also has some steampunk war scenes with Germans fighting Native Americans. Besides the wierdness of the book, it’s also very spacey. Like involves different dimensions and crazy alien species. This comic really doesn’t fit in a box, and I think that’s what makes it so special. There really isn’t another comic being published like Black Science. I also want to mention that the writing is really topnotch, the trade is 6 issues, but there is a ton of character development and plot twists. You really need to pay attention to what’s going on and try to read between the lines. Matteo Scalera and Dean White make a perfect artistic team, I can’t think of anyone else in the industry who could bring this chaos to life as well as these two did. There is so much attention to detail on every page that it makes you wonder how long they spent on art. The book is truly beautiful, and the scenes of graphic nature are done in a very artistic way.
Lows:
This book is really weird. Like, dancing stripper frogs weird. Or like fishes as horses weird. It also has some steampunk war scenes with Germans fighting Native Americans. For some people, it might be too weird. If you are used to the clean lines of what can and can’t happen in the Big 2 Publishers, this might not be the best first experience with an Image book. In all honesty, this book was almost too weird for me. It took me two reads to fall in love with the series. If you do pick it up, just know it’s pretty fucking out-there.
The Final Say:
If you are looking for a new series to read, I think you just found it. If you are into weird, crazy, and sci-fi epics, then this is what you need to read. Just know, it’s really weird, but totally worth it. The first volume is only $9.99 and YOU CAN NOT BEAT that price. The second volume is $14.99, but it’s totally worth the 5 extra dollars. Over all, I’m going to have to give this volume a 4 out of 5 stars. The only reason it’s not a solid 5 is because I personally feel like the weirdness of this series will be a major turn off for some readers.
Music Pairing:
As I said above, Remender is a punker at heart, and so is Grant McKay. So with that being said, since this series is about an anarchist science team, you must jam 1980’s NYC Anaracho-Punk band Reagan Youth while you read along to Black Science. (In the typical punk mentality, Reagan Youth just wanted to offend people. They are not members of The Ku Klux Klan, the album artwork was for shock value)