The Black Ghost

The Black Ghost is a 5 part Comixology Original by Alex Segura and Monica Gallagher. All 5 issues were  published in May 2021 in one volume by Dark Horse Comics and it promises a continuance of the story at the close of #5.  

Our main character is Lara Dominguez. She is a troubled Creighton cops reporter obsessed with the city's debonair vigilante - the Black Ghost. With the help of a mysterious cyber-informant named Lone, Lara has inched closer to uncovering the identity of the Ghost. But as she searches for the breakthrough story that she desperately needs for her paper, Lara navigates the corruption of her city, the uncertainties of virtue, and her own personal demons. The question is whether she can overcome those demons to write spectacular news stories.  

Lara is a fantastic character.  She is a lesbian vigilante of color but her sexual orientation and race do not figure into the story. Lara not only is a journalist but she also teaches a GED class. She is an alcoholic and this prevents her from advancing in her life and career. Another character that I liked was Ernesto who is one of Lara's GED students. He lives in the Dregs and unfortunately gets beat up because of his involvement with her.  Milano's bartender Molly and Lara's boss Maggie are also characters who were interesting and added depth to the story. Crime chieftain Barnabas is the villain of the story and Lara's former classmate Kelly works for him.. All of these characters would make for a fantastic long comic series.

The Black Ghost was a fun read. 5 out of 5 stars.

Book of Evil

The Book of Evil is a Comixology Original by Scott Snyder. Part 1 was published in October 2022. The book does not have the feel of a comic but rather an illustrated story about four young friends growing up in a strange future. In this future, over 92% of adolescents become psychopaths when they reach puberty. The four friends embark on a journey across America looking for a safe haven. As they search for this utopia, they find terror behind every corner. At this time, only two installments of the series have been published. #3 was supposed to have been published last month but I cannot find it.

The story was eerie as were the drawings by JOCK. The characters are supposed to reside inside the yellow yolk lines drawn on roads. If they leave the yolk, they get punished. If they get punished bad enough then they cannot become human.  All of the characters are named after famous authors such as Homer, Poe, Milton, Elliott, and Blake which must mean something. I just don't know what it is.

I must admit that I had a hard time following the plot. It seemed to me that the entire first entry only showed the reader what this strange world entailed. I also read part 2 of the series and have come to believe that this series is not for me. I will not be reading any future installments. The story was too weird for me but I know that there are comic fans out there who will enjoy it.