Black Terror - di Max Bemis

[Azrael]

Black Terror #1 (Published by Dynamite Entertainment; Review by David Pepose; 'Rama Rating: 3 out of 10):

If you don't know who the Black Terror is, writer Max Bemis and artist Matt Gaudio's new series probably won't endear you to the old pulp hero. Similar to his work on Marvel's Foolkiller, Bemis' take on superheroism as seemingly an offshoot of mental illness can't help but feel a bit repellant - we're thrown into the deep end of the pool about a former hero who grapples with anxiety, depression, addiction and PTSD, and Bemis' immediate stance on the evils of drugs like Valium feels like a swipe at the millions of people who do take antidepressants and antianxiety drugs (and still manage not to go on a spree of violence). Gauido's artwork is cartoony in a style similar to Jim Calafiore — it gives the book a bounciness that rescues its subject matter from being hopelessly oppressive. That said, the story of the Black Terror can't escape the callousness of its premise, making this a book that's difficult to recommend to new readers or diehard fans alike.