Black Terror #1 Spoilers. Read only if you wish....

[comixfan1980]

Issue stars out with the gang looking down on the city talking about what they had done in the middle east and weather or not it was the right thing to do, then action jumps right in to US Jones running into a group of patrol soldiers led by a mysterious shadowy figure. Jones recognizes the person in the shadow (though we cannot see him) and says something like..."It can't be you?....why are you doing this, you will not get away with this." or something to that effect. Later on the group is watching tv in a bar or something and the news reveals President West is initiating a terrorist action on our heroes and sending legions of the black suited troops to capture and kill the guys, oh no! A big fight begins and Terror finds a sword inside of a museum after being drilled through a wall by a soldier, and after a revealing moment betwen he and the crusaders having revealing Tim to be at the white house in Washington he breaks the glass display, takes the sword and begins lopping heads off. After the battle Jet tries to talk Bob out of going to the White House but Terror decides he must rescue Tim after having flashbacks of when he first recruited him.

Issue seemed short, maybe Thats because it was so fun.

[md62]

Thanks for the summary. I can't wait for Wed to read my copy!

[comixfan1980]

Thanks for the summary. I can't wait for Wed to read my copy!

Again I gotta say, the issue flew by for me, it felt like 10 pages, but man was it good. I love the darker art and it reminds me a bit of Carlos Paul's work but slightly better and more crisp.

[MadMikeyD]

after a revealing moment betwen he and the crusaders having revealing Tim to be at the white house in Washington

They never actually said it was Tim, just that there was a sidekick held prisoner there. Terror needs to believe it's Tim for his actions to be justified in his own mind.

My question, did the Crusaders tell him this to set him up for a trap? Or is Archie Masters out there somewhere, linked with these Crusaders somehow, and trying to get a message to his friends?

[comixfan1980]

They never actually said it was Tim, just that there was a sidekick held prisoner there. Terror needs to believe it's Tim for his actions to be justified in his own mind.

My question, did the Crusaders tell him this to set him up for a trap? Or is Archie Masters out there somewhere, linked with these Crusaders somehow, and trying to get a message to his friends?

I'm just taking a guess but maybe they do have Tim and BT rescues him just to find that he is upset that Terror didn't hold up his end of the bargain and protect him, he let him get sucked into the urn. It could spawn through all of the sidekicks and in itself create the group they previewed in the prelude book.

[ultrajack]

Thanks for the summary. I can't wait for Wed to read my copy!

in project superpowers prelude black terror issue 1 is advertised to ship nov 5. at diamond previews it's not on this week or next weeks shipping list. why is DE screwing with us by giving out false shipping dates.

[MadMikeyD]

Hmmm... Last week Diamond had it on the Nov. 5 list. Diamond is not always 100% accurate though. The DE newsletter and the CBR and Newsarama previews say it will ship this week. Hopefully it does.

[comixfan1980]

The guy at my local comic shop said he has recieved his shipment and plan on putting it out today (I spoke to him yesterday).

[MadMikeyD]

The guy at my local comic shop said he has recieved his shipment and plan on putting it out today (I spoke to him yesterday).

That's good to hear!

[Ghornet2]

I agree it made a nice epilogue for he main series and a goo start of the Black Terror story.

It looks like the Crusaders are imperfect clones of Archie Masters, the original American Crusader and that he may still be around and at least in contact with the clones.

Is Tim a prisoner in the White House? I kind of hope no. I hope that they are playing Terror, knowing how he would react.

An A++ in my opinion

[comixfan1980]

I kind of hope they are throwing Terror for a loop as well, but it would make an interesting story if he was there at the white house on his own will because he is mad that Terror didn't protect him. Now the painful wait for issue #2 :/

[Glens46golden]

I didn't really like the story, but I'm not giving up on the series. I really hope that Dynamite gets better writers. It is my hope that DC, Marvel and Dynamite will be the Big 3 of publishing super heroe comic books. They have the list of characters, but they need to do better with their stories.

[comixfan1980]

I didn't really like the story, but I'm not giving up on the series. I really hope that Dynamite gets better writers. It is my hope that DC, Marvel and Dynamite will be the Big 3 of publishing super heroe comic books. They have the list of characters, but they need to do better with their stories.

I couldn't disagree more. Thing I like about the DE writing is thatbits different and in my opinion better than DC or Marvel, I wouldn't want to see Bendis or Johns writing DE books in the style they would write the big 2's. I hope DE gets some great writers in the future but keep the pacing the same.

[Ghornet2]

I didn't really like the story, but I'm not giving up on the series. I really hope that Dynamite gets better writers. It is my hope that DC, Marvel and Dynamite will be the Big 3 of publishing super heroe comic books. They have the list of characters, but they need to do better with their stories.

What's wrong with their stories? We've had one and a quarter stories so far. The first story (P:SP) was good, a little hamstrung by having to introduce all these "new" characters, but a good starting point. Black Terror is just getting started but we have all sorts of hints and inuendos; Is it Tim the Crusaders were talking about, what's up with Archie Masters and just what is his connection with the Crusaders, what happened to U.S. Jones?

Why didn't you like the story? Can you be specific?

[Ghornet2]

I managed to get a copy with the Romita cover. From the pictures I was worried that they went overboard id distressing it, but it looks great. Now I'll probably have to pick up the Romita Death Defying Devil and Masquerade covers as well. :o

[captainzero]

I didn't really like the story, but I'm not giving up on the series. I really hope that Dynamite gets better writers. It is my hope that DC, Marvel and Dynamite will be the Big 3 of publishing super heroe comic books. They have the list of characters, but they need to do better with their stories.

I side with you, Glens. I didn't really like the way the story was told... but I'm not giving up on the series. I, too, really hope that Dynamite gets better writers.... and I hope Dynamite joins Marvel and DC to be one of the "Big 3" in publishing Super Hero Comic Books.
They DO have a good character list of heroes...and with Alex Ross.. and now Lilly they have started to build their "bullpen" of Artists..... but they NEED to do better with their story telling.
Whether they need better writers and/or editors... they need to do better.
Maybe Alex, Jim, and Nick need to step back and be editors and "guides" to where the line is going... but not write the stories themselves.

I know 2 of my friends have dropped DE SP and books in this line from their pull-list because of the bad story-telling. And I have to agree with them.
And there is criticism of the story-telling on-line that I, sadly, have to agree with ... having to do with the stories.
Most fans aren't as forgiving. :(

[captainzero]

It is a nice package. Nice art on the cover. Good quality covers and interior paper... Lilly does a good job with the art.
But All that doesn't make it a well told story.!! :(
I'd rather have a well told story on crappy, cheap paper... than a badly told story on slick paper.

It's a muddy mess... that goes well with the look and story of the first series. Muddy art... muddy story.
... but nice covers... nice character sketches... great hope for the future of the line.

[comixfan1980]

I guess a lot of people are going to have different opinions on the stories, a few hate it and a few love it, I am one of the ones loving it.

What didn't you like about the flow of the story inpaticular? What I did love about it was the white house/sidekicks plot and the battle between the Crusaders and Terror, it all flowed so smooth to me, also the confrontation between Terror and Lama gave me goosebumps :)


It is a nice package. Nice art on the cover. Good quality covers and interior paper... Lilly does a good job with the art.
But All that doesn't make it a well told story.!! :(
I'd rather have a well told story on crappy, cheap paper... than a badly told story on slick paper.

It's a muddy mess... that goes well with the look and story of the first series. Muddy art... muddy story.
... but nice covers... nice character sketches... great hope for the future of the line.

[md62]

I enjoyed the story. I do agree that Dynamite really needs to do something to make the art look less muddy. I had the same complaint about the regular SP story arc. It's a turn off & probably has impulse buyers putting the book back on the shelf.

[MadMikeyD]

Comics Bulletin has their review up. They seem to like what they read.

http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/122677158917898.htm

[bill_nolan]

I haven't read it yet, but I sure do love the Tim Sale alternate cover. Looks better on my wall than it does on the comic, of course, but it's still awesome to see it in print! ;)

http://www.comicartfans.com/Images/Category_1873/subcat_60010/saleblackterroronline.jpg

[Ghornet2]

I'm a writer, nothing has been published, but that doesn't stop me from writing. I hate it when people say they hate something but don't say why. 'It was a muddy mess' doesn't really say anything other then I didn't like how they told the story. WHAT DIDN'T YOU LIKE! They can't improve if they don't know what you think is wrong or bad.

I thought the story worked fine. A brief recap/wrap up of the first series and a nice set up for the Black Terror series. We got a mention of his origin, a look at his relationship with Tim, a couple of hints at what the first story arc will be and a good look at BT's personality.

What more could you want from a first issue?

[comixfan1980]

Comics Bulletin has their review up. They seem to like what they read.

http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/122677158917898.htm

Good review, I read a few reviews on the book and all of which have ranged from good to glowing.

[MadMikeyD]

CBR seems to be of the opposite opinion...

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=user_review&id=483

[Ranger01]

I haven't read the book as of this writing but I do agree on the art, muddy and no character defintion...my first take on this was Lilly et al are trying to capture the look of the era these characters come from, while laudable what exactly is the point of bringing these characters into the present and giving the reader a feeling they never left?

I'm not familiar with Lilly's art but when I saw a preview of his cover art for Black Terror #1, I was not impressed...not sure why but as best as I can describe there was a heaviness to the character.

Peter

[jsf]

Wow, the art was what I really liked. It reminded me of Moon Knight, when Sienkwicz was on it ... or even Neal Adams.

[Constantinople]

The most obvious problem is the art, which is drawn by Mike Lilly, digitally inked (or so it seems to me) and then "painted" by Vinicius Andrade. It's ugly, muddy, and grim. It's not so different from the look of the "Project Superpowers" series itself, and I guess that's the point, but that series didn't look good either.

They've got a point about the poorness of the art of Chapter One, which I felt slowly declined until issue 7. Black Terror, though, is a great improvement on this and the art reflects well the general feel of the comic: Black Terror's main affliction from Pandora's Box isn't an upgrade in powers as much as the Bulleteers or Masquerade, but a deep wound on his mental health. Black Terror has become darker, mentally. Before it was practically a laugh, fighting the Nazi and (other) criminals while declaring various witisms but now Black Terror has entered a world where black and white morals no longer exist, only Blacker and Grey.

[captainzero]

CBR seems to be of the opposite opinion...

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=user_review&id=483

I'm closer to this review.
But I liked this issue of BLACK TERROR better than... the chapter one.
To me, the writing is as "muddy"(I saw the series as "muddy" before I read any of these reviews.) ... as the art and writing in the first 7 issues.
The writing just isn't very clear..... characters aren't "defined" well... and I'm uneasy about some aspects of these heroes...Or the writers.

I'll try to give some of my reasons soon. I'm just too busy and tired to get into it now.
But I want you to know-- that I'm critical BECAUSE I care about the direction of Project: SuperPowers... not because I want them to fail. I WANT them to succeed with this "Project". I really like this idea of the returning GA Heroes.
These heroes!!

So far, ... I'm a bit disappointed. :(
And I like Lilly's art better than the really muddy stuff in the series.

[comixfan1980]

Wow, the art was what I really liked. It reminded me of Moon Knight, when Sienkwicz was on it ... or even Neal Adams.

It kind of has this look all it's own to it, and I did love those Moon Knight issues as well. I'm glad the art came out the way it did, I personally look toward to more!