Black Hammer #3 Review

The third issue of Black Hammer and it's another good issue. There is so much that I love about this series and this is what got me into checking out more of Jeff Lemire's work. With this issue we find out more about Barbalien. Their back story and how they came from Mars and their current situation of feeling like they don't fit in anywhere.

I really like how with this being a comic about golden age super heroes that it is also incorporating elements of martians. We now know that there are not martians but in the past during the golden age, there was more excitement and things going on with the sci-fi genre that people liked to believe that there were martians. Maybe they knew back then that there weren't either but people liked to think about it a lot it seems and I like that it's a part of this series. It has some of the fun elements that I like about stories with martians and the unknown about that planet. I also like the variety with this group of characters, there are earthlings, a robot of some sort, and a martian.

Barbalien was known as Mark Markz on Mars, his father had united the Red Tribes on Mars but he is looked at as a coward there. A spaceship from NASA lands on Mars which worries some there so Mark is sent there to check it out and is how he came to inhabit Earth. His first day on earth he stops a couple criminals and takes on the appearance of a police officer, he seems to be able to change his appearance and it looks like he has kept the cop who actually happened to get shot and killed by one of the criminal's.

Also in this issue Abe and Tammy's relationship is escalating even though it's kind of a complicated thing because of his “family” back at his place. Also in the present time Barbalien goes to church for the first time, has a little run in with Tammy's ex Trueheart, the sheriff. Gail and Barbalien chat for a bit about how they don't really fit in. And at the very end, it looks like a satellite or ship of some sorts has landed on earth and a new character named Dr. Trigg might know where it came from.

I really like how the beginning of this series is giving us bits of information about people's back stories, some of what was in the past back in Spiral City, what is happening now with this group in this small town, and other things going on in the present time and I am super excited about where this is going and how it's going to play out. It feels like there is going to be a big collision of sorts with all these stories happening.

At the end of this issue, Dean Ormston who continues to do such a great job with the artwork goes into part of the process with designing the cover, putting in elements of Mars and Barbalien. I do hope there is more about Mars and seeing Ormston's depiction of Mars with the architecture and environment.

There is also big news recently about how there is going to be an annual for this series coming January 18^th in a few months. Seems like Dark Horse is investing in this comic a good amount and they are bringing a lot of people on board for the annual. I am happy that Nate Powell (March, Any Empire) will be doing some of the artwork. I know him more as the tall lanky dude with the awesome band Soophie Nun Squad that isn't around anymore. Dustin Nguyen (The Authority), Matt Kindt (MIND MGMT, Dept. H), and Ray Fawkes (The People Inside) are also involved.

I am so curious about what the annual is going to be about. Maybe it will be the big moment when more information is given about Black Hammer or that they are finally reunited with this group. Hopefully with a few more issues coming out, more might be known about what to expect from the annual.