“Black Bolt, Vol. 1: Hard Time”

“Once you get to the end you realize not much happened. A thing would happen, then its opposite would happen. Something would wind up, then unwind itself.

Something I don’t usually love is the story about a superhero who loses their powers. It’s cool to do once in a while, but it’s a really common theme, and it can be self-defeating. If Black Bolt can talk and doesn’t have his powers, then why does it matter one bit that it’s Black Bolt in the pages? It could easily be any number of characters slotted into this story, which makes it less interesting.

It’s especially bad when characters lose and regain powers when the story needs them to. There’s no real explanation or logic to it. It’s not predictable what Black Bolt will and won’t be able to do with his powers and when they won’t work. It’s just a matter of them working when it’s time for them to work and end the story.

Absorbing Man was great. I liked that he was in there. But the rest of the crew was pretty dull.

The art was interesting. It was pretty to look at, although it was a little Batman: Arkham Asylum at times, by which I mean it gets messy and there are times when I can’t really tell what’s going on.

I’d recommend the Inhumans comic from Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee. That’s where it’s at. “