The 'Black Hammer' universe continues to expand in incredible and surprising directions.
Where the heck will the Black Hammer comics take us next? Seriously, we can't predict it. Jeff Lemire's superhero universe began life as one thing, took a hard left, and became something totally different and seemingly finite. Then, it went back a bit and blew up into this incredible mini-meta-Marvel-DC comics playground. Just when you think you got a hold of what it is, a new series pops up and throws in a new wrinkle.
Jeff Lemire's latest Black Hammer spin-off is The Unbelievable Unteens, made in partnership with artist Tyler Crook. Crook, you may recall, worked with Lemire on Colonel Weird: Cosmagog, which ranks as one of Black Hammer's best narrative branches, or cosmic black holes. Crook is a gnarly talent. His panels soak in your head. Once they're there, good luck getting rid of them. And you might want to because some of his images are the most dreadful things we've ever seen. They creep in at night just as your head hits the pillow. Never fails.
The other beauty of these Black Hammer spin-off titles is that you do not need to have read the original stories to key into them. Sure, they help, but if you dip into Skulldiger and Skeleton Boy or Sherlock Frankenstein, you'll get everything you need to appreciate the story on its own. Each one is a specially packaged morsel.
So, yeah, we're sold on this one. Does it help Dark Horse Comics is previewing a rad John McCrea cover along with their press release? Sure, you bet. McCrea is a master too. But we were gonna pick this book up no matter what was on the front page.
A New Spin-Off Series by Jeff Lemire and Tyler Crook, the Team Behind ‘Colonel Weird: Cosmagog’
MILWAUKIE, Ore., (May 21, 2021)—The world of the Eisner Award-winning Black Hammer series continues to expand with this meta team superhero saga taking place between two different worlds in The Unbelievable Unteens! Written by critically acclaimed author and Black Hammer co-creator Jeff Lemire (Berserker Unbound, Sweet Tooth: The Return) and illustrated by returning Black Hammer artist, Tyler Crook (Colonel Weird: Cosmagog, Harrow County), The Unbelievable Unteens spins a genre-bending origin story for a brand-new superhero team! After signing at a comic book convention, Unbelievable Unteens artist Jane Ito finds herself visited by one of the characters from her own creation—but was it her own creation? Were the Unteens an actual school of teenaged misfit superheroes who battled supervillains under the lead of the mysterious Dr. Miles Moniker? And if so, who wiped their memories and why? As Jane’s world is turned upside down and she learns the true nature of her identity she discovers a sinister plot leading her to assemble a team she had suspected was purely fictional. “The Unbelievable Unteens is a Black Hammer story that I have been working on for a few years and was just waiting for the right time and the right collaborator,” said Lemire. “After doing Colonel Weird with Tyler Crook I knew he would be perfect to bring the creepy and wonderful teenage super hero world of the Unteens to life. This series stands alone but will also tie back into the new Black Hammer: Reborn series in unexpected ways!" “I loved working with Jeff Lemire on Colonel Weird: Cosmamgog and was very excited that he wanted to continue working with me on The Unbelievable Unteens,” Crook added. “I haven’t had many opportunities to work on superhero stories and this book gave me the chance to scratch that itch. I can’t wait for readers to get to know these characters and the weird events that made these Unteens so “unbelievable”!” The Unbelievable Unteens #1 (of four) will hit comic shops August 11, 2021. It is available for pre-order at your local comic shop. Praise for Black Hammer: "Amazing. Just flat-out amazing."–Patton Oswalt "I don't read many comics these days, and I can't remember the last time I read a superhero comic, but I'm loving Black Hammer…"–Mike Mignola "Black Hammer is easily one of Lemire's best creations."–Scott Snyder "On my pull list by the time I got to page five."–Mark Waid "Black Hammer is the maddest, most brilliant comic I’ve read in years."–Mark Millar "This book is a freaking masterpiece."–James Gunn
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