CHILDREN OF THE BLACK SUN #1, from Ablaze Publishing on January 4th, 2023, begins a terrifying story about a cosmic event that cascades the world into despair and destruction on two separate days. Now, the children conceived in those days become harbingers that will change the Earth forever.
The Details
- Written by: Dario Sicchio
- Art by: Letizia Cadonici
- Colors by: Francesco Segala
- Letters by: Ingegni
- Cover art by: Letizia Cadonici (cover A)
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: January 4, 2023
Is It Good?
“Wait a minute,” you exclaim. “That description sounds familiar.” That’s right, CHILDREN OF THE BLACK SUN #1 is a modern variation on The Village of the Damned (1960), right down to the strange kids born with white hair and freaky eyes. That doesn’t mean this isn’t a good comic. It is. But it does mean this first issue will sound mighty familiar to readers who’ve watched the aforementioned film.
We won’t get into too many specifics here (read through to the next section for a synopsis with light spoilers), but just know a cosmic event turned the Sun black on two separate occasions. The effect on the world during both days was profound and devastating, and it’s the creeping sense of growing unease that Dario Sicchio’s script earns the cover price. When we catch up with the inhabitants of Brightvale, the cosmic event is years in the past, but the uncomfortable dread that something is about to break is so palpable you could scoop it up with a spoon.
The down point of this issue is not a true down point but a yellow caution flag. The parallels to The Village of the Damned (1960) are too big to ignore. In fairness, it’s too early to tell what direction Sicchio will go after this first issue, so we’ll chalk this caution up as a “wait and see.”
This issue also marks our first exposure to Letizia Cadonici’s art style, and Cardonici’s aesthetic is an excellent fit for Sicchio’s material. The “children” are just close enough to humans to be relatable but just creepy enough in their physical appearance and posture to be off-putting. There’s something “spidery” about the children that will put you on edge, and Caonici’s art amplifies Sicchio’s already unsettling script.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with a middle-school-aged boy reading off an essay about a strange cosmic event that happened twice several years ago. Sixteen years ago, the Sun rose black for a single day. The event triggered mass hysteria, resulting in the deaths of millions. Four years later, the Sun rose black again, with similar consequences for Earth’s population. Now, children conceived during both days struggle to integrate into “normal” society since some see those children as cursed or abnormal.
Now, 12-year-old Matthew, one of the Black Sun children tries to make friends and be friendly to his classmates, but his slightly odd appearance makes him an outcast, except among other children like him. One day, Matthew encounters one of the 16-year-old Black Sun children, and he learns that Chris and his allies have decided to show Matthew what purpose their future holds.
We conclude the issue with religious zealots, dead dogs, and spittle.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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CHILDREN OF THE BLACK SUN #1 puts a fresh veneer on the modern retelling of The Village of the Damned (1960) with a sci-fi/horror tale about unusual children born during a bizarre cosmic event. The anxiety and unease are palpable as the story builds a growing sense of dread while accelerating toward some terrifyingly unknown destination.
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