VICTORIA BLACK #1, from Second Sight Publishing on Kickstarter, gives new meaning to the phrase “Bad Momma” with a lethal assassin who takes out her targets and gets home in time to kiss her kids goodnight.
The Details
- Written by: Bradley Golden
- Art by: Dan García
- Colors by: Memo Regalado
- Letters by: Jaime Martínez
- Cover art by: Gleidson Ribeiro (cover A)
- Cover price: $6.00 (digital)
- Release date: August 2018
Is It Good?
VICTORIA BLACK #1 is a serviceable start to a new anti-hero in Second Sight’s catalog of comic characters, featuring a loving mother who just so happens to be a top-level assassin. Is this first issue a killer or D.O.A.? A little bit of both but more killer than not.
The high point of this issue is Golden’s central premise about a single mother of triplets who takes out crooks and villains, even the superpowered variety. Besides the occasional appearance of the Punisher or Deadpool, there are very few comics on the market featuring an anti-hero assassin of the street-level variety, and there’s certainly none featuring a woman. In short, this is a unique premise and setup that’s worth watching.
The plot surrounds Victoria Black coming home from a fresh assignment when she discovers a betrayal and plot against her that puts her back on her heels. Golden’s pacing is good, there’s a twist you won’t’ see coming, and the stakes grow greatly once the gravity of the twist becomes apparent.
However, the writing isn’t without its shortcomings. The dialog and narration are rough. The issue would benefit greatly from the creators speaking the words out loud to reduce the clunkiness of how the words come across on the page.
The art is a very odd, mixed bag. The sets, backgrounds, and objects (guns, motorcycles, etc.) all look great. The coloring work, in particular, is phenomenal with an engaging range of textures, tones, and contours to give the art life. That said, the character anatomies, especially in the faces, range from okay to terrible. Thankfully the coloring saves the character art, but some panels have characters that look downright ugly.
To be clear, this is an indie comic, so we always encourage creators to keep pursuing their respective journeys. The point of this critique is to let the creators know there are improvements to be done, and the journey isn’t over yet. Improve and keep going!
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 narrator following a wealthy businessman, slum lord, and drug runner named John Dixon McCartney. Later, Mccartney enjoys the company of a high-priced call girl when an assassin’s bullet separate’s his brain from his body. Victoria Black calls in her latest kill from a nearby rooftop when she receives a call from home. The babysitter, Veccy, needs advice about handling a rash on one of Black’s kids.
That evening, Black returns home to kiss her kids goodnight and thank Veccy for her help. After Veccy leaves, Black receives a call for her next assignment to terminate a member of the Powerverse Gang. Black steps outside to take out the trash to consider her assignment when she hears the familiar click of a sniper rifle. We conclude the issue with a betrayal, a remote audience, and an escalation.
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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VICTORIA BLACK #1 is a serviceable start to a unique anti-hero assassin series. The central premise and main character are unique, the pacing is good, and parts of the art look great, especially the coloring. That said, the dialog and narration are rough, and the character art is tough on the eyes.
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