Black Powder: Bloody Frontier Adventure #1

Black Powder: Bloody Frontier Adventure #1

Asylum Press 2011

By Dwayne Harris

Lettered by Bernie Lee

Robert Young, an ex-captain in the Barbary Wars, journeys up the Mississippi river on America's first steamboat to rescue the woman he loves from a gang of river pirates led by his cutthroat former commander. Along the way he encounters hostile Indians, swashbuckling battles, and several historical figures, all set against the backdrop of the catastrophic New Madrid earthquake of 1812 that reversed the flow of the Mississippi river.

Well I was contacted by Asylum Press for another reason and I asked for some books to review because i’ve never read anything from them. I’ve been missing out apparently and I had no idea that their books were this high quality, well okay I didn’t really know they existed to be fair. So when the books came and I saw the cover to this I knew I had to read it. I’m a sucker for historical fiction and more so when that fiction takes place during actual events so that we see the Ohio River and the Mississippi River being the main focus here at a time when this was still considered a lawless land, in 1812 the Mississippi marked the end of the United States everything west of it was either Spanish, Mexican or untamed so yeah it’s a fun period to set a book in that location.

I like the way that this is being told. How we see the angles and perspective in the panels along with how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well. There is a really great way that we’re introduced to the characters and this world and that we’re kind of dropped off smack dab in the middle of things which allows the reader to become more engaged in the story by making them think of the scenario and how this may have gotten underway. The character development is super and as we see the characters act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter it does a wonderful job of fleshing them out. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing this world, the story and introducing the characters it’s easy to get lost in what we see.

How the book is structured and how we see the layers within the story emerging and starting to play out is well conceived and achieved. How everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as move the story ever forward is delightfully rendered.

The interiors here are incredible. I didn’t realise you could this on the computer at such a level back then, listen to me 2011 is back then. The work is frakkin amazing and the level and quality of linework that we see creating the attention to detail is beyond anything you could hope for. Backgrounds are utilised as needed and the pin-up page that shows Pittsburgh is one of those take your breath away moments you’ll never forget. The composition within the panels bring us this great depth perception, sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the story. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkable eye for storytelling. The colour work is brilliantly rendered as well. How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is incredibly well laid down. The creativity and imagination we see throughout and how the characters are brought to life with such realness is startling and impeccably done.

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I am uber impressed with this book and it makes me excited to read the rest of the story. That I have also found a new publishing house that is this impressive with what they release is sensational to see. So get ready to sail the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers for some romance, epic fighting and a bit piracy that will bring you to a time you hadn't really thought about.