Before dismissing Dark Horse’s “Blackwood” as another series about young students in a twisted school with a nontraditional curriculum, readers should know that this new horror miniseries has more than enough merits to make it our Pick of the Week.
Written by Evan DorkinCover by Veronica Fish
Illustrated by Veronica Fish
Laid Out and Lettered by Andy FishFrom the multi-Eisner award-winning creator of “Beasts of Burden” and the artist of “Archie” and “Slam” comes this supernatural fantasy about a magical murder in a sorcery school. When four teenagers with haunted pasts enroll in Blackwood College—a school that trains students in the occult—their desire to enhance their supernatural abilities and bond with others is hampered by an undead dean’s curse, ghosts in their dorm, a mischievous two-headed mummy-chimp, a plague of mutant insects, and the discovery of an ancient evil that forces our heroes to undergo a crash course in the occult for the sake of the world.
After a hauntingly twisted cold open, “Blackwood” launches into the introduction of its characters and setting with a breakneck pace, relying on a tight script by Dorkin and vivid artwork by Andy and Veronica Fish. While the eye-catching blacklight neon aesthetic from the cover does not carry through the book, Veronica Fish is certainly not afraid to make bold and unrestrained color choices that make for a beautifully garish primer into the purple and red world of Blackwood College.
Dorkin and team Fish plant a wheelbarrow full of breadcrumbs throughout this first issue, enough to wonder how they could possibly address them all in the span of a four-issue miniseries if the pacing of this first issue wasn’t so fast and furious. The script is clearly attuned to the rapid synapse-firing of teenaged brains, hurling lane-changing dialogue at readers at a pace equal to the narrative. Teenaged trivialities abound, but they are punctuated by moments of true and raw emotion. Capturing voices at this age can be a tricky thing as writers can sometimes imbue them with a maturity that is far in advance of their years, but Dorkin gets the tenor just right. When a character says, “I can’t help thinking. . . something about this place isn’t right,” some readers might be tempted to roll their eyes and think, “No shit.” But it’s the sort of observation that is the hallmark of a teenaged voice, perhaps lacking the experience to fully articulate feelings.
As brisk as the pace is, Dorkin goes the extra mile to give each of the main characters a distinct personality, skillfully playing them off each other. The design of the characters is also quite nice, giving each student and supporting character a unique appearance that makes each instantly recognizable in this ensemble piece. The rendering of the emotive facial expressions by team Fish are top notch too, and Dorkin’s script gives plenty of opportunities for quirky reactions and asides. If you’re wondering about the graphic nature of the horror-tinged images in “Blackwood,” it sits somewhere in between “Gotham Academy” and “Deadly Class.” Throw in a dash of an Archie Horror book and a smidge of “B.P.R.D.,” and the tone is just about right. This book is clearly aimed at a young adult crowd with only hints at truly heavy themes. While the book may explore the emotional depths of its characters, the driving force here seems to be in the telling of a ripping yarn that develops the reluctant teamwork of our four protagonists, not unlike the formation of a superhero team, or in this case, perhaps a PG-13 Scooby Doo gang.
Team Fish’s artwork is also showy without showing off. You won’t find any double page spreads to pour over. In Dorkin’s script there’s simply no time and space to waste. There are too many McGuffins and narrative details to give readers. This is not to say that this is a dense read. It actually moves along at a perfect pace, deftly balancing text and visuals. It’s even more impressive that the book doesn’t rely on narration boxes or a single POV, like a screenplay revealing everything we need to know through visuals, action, and dialogue alone.
Continued belowWe don’t even really know the exact nature of Blackwood College apart from it being an alternative college for those with an interest in the occult and the paranormal. We know that some of the locals in the small town where the school is located are not fans of the place, but we don’t know why. We know that it’s in an area with an abundance of cemeteries, but we don’t know why that is either. There are definitely lots of secrets that will be revealed in this series, but its refreshing that Dorkin doesn’t feel the need to explain much at this stage. In fact, nothing in this setup issue feels too strange to require explanation as doing so would likely ruin some of the fun of mysterious plot. Even the explanations provided by the dean’s assistant charged with welcoming the new students to campus are vague, dismissive, or misleading.
Absent any straight talk from the grown ups in the story, the teen protagonists quickly get to know each other in the uncomfortable way that young (and sometimes old) people often do, through combative, awkward, or cynical posturing. It’s in this dynamic that the book really sings, and Dorkin’s script finds a way to bring this squabbling foursome together before their first night on campus is over. Sure, there are mysteries and creatures spawned from hell afoot, but the real mystery is how these four very different kids will end up getting along.
Final verdict: 8.0 – The first issue of “Blackwood” contains a ton of narrative detail and visual delights, but each aspect is in service to an intriguing horror story setup that feels more promising with each page turn.
