Bigger Than Capes

Writer: Eric Palicki
Artist: Wendell Cavalcanti
Letterer: Rob Steen
Publisher: Ahoy Comics

Strummer is a private investigator, she’s also a werewolf, and a walking reference to The Clash. Lucky for me I like all of those things in my comics.

We open to find Strummer bleeding out in her bath, with a silver bullet in her side, knife in hand. From there it doesn’t take long for the story to develop, introducing Strummer’s half Djinn partner Ben, Eddie Barnhardt (Strummer’s following him because he’s cheating on his wife, y’know classic PI stuff), and the group that are responsible for the bullet in Strummer’s side – The Brotherhood Of Fenris.

As far as detective stories go Black’s Myth #1 delivers a lot of what you’ll likely expect, but it’s the supernatural aspects that make this story stand out. Strummer showing off her werewolf side to take on members of the group that have already tried to kill her once, Ben showcasing his djinn abilities to make a hasty exist and do some interrogating, and Strummer’s dog Grim being revealed to be more that he initially seems. They’re all great ideas that really keep this issue interesting. We wrap up with a classic Film Noir kind of setup, introducing us to Rainsford Black, a man who’s had a family heirloom stolen from him in the form of a pistol and some extra special silver bullets.

Eric Palicki’s writing here works really well, ticking both the classic Film Noir and supernatural world boxes I was hoping for, and making both feel well realised. I do have to draw attention to the fact that Ben makes us aware he’s from Manchester and not London early on in this issue, and as the majority of the Bigger Than Capes team are based in the Manchester area I feel we are going to need to see some credentials in the coming issues.

Wendell Cavalcanti’s artwork really suits the story being told, using it’s black and white simplicity in much the same way as books like The Walking Dead: to keep the focus on the story being told, rather than the violence of the werewolf woman tearing holes in those she’s fighting. 

While there’s never been a shortage of comic books with a supernatural twist, Black’s Myth #1 manages to feel unique throughout, introducing ideas I haven’t come across before. However at the same time it maintains a classic Film Noir PI feel, and if I’m honest that’s something I’m always a sucker for.