Years ago, I started on the Black Hammer comics. I reviewed a few issues, but then life got in the way. I lost track of them for a couple of months, and before I knew it, I was hopelessly behind on the story. This was back when they first came out, so I assumed it would be an arc of one or two volumes, tops, and it would be easy to catch up again with a little effort. But then came another volume, and another, and sequels, and spinoffs… And my hopes of getting back on the Black Hammer train got slimmer and slimmer.

But now along comes Spiral City – a brand-new story in the world of Black Hammer which the description heralded as “a new era and a brand new cast of heroes,” and “a bold, new vision for the Black Hammer Universe.” If ever there was a place to jump back into Black Hammer, this seems to be it. And luckily for me, it starts with a very brief, very basic recap of everything we need to know from the Black Hammer Universe at large.

Years ago, a group of heroes disappeared without a trace—but more recently, they re-emerged to vanquish a great evil. Now that the evil is gone, however, the population seems to have turned on superheroes in general, calling to expel them from Spiral City. That call is being led by Malcolm Gold, a megalomaniac who controls a large portion of the city and will likely control much more, if his bid for mayor is successful.

Meanwhile, an anthropomorphic bug in a fedora and trench coat has been called into existence somewhere in Spiral City and now seeks to fulfill his destiny of becoming the world’s greatest private detective: Inspector Insector. Met with a bit of a rough start, he ends up in the seedy part of town: a four-block radius that was destroyed by the aforementioned vanquished evil and is now both the last refuge for expelled supers and a free-for-all of superpowered crime, violence, and destruction. Not the most glamorous area, but as good a place as any for Inspector Insector to hang out his detective shingle and look for a mystery to solve.

I’m really liking this comic so far. It’s got a superhero vibe, a fairy tale vibe, and a noir detective vibe, so basically, I’m sold. The story is bizarre, but also familiar. Take away the superpowers and the talking bug, and Spiral City seems a whole lot like the U.S. in its current tumultuous state.

The story follows several different characters on their separate journeys—which presumably, by the end, will all intersect. (Or should I say insect?—No, I probably shouldn’t. That would be beneath me.) All the arcs are interesting, but my favorite by far is Inspector Insector. He’s weird and hilarious and completely clueless, and I want him to have his own spinoff title. This being the Black Hammer Universe, he’ll probably get one.

At any rate, whether you’re a fan of Black Hammer, completely new to the series, or fell off like I did and have been looking for a place to jump back in, Spiral City looks like it’s going to be a fun comic and one worth reading. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next issue.

Creative Team: Jeff Lemire (writer), Teddy Kristiansen (artist) Nate Piekos of BLAMBOT® (letterer)
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
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