A Man Of The People – Year Of The Villain: Black Adam #1 Reviewed
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
Shazam is on his way to Kahndaq, and he has been infected by the Batman Who Laughs. He intends to rule the country after ridding it of its current leader, Black Adam. However, Adam does not intend to let this happen, and he will put up a fight. However, Kahndaq is beginning to doubt its leader and the freedoms he has granted them, and Black Adam will need the power of Kahdaq’s people if he is to protect them from the coming of King Shazam.
Year of the Villain: Black Adam #1 finds Teth Adam in the peculiar position of the hero. The Infected Shazam intends to make Kahndaq his own, and he bears recklessness and malice in his heart.
That said, the comic makes no bones about the kind of leader Black Adam is. He’s an unelected autocrat who won control of the country by killing its previous dictator. He makes an obvious power play in letting Kahndaq’s military try to fight Shazam on his own, only to save them himself in the nick of time. His people want something more from him, and he is unwilling to cede control…yet.
Despite this, Adam does hold a love for Kahndaq, and that’s never questioned in the course of the comic. It’s shown even more in the conclusion of the comic.
Inaki Miranda gives the comic a mid-2000’s aesthetic with heavier shadowing and smoother detailing. It looks good and, at times, resembles some of the Green Arrow work of Phil Hester. Hi-Fi’s coloring keeps the visuals lively throughout, especially during the epic showdown between Adam and Shazam.
Year of the Villain: Black Adam #1 is an excellent character story of Teth Adam and the relationship he holds with his people. It also unabashedly proclaims that Kahndaq is better ruled by someone who knows the people and country than some haughty foreign invader…which is quite bold, all things considered. In any case, this one gets a strong recommendation. Give it a read.
Year of the Villain: Black Adam #1 comes to us from writer Paul Jenkins, artist Inaki Miranda, color artist Hi-Fi, letterer Tom Napolitano, and cover artist John Romita Jr., Klaus Janson, and color artist Alex Sinclair.
Final Score: 9/10
