The Black Hole (A.B.C. Warriors (DC Comics)) (Paperback)

The comic is superb- a highly imaginitive and intelligent story from the amazing Pat Mills that incorporates extremely human psychology (irony!) and a magnificent level of creativity. The story is a parallel to the Nemesis the Warlock sequences and takes place in their past and present (kind of). The story is fairly complex and punctuated by the characteristic mayhem of the ABC Warriors.

For those not in the know the ABC Warriors are a band of war-robots of varying ages (centuries in all cases) seemingly destined to fight for causes that aren't there own for eternity- the ABC stands for Atomic, Bacterial, Chemical- they are resistant to all three forms of assault. Each has a highly distinct personality- in Black Hole these come across stronger than ever before and leads to serious plot effects and changes of direction. The reader is treated to a resume on the past of some of the warriors- even the most `innocent' of them has a very dark history. Their mission draws on all of these `bad vibes', resulting in warping patterns of `khaos' across time.
The Warriors encounter other war-machines and more bizarre creatures and people on their mission- the greatest threat often none more than themselves.

Pat Mills has an excellent knack for catchy dialogue and this work features some of his best one-liners yet, as well as some superb monologues and reveries. None of the dialogue feels forced and the Warriors always seem not quite real in their behaviour- they are evolving into a human-like state of mind but are still, fundamentally, machines. Whole personalities are drawn in a few panels, that fit in easily and effectively with the long-established characters of the Warriors. A new and unusual Warrior is introduced in the form of Terr-1. Read the book and discover why- you may not look at recycling in quite the same way again though!

The artwork brought ABC Warriors to a new level back in '87 and it is still staggeringly good- two artists drew this book. The now legendary Simon Bisley and the sadly overlooked SMS.

Bisley's work is outstanding making extensive use of heavy contrast- his unique presntation of the various androids and othe robots is inspired. Each machine is structured roughly like a human (in varying degrees) but sculpted from wires, tubes and other parts. The result is a convincing and surreal set of chromed bodybuilders with guns! Bisley's art has an incredible dynamic flow to it- each motion and action leaps off the page, registering raw power at every frame. The art also features his characteristic graffiti (often a bit too self indulgent, but often funny) and tendency to seem to become bored: the quieter sections of the story that he has drawn are often much less inspired than the dramatic ones. Incredibly gory too (in a bolts and wires-tearing kind of way).

SMS' art is equally good but far less of instant impact- Simon Bisley spawned a host of imitators (and still does) with the sheer vibrant energy in his images. SMS' art is just as effective but considerably more subtle. His pages don't have anywhere near the same `oomph' that drives action into the face of the reader but they do have a tremendous complexity and depth. The sheer beauty of the `Art-Deca' buildings he portrays is astounding- as is the incredible scale and detail incorporated into them. Other exceptional areas include places outside- fields of waving grass and flowers. Considering the art is all black and white the colours nearly fly at you in your imagination.

The only drawback is that whilst both artists are great their styles are so different that their sections of the book don't always sit well with each other- the appearances of the Warriors can vary wildly.

Overall a great book that stands out magnificently on its own, and is even better as part of the Nemesis the Warlock canon (ironically you can take it or leave it as part of `ABC Warriors' as its set so far in the future of the original stories). An action-packed, exciting and intriguing science fantasy adventure. Any scifi fan should buy this book- it is unreservedly recommended.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews   Was this review helpful to you?

Report this | Permalink Comment Comment