Review: “Blackbird” and “Jook Joint”

Comic: Blackbird
Release date: October 3, 2018
Publisher: Image
Genre: Fantasy

Comic: Jook Joint
Release date: October 3, 2018
Publisher: Image
Genre: Horror

Descriptions

Blackbird: “In this neo-noir fantasy, Nina Rodriguez is positive that a secret magic world ruled by ruthless cabals is hiding just beneath the veneer of Los Angeles. The problem: everyone thinks she’s crazy. The bigger problem: she’s not crazy—she’s right. Can she unravel the mystery before the Great Beast catches up with her?” (via Comixology)

Jook Joint: “Mahalia runs the hottest spot in all of 1950s New Orleans. The Jook Joint keeps the jazz popping, people bopping… and the women? The women are to die for. There’s only one rule: “Keep your hands to yourself.” But some men think rules don’t apply to them, and Mahalia and her coven of slain women enjoy reminding them that they most certainly do.” (via Comixology)

My Thoughts

Blackbird

Sam Humphries’ story is as much pulpy fantasy mystery as it is a realistic look at twentysomething ennui and emptiness. Ostensibly Nina self-medicates because she’s unable to gain entry into the world of the paragons—this world’s version of witches—but that’s a smoke screen. Her mother died in a terrible car accident, her father is a verbally abusive drunk, and her sister is frustrated and disappointed in Nina’s lack of direction. Even without magic, Nina would still be lost in a fog of her own making. Which is what makes Blackbird so good. It has a heart and a truth it longs to tell…

Jook Joint

Dark magic lurks in a 1950s New Orleans jook joint in the Deep South as a coven exacts vicious vengeance on violent men. Mahalia uses her powers to brutally enforce her rules of respect and consent, and the women in her coven delight in retaliating against the men who break her rules. When a frightened mother, Heloise, seeks Mahalia’s help in stopping her abusive husband, Mahalia sets a trap from which he can never escape…

For the rest of my review, head over to Tor.com.

Do the world a favor and buy these from an indie comic book store or borrow it from your local public library.