Comic Review: Blackbird #5

Blackbird #5

Image Comics

Writer: Sam Humphries

Artist: Jen Bartel

If Blackbird has taught me anything, it’s that my family drama has nothing on Nina’s. Like many of us, she’s experienced the usual heartache and loss that comes with families. Unlike anyone I know, her mother, who she thought was dead, is the leader of a powerful Cabal.

Writer Sam Humphries smoothly drops several info bombs on us in this issue, driving the story forward and showing off its potential. Not only that, but the combination of artist Jen Bartel’s work and Triona Farrell’s colors is hard to ignore. Bartel has quickly established herself as one of my favorite artists along with Fiona Staples, Babs Tarr, and Mirka Andolfo. Her style is clean, and I love the way she frames the covers.

There so much to love about this series. Nina’s character development is easily one of my favorite aspects. As we found out in the first couple issues, her biggest enemy for years has been herself. She’s had to overcome some self-destructive habits, like addiction and self-doubt, while watching her family disappear. These hardships have helped her gain a sense of identity and given her a mission, as we saw at the end of the previous issue.

What I love about her character is her ability to take her anger and funnel it into something productive, showing she can be vengeful when necessary. Even as she’s thrown into the world of magic, which she only knows about on paper, she acts unafraid, as though she’s lived in it her whole life. It’s so satisfying to watch someone gain so much confidence when they’re finally in their realm.

As expected with any magic, this series can also be borderline silly at times. If you like cats – a lot of cats – you’ll be tickled with this issue. And, not to spoil anything, but if you’ve been missing Lying Cat during Saga’s hiatus, there is also a lying cat in Blackbird! It’s nowhere near the same character; don’t worry!

Another aspect I love about the series is the fact that we don’t really know who the villain is yet. It reminds me of the start of the Harry Potter series before we realize Voldemort is back and Harry is in danger. Like Nina, I want to hop on the forums and learn everything I can about paragons, Cabals, and spells. I mean, there was an entire mall in a taco truck. This is the kind of secret society I live for.