Broken Frontier

[Editor's Note: Due to Speakeasy Comics' recent troubles, the first issue of The Black Coat has been postponed. The creators are currently seeking a new publisher.]

On the verge of revolution, the American colonies have plans that hang in the balance and turncoats are everywhere. Good thing the Black Coat is on their side.

You never know what to expect from a new series by unknown creators. At first glance, The Black Coat: A Call to Arms looks like a high seas swashbuckling adventure starring an anti-pirate vigilante. Once you get past the opening scene, however, what unfolds is something a little more high-concept than that. This series is set during late colonial times, when the United States was little more than a concept. For instance, a couple notable historical figures take roles of prominence this issue when Ben Franklin returns from a long stay in France, and George Washington is taking up a more important role in the coming revolution. At its base though, this issue is a mystery, and that along with the primary character’s get-up and M.O. makes this read something like, Batman: The Colonial Tale.

Lichius and Cogan spin an historical yarn that is at one moment fun and fascinating in its historical context, and the next laden with cheesiness. A couple lines like the seemingly obligatory (in superhero stories anyway), "This stops now!" are included when they needn’t be, and it threw me out of the story for a moment. I’ve always been a sucker for historical fiction where real-life figures are used as supporting characters, though, and The Black Coat promises to be full of them. Overall, the writing is pretty strong though it could use an additional edit to pare back unnecessary dialogue.

Francesco Francavilla provides some very nicely detailed grayscale art on this book. Since Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead appeared, grayscale is the chosen method of putting out a black and white comic for less production cost. Some of these books would likely benefit from coloring, but with its setting in the dark pre-Revolutionary War days, Black Coat’s story is enhanced by this technique. Francavilla shows off some dynamic work with clean lines in the early going and later sells the gloomy atmosphere very well.

Aside from a few dialogue glitches, The Black Coat: A Call to Arms is a solid debut effort from an unknown creative team. I wish I wasn’t reminded so much of Batman when I read this, but at least I like Batman. The setting, characters and mystery are all engaging and the pacing is swift and effective. With all that and some impressive artwork, this should be a series to strongly consider.