The Black Ghost Vol. 1 was released on March 25, 2020. — **The Black Ghost Vol. 1** was released on March 25, 2020.

By Zack Quaintance — The Black Ghost, Hard Revolution Vol. 1 is a new digital-only series from ComiXology Originals, which is the publishing platform for the Amazon-owned digital comics platform that is a clear number one in the space, at least in terms of platforms for accessing major North American direct market comics. I suspect that, like many readers, the ComiXology Originals books were something I’d been hearing about for a while — they are, after all, attracting some top-tier comics talent, including writer Chip Zdarsky — but with the crush of my own creative pursuits, my day job, and running a comics blog dedicated to weekly releases, I simply had not had the time.

Those weekly releases, as I’m sure anyone reading this is well aware, have stopped for the foreseeable future, with printing, distribution, and local sales mechanisms jammed up due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, which has thoroughly upended basically all facets of life in the United States and across much of the globe. This is all a means of pointing out, however, that there are still (relatively) new comics available out there, and chief among them are digital-only books like The Black Ghost.

The creative team here is Alex Segura and Monica Gallagher collaborating on the story with artist George Kambadais doing all but the first issue layouts, Ellie Wright providing colors, and Taylor Esposito doing lettering and design. The premise of The Black Ghost may seem familiar, as its sort of a pastiche of a few different elements we’ve seen somewhat often over the past couple decades in comics. Our main character, Lara Dominguez, is Jessica Jones-esque. She’s an investigative reporter with a drinking problem who also dabbles in vigilantism. There’s also a generational vibe to this comic, with Lara taking over a vigilante mantel from someone else who has held it for some time, in a way that felt a bit reminiscent of The Question.

The vigilante and journalist components of the book are well-done, efficiently layering depth and interest to the plot as it moves forward, but my favorite part of this story was its exploration of substance abuse. There’s nothing glamorous whatsoever to Lara’s drinking in this comic. In fact, every time it takes a step in that direction, the plot works to reel us right back toward the stark realities of her drinking, often by putting the people around her in peril. I found this to be unflinching and real. So often in fiction, we see self-flagellating characters almost romanticize their own substance-related self harm, like, oh jeez another hangover, I feel bad today but I’m secretly enamored with how gritty my life is. That is not the case with The Black Ghost at all, where the protagonists drinking has real stakes for the people in her life. This adds up to a story that’s powerful and moving, where you root for the heroes internal journey as much (if not more) than you do for the larger conflict to work out okay, which is mostly a given anyway because comics.

The other major strength to The Black Ghost is the kinetic artwork of George Kambadais and colorist Ellie Wright. There’s a real Michael Avon Oeming drawing Powers vibe at work on this comic. It’s evident all throughout, from the rapid-fire action sequences, to the simple-yet-effective character designs, to some of the page layouts, which feel Bendis-esque in the way they focus on and alternate pithy dialogue balloons.

That’s not to say The Black Ghost is a perfect comic. Some of the plot twists feel a little too sudden or convenient, as does Lara’s journalism career at times. She works for a fading paper but also apparently covered wars and become super proficient in combat. My wife and I are both reporters who have worked for more than half a dozen newspapers between us, and our realities are so much duller. But I get it. It’s comics, and nobody wants to see a story about someone who can’t fight at all making phone calls, filing Freedom of Information Act Requests, or scrolling Twitter while waiting for sources to maybe call back. Even the fifth season of the hyper-realistic TV showThe Wire had to sensationalize newspaper journalism. And really, the creators of Black Ghost make the reporting feel just real enough to support the noir action mystery unfolding around it.

Overall, not to spoil anything here, but by the end of this story, all indications are that what we’ve just read is an origin in the service of more storytelling to come. If that’s the case, count me in for future adventures with Lara Dominguez and The Black Ghost.

The Black Ghost, Hard Revolution Vol. 1
Story: Alex Segura & Monica Gallagher
Artist: George Kambadais
Colorist: Ellie Wright
Lettering and Design: Taylor Esposito
Publisher: ComiXology Originals
Meet Lara Dominguez—a troubled Creighton cops reporter obsessed with the city's debonair vigilante—The Black Ghost. With the help of a mysterious cyber-informant named LONE, Lara's inched closer to uncovering the Ghost's identity. But as she searched for the breakthrough story she desperately needs, Lara will have to navigate the corruption of her city, the uncertainties of virtue, and her own personal demons. Will she have the strength to be part of the solution—or will she become the problem?
Released: March 25, 2020

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Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.