I’m a big fan of Jeff Lemire and I’ve heard so many people raving about the Black Hammer saga, so it caught my attention when I saw this series announced. However, I’ve never read any of the Black Hammer series so I was a bit nervous to jump at this point, knowing how much mythos has already been established. This is a universe he’s been envisioning since 2005 and was first published in print in 2015. BLACK HAMMER: THE END #1 marks the beginning of Phase 3 for the universe, which will be the final phase of this saga.

Lemire combined sharing background information without providing a strict recap and setting up new storylines that kept me from feeling completely lost while simultaneously getting me interested in what’s to come. He’s built a world you experience through the myriad of character interactions rather than being given a ton of exposition. There was a strong pacing to the issue, catching readers up on two different storylines. Scenes between the two stories cut back-and-forth over the course of the book and each scene felt well constructed. Even though I was glad the characters filled in my knowledge gaps through their dialogue, I didn’t feel a strong connection to any character. From my POV, there was minimal character development being done in the issue though they all felt as though they were previously established in past series. There are definitely characters I’ll need to read up on to make sure the rest of the series makes sense.

Malachi Ward’s art brought the book to life with clean lines and expressive character designs that made each scene’s emotional moments palpable. Characters, especially those within the off-Earth storyline, are unique with distinct looks that make them memorable. Paired with Bryce Davidson’s colors and Nate Piekos’ lettering, reads will enjoy the visual journey of the book that complements Lemire’s plot well.

Overall, I’m not sure this is an ideal jumping on point for readers who haven’t read up on some background as to what the Black Hammer series is about. I don’t think you would need to read every issue written, but a quick search of the general plot would do someone well to ground themselves in how the story has gotten to where it is. With that, readers will get to thoroughly enjoy Lemire’s effortless story. It achieved in making me interested enough to continue reading up on the Black Hammer universe and would definitely continue reading with the final five issues of this six-issue miniseries.

Rating: 6.5/10