Patron's Choice: Guide to Black Hammer by Jeff Lemire

Indie Comics Month may be over, but I have a promise to fulfill to all Patrons of CK – their first ever indie Patron’s Choice guide! Out of 25 independent and licensed comics franchises in their February poll, my indefatigable Patrons have selected one of the newest extended universes in comics. It’s one that has proven to be a hit with fans and critics alike! Welcome to my Guide to Black Hammer by Jeff Lemire!

Guide to Black Hammer by Jeff Lemire!

Black Hammer is like a modern retake on Astro City by Kurt Busiek. Jeff Lemire imagines a city of iconic heroes struck from familiar, archetypal molds whose history spans from the Golden Age through the end of the Bronze Age and the transition to the modern era.

Yet, the most iconic of those heroes never make the transition to the modern era. That is the story of Black Hammer.

Lemire’s version of a Secret Wars or Crisis is a mystery that removed the most-beloved heroes of Spiral City to a remote farm. While we follow the unfolding mystery of their exile, we also catch glimpses of the life they left behind in Spiral City. Did their old world plunge into the era of the extreme 90s because of their absence, or was it heading in that direction anyway?

Lemire translated the early critical success of his main Black Hammer story into an expanded World of Black Hammer exploring the past, present, and future of Spiral City. That has allowed Lemire and his collaborators to keep up an ongoing stream of releases between main entries in the saga of Blackwood Farm.

If you want access to my Guide to Black Hammer and over 70 other exclusive guides, become a Patron of CK for as little as $1 a month or $10.20 a year! Patron’s Choice guides like this one remain exclusive to CK’s Patreon community for an extra-long time, since they’re guides that were not already on my map.

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DC Guides (6): Batman – Index of Ongoing Titles, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, Green Lantern Corps, Green Lantern: Hal Jordan, Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner, Omega Men