MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Black Adam, DC’s newest superhero movie, tells the story of Teth Adam, who was bestowed with the almighty powers of the gods in ancient Kahndaq. After using these powers for vengeance, he was imprisoned and became Black Adam. Nearly 5,000 years later, Black Adam went from man to myth to legend. Now free, his unique form of justice, born out of rage, is challenged by modern-day heroes who form the Justice Society: Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher, and Cyclone.
Black Adam is currently number one at the box office. Audiences who want more Black Adam should check out his latest comic book title. Here’s why:
The writing of Christopher Priest
As a veteran writer with critically acclaimed runs on Black Panther and Deathstroke, Christopher Priest has a flair for keeping his fantastical protagonists one step away from reality, inserting them in highly relevant sociopolitical situations, and making it feel seamless. Christopher likes to throw the readers into out-of-chronological-order stories (that make sense at the end of the issue). His fans also love his witty dialogue and how he can get into a character’s psyche.
The complex character of Black Adam
Adam is usually depicted as the magically charged ruler of Khandaq determined to protect his country from enemies with extreme prejudice. Christopher’s writing shows him from a different angle — still intimidating, he’s a bit more laidback, confident that his peers fear his powers and relishing in that knowledge. He talks like a regular person (as opposed to other depictions where he’s always ranting) albeit someone who does not filter what he says. He borders on being charismatic.
Everything and the kitchen sink plot
In a span of five issues (so far), Adam faces off against Darkseid, comes close to the brink of death, discovers his descendant is a young Black American doctor, deals with a new race of space gods, and a coup funded by Batman! Whew! This is a comic with so much story, it’ll give you whiplash!
The humor
While we see Adam smiling, he’s not exactly a source of mirth in the book. Comic relief comes in the form of his descendant, Bolt aka White Adam. When he gets Black Adam’s powers, he asks why he’s dressed as a stripper. The very glib Bolt finds the ridiculousness in all things superhero.
Rafa Sandoval’s powerful visual storytelling
Sandoval has worked at both Marvel and DC for more than a decade. Now that he’s inking his own work, he’s bringing a more cinematic feel to his work – his wide shots and full shots pack so much more power now (especially his action scenes). And he does great at those thick black bordered nine-panel grids that Priest loves to use. All in all, this is a title you shouldn’t miss!
