Black Magick #8 Review

Black Magick #8
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Nicola Scott
Letterer: Jodi Wynne
Colour Assists: Chiara Arena
Publisher: Image Comics

A review by Stephanie Pouliotte

In Black Magick #8 the threads wind even tighter, as the characters come closer and closer to converging on one another. Rucka steadily keeps all the parts moving at their own pace, and while some appear to be making breakthroughs, others end up on a rooftop with their partner laughing hysterically. Turns out Morgan maybe isn’t as good at connecting the dots as I’d anticipated, but his pregnant wife is past due, so I’ll cut him some slack.

Well, Rowan and Morgan do manage to make some strides in their case, picking up a lead that takes them to the seedy Pig Whistle Tavern. I really enjoyed this scene, as it beautifully shows the minor change in Rowan and Morgan’s dynamic compared to earlier in the issue. At the top, they weren’t in sync at all, and neither seemed to trust the other’s instincts. They certainly didn’t seem like they had each other’s backs. But Rucka vented some of the tension between them in their next scene, which in my opinion was some great writing on his part, and so even though Rowan may still be on thin ice, there is no hesitation when they split up in the bar. In just a few panels, Scott perfectly conveys that subtle shift, especially in Rowan’s fierce expressions.

I’ll admit the pacing was much slower this issue, and Rucka toned down the magical elements to focus on getting Rowan and Morgan on steadier footing — with only a single, faint flare of colour that came in the final panels. Still, Scott continues to amaze me with her artwork, and her layouts have really improved since her work on Wonder Woman.

Verdict
Buy it! Black Magick #8 shows us that everything is connected, and I expect in the next issue we’ll discover just how wide they spun the web.

Finally, a bit of bittersweet news in the letter pages confirms that the release schedule will be delayed again (with the second volume wrapping up in March 2018), but the issues for the third volume are lined up afterwards for monthly release. I’m not fussed though; as I’ve said before, each issue of Black Magick is certainly worth the wait.