Ray Willis is a broken man, a disgraced medical examiner making ends meet by preparing corpses at a funeral parlor. His scientific genius is being wasted—that is, until his estranged criminal brother Denny shows up on his doorstep, supposedly cleaned up and proposing a once-in-a-lifetime partnership to cure not just cancer, but all disease. The catch? It exists within the DNA of superheroes.

Writer Frank J. Barbiere, has teamed up with artist Victor Santos for a modern spin on the superhero mythos. Having read mostly superhero comics growing up, I’ve always wondered why these people with such amazing powers never tackled major issues like disease, poverty, education, or many other issues that we actually have to deal with. You’ve seen this pop up once in a while, but really, there  hasn’t been a series that I can think of that’s tackled this head on.

When I finished reading Black Market #1 my head was spinning as to where the series would go. There’s so much potential here, and I have no idea where Barbiere goes, but he’s set up a world of gray, where some bad actions might be for good, and asks what exactly makes a hero. Mix that with science, a corporation, and there’s just so many questions I have! This might have some superheroes, and some criminals, but the comic is so much more, layered with moral ambiguity.

Barbiere’s fantastic story is brought to “life” with Santos’ art. Santos is an artist who is on the edge of blowing up huge and a creator I’ve been watching since I first came across his work in Mice Templar, Polar, and most recently Furious. Santos’ control of the page is amazing, creating panel transitions that not only draw your eye in, but creates a sense of movement, and story telling that’s fantastic. I felt guided by his art, as he in a way tells his version of the story through art. The combination is fantastic, especially Santos’ jumping between past and present, using subtle clues enhanced by help from the colorist.

Black Market is loaded with potential, and after one issue I’m more than intrigued as to where it goes. For me, the first issue entertained, and got me to think, not just about the issue, but the superhero genre as a whole.

Story: Frank J. Barbiere Art: Victor Santos
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

BOOM! Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review