The dark thrill of being the Black Hood.
Creative Staff:
Story: Duane Swierczynski
Art: Rachel Deering
What They Say:
When you steal from the underworld, the underworld will come looking for you — even if you’re a cop. Greg Hettinger has unwittingly crossed the city’s most fearsome drug lord — a man only known as “The Connection,” who sends two of his most fearsome lieutenants after Greg. It’s one thing to have trouble come knocking on your front door. But it’s another when it’s already inside your house…
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The opening installment of The Black Hood certainly set the tone for the series while also making it clear that it is completely unrelated to past incarnations of it as well. Which is a good thing as that helps to clear away misconceptions about it. With a dark, grimy and uncomfortable opening act, we got to know the “hero” cop of Greg Hettinger and to see just how badly things go for him as his life falls apart around him. The descent was so intensely done that you could easily come away from the book feeling rather depressed because of it, which is a good sign in a roundabout way. With him getting the hood at the end and making his first strike, understanding his mindset was easier, though no less frightening.
This installment takes us further into what Greg is doing and it’s definitely a dark and dangerous thing. While the junkie analogy is obvious, as he gets more and more of a thrill, it’s also a controlled kind of thrill as he’s not giggling or going over the top. He’s taking down criminals that he comes across while as the Black Hood, but it’s to get the things he needs in order to dull the crippling pain from his injury. There’s a roughness to it as it unfolds, seeing his poor planning in some cases and the way he gets overwhelmed since he is just one man. And no matter how physically strong he is, he can be overwhelmed. But not feeling the pain is what helps him survive it, at least in the short term, and the results are pretty interesting to watch as he modifies his behavior elsewhere.
And that’s what’s going to cause him the biggest problem as things start to come together in this dark way for him. While he can do things as The Black Hood, he also does that while being a cop as well, just in a different way. With the protection of being the hero cop that took down the previous Black Hood, his shakedowns and thefts from the criminals he comes across works well to fund his painkiller acquisition and other needs. All while excluding more and more people from his life as he withdraws further and further. Having the protection of the thin blue line goes a long way as well, as nobody has enough to really call him out on anything and most wouldn’t anyway with what he’s been through. But criminals with connections and business that’s being threatened by his actions, they do, and seeing how he finally gets framed definitely makes for an intriguing time. It leaves you wondering which side of Greg’s personality will win out and become the dominant one depending on how this plays out.
In Summary:
The Black Hood is building and expanding from what it introduced in the first installment while very much maintaining its quality. The exploration of what Greg is falling to here is intriguing as there’s so many ways down he can go and so many things he can be caught up in as he does so. With him withdrawing more and more from his life, but still finding touches of his past only to find those tainted as well, his isolation is going to push him deeper into what he’s becoming. The narration side of it is once again very heavy, but this is one of those times where we’re getting deep into the mind of a man in freefall, and understanding it from so many angles is critically important. The book continues to offer a very distinct view of the world through the writing and artwork that it’s both captivating and repellent at the same time, making it a fascinating experience as we see this become what it is. I want more, but am also afraid to see where the more will go.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 15+
Released By: Dark Circle Comics
Release Date: March 25th, 2015
MSRP: $3.99
