When your crew is desperate for a good score … even a friend can become an enemy.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Joe Brusha
Artwork: Sergio Ariño
Colors: Dijjo Lima
Letters: Kurt Hathaway
What They Say:
Captain Sable and her pirate crew set out to plunder a small mining colony. But what was supposed to be an easy mark brings them into conflict with the galaxies deadliest and most ruthless alien race … the dreaded Sha’Kar!
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
Ever since Sable partnered up with her friend Blake, the crew of the Fury’s luck has turned from bad to worse. All she wanted was an easy score to settle the mood of her men and when that man said he knew one, that was when the Captain should have regretted ever making such a decision. But now that they have arrived on the planet with the deep space mining operation without any guards, it seems everything is going too smoothly. Just a few men to secure the place and they have all the ore they can carry … that is until they pick up the signal of a craft swiftly approaching. The familiar silhouette of this ship is one that all who live in space know all too well – the Mar, or more commonly called Sharks. This race is all too ruthless, even for pirates, they never take prisoners and will not hesitate to fight for what they want, which is this facility.
With no other choice than to retreat, her men are in no mood for excuses, but that is all Black Sable has for her crew. Too often have their recent raids gone without any profit and now, more than a few of their own have died in these fiascoes. So now that they have had to flee from this latest score, the crew have no problems voicing their disappointment and anger of not having anything to show for their hard work. Now on the verge of mutiny, Blake and Sable are verbally backed into a corner, her followers wanting to know how they are prepared to pay for these disasters. Having no other option than blaming someone, the scoundrel lets it slip she was playing it safe rather than going after a big score. Not wanting to get her men’s hopes up, the Captain did not want to mention such flights of fancy, but with little choice, her partner in crime tells them about the treasure – Korvarian fuel cells. With their interest now peaked, they have bought themselves a little time, but how much longer can they stall before reaching the rogue’s ship for the maps?
In Summary:
With the introduction of all the other main characters now finished, writer Joe Brusha finally begins to flesh out the story, but if you have read one pirate tale, this title will seem all too familiar. While it is refreshing to see a female captain squirm under the pressures of command, once you factor in that she is doing as well as the same as any male counterpart, the enthusiasm slowly begins to fade. True Sable is as tough as any male pirate, but the responsibilities of satisfying her men’s greed would be the same on any other ship, even if she may appear to be more considerate of not leading them astray with notions of impossible treasure. Then we also have to remember that bothersome code of morality shown in the first issue, not wanting to profit off the suffering of others, and that is what makes her interesting. However Brusha has not followed through with that conscience and the plot is quickly becoming stale, reminiscent of other tales set on the high seas, except this one is deep within the stellar void; if you replace all the spaceships and unusual characters for terrestrial hijinks, this narrative would bring up feelings of déjà vu and thus becomes predictable. Hopefully this tale will make a turn for the better within the next issue, otherwise, Black Sable’s story may soon come grinding to a halt on some interstellar debris within a graveyard of ships.
Thankfully not all is lost within this title, and it is all largely due to the stunning designs and illustrations of Sergio Ariño, who has given us a universe full of astonishing sights and jaw-dropping visuals. However, all of that effort would have fallen flat if not for the brilliant palette of Dijjo Lima who brings the story to life with his spectacular use of light, shadows and brilliant colors to show the reader space is not an empty void of lifelessness. This synergy commands an understanding taken from Hollywood blockbusters that sometimes being overly ambitious pays off and in this instance, it does so magnificently. The progression of the story via intricately detailed panels is what makes the transition between images essential, moving the reader through the narration without the need of words, until we arrive at splash pages which are too amazing for words. But as I have said before, it is the color which makes the title stand out unlike any other, bringing what we would think as a boring story of space pirates into something akin to a kaleidoscopic array of wonderment. Even the normally bland special effect words have their own character, adding to the excitement, in their own unique and corny way. All of these elements add to the fantasy of this swashbuckling tale of Black Sable, and it will be these components which will carry it forward for some time to come.
While The Black Sable may have started as an interesting story of a female space captain, the interest has slowly faded into something which seems normal for a world of piracy. The tale is becoming predictable and it is only the phenomenal artwork and sensational colors which keeps this title afloat within the flotsam of comparable narratives. Although the premise began as something noteworthy, it now seems it has been ignored for the satisfaction of only visual rewards. Hopefully, the upcoming issues will prove me wrong and I wait with bated breath for that moment.
Grade: A
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: October 25, 2017
MSRP: $3.99
