The Black Coat: ...Or Give Me Death #1 (of 4)

Writer: Ben Lichius
Artists: Francesco Francavilla
Publisher: Ape Entertainment
Based on a story by Adam Cogan and by Ben Lichius

Review by: Brian Matus

If you haven't read the first Black Coat mini-series (which you should), there's a text piece inside the front cover to get you up to speed.

It's 1775, and the British have allied themselves with a mysterious organization known as 'The League' in an attempt to crush the coming revolution in the American Colonies.

Bear in mind, The League isn’t 'mysterious' like the Freemasons; they’re 'mysterious' like Dr Jekyll and Dr Frankenstein.

Luckily for Colonial America, they have The Black Coat, this era's version of Zorro, Batman, The Shadow and James Bond. With his group of co-conspirators, they're fighting a secret war against the British that seems to have fallen between the cracks of history.

Luckily for us, we have Ben Lichius and Francesco Francavilla, who are more than capable of filling in those cracks.

Not to slight Adam Cogan, who scripted the original mini-series (also co-plotted by Ben Lichius, and available as a TPB), but while I liked the previous four issues enough to pick up this new series, after reading this first issue, I can't wait to get my hands on the next one. I don't know if the writing is better, or if this story simply benefits from having the characters and situations already established, but it definitely feels like the story has been ramped up a few notches.

Somehow Francesco Francavilla has managed to get better, which if you've seen the first series, you'll understand why that's so hard to believe.

Simply stunning art in an updated version of your favorite classic illustrator's style, there are times when you feel as if you could fall into his dark, detailed drawings.

And there are creatures on those pages that make you glad that's impossible.

Ben and Francesco may have created a tough act for themselves to follow, but an army of Red Coats couldn't keep me away from the next issue.

Five out of Five Flintlock Pistols.

Overall: 5 out of 5

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