Twin brothers, Shawn and Sam, aren't your typical kids - sure, their dark moodiness and deep dedication to metal isn't that unusual but their mysterious parentage sure is! Empowered by the legendary sword of Atoll, these kids are determined to thrash and wail on however many demons they have to in order to fulfill the ancient prophecy and regain their rightful position as Hell Baron of the Pit. Loud, fast and heavy like the music it is inspired by, Black Metal ties into the youth culture that has grown up around this ferocious sound. Then infused with a shot of ancient myth and a healthy dose of high adventure, it rises to the level of a truly epic tale.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Heavy metal is a rock 'n' roll genre known for guitar-worship, bombast and pomposity that serve to fuel young men's fantasies of heroism and machismo, sometimes with elder gods, their amoral mythologies and their inevitable return thrown in. In other words, it's a subject ripe for lampooning, and this graphic novel is one of the funniest takes on the clichés of the genre since This Is Spinal Tap. Upon playing a Frost Axe album backwards, black-clad metalhead twins Shawn and Sam discover their true arcane heritage, obtain the mythic Sword of Atoll and embark on a mission to conquer Hell itself. Demons, dark lords, Norse deities, a black metal band that really practices what they preach, armies of the damned and even Satan himself all turn up and provide fodder for hilarity that wouldn't stand a chance in Hell of being endorsed by the Church. Hilariously illustrated cartoon mayhem of the most entertaining order, this amusing tale ends much too soon, leaving the reader foaming at the mouth, hands upright and flashing the horns, anxiously awaiting more devilry and guitar solos. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From the Publisher
Tripping the Life Fantastic:
"Right now, it is good to be a Metal head."
"It's a great action/adventure rock-n-roll tour de force and you shouldn't miss it."
Manga Life:
"I really enjoyed the rocktastic attitude of the book; the fact that the plot is introduced from a black metal album is genius."
Comics Alliance:
"Experience the axe to the forehead that is: Black Metal."
"BLACK METAL, by Rick Spears and Chuck BB is about as metal as it gets."
"The story, a combination of Norse mythology, tween angst and high adventure, is a ridiculous amount of fun."
"BLACK METAL is the SCOTT PILGRIM of hard rock."
Comic Pants:
"More than a loving homage or simply parody, Black Metal manages to be a sincere love letter to heavy metal music as well as a humorous send-up of it."
"Black Metal is often laugh-out-loud funny, it is also pump your fist in the air awesome, a mixture of teen road trip and high fantasy quest decorated with the trappings of heavy metal."
"You can trace [Black Metal's] lineage back to the height of metal music in the '80s... thanks to BB's art style and Spears' writing, Black Metal never feels retro or nostalgic, but those who have a touch of metal retro nostalgia will no doubt find a spiritual home in these pages."
"If you've ever played a record backwards to see what was on there, if you've ever thrown the devil horns at the sound of a ripping guitar or drum solo, if you ever thought Ozzy was in league with Satan and that much cooler for it, than Black Metal, my friends, is for you."
Precocious Curmudgeon:
"It's a strangely endearing combination of high adventure and low comedy. I'm not a metal fan by any stretch of the imagination, but Shawn and Sam's enthusiasm for it and the mythos around it is contagious. Spears makes these spooky little thugs very likable, and he surrounds them with a motley crew of friends and foes. BB's illustrations are of the creepy-cute variety, and they really work for this material. The pages are laced with dark comedy and a weird kind of sweetness that's right in step with the script."
Comics Waiting Room:
"The characters are amusing, the concepts are slyly structured... and there's obviously a sequel on the way. There's nothing deep about it, but BLACK METAL is a solid way to shut it down and enjoy a decent read for a while."
The Johnny Bacardi Show:
"If this was done with a smirk, it would be unbearable, but Spears and Chuck play it completely straightfaced, and it's a hoot and a half- a fun and exciting Black Metal/D&D quest tale that rises above its origins and demonstrates a lot of love for not only the metal genre, but gaming and just the simple state of being a misfit teenager. It's more enjoyable than any five episodes of Metalocalypse you can name."
The Vault of Buncheness:
"No bullshit, this is the perfect book to read while listening to Mercyful Fate's DON'T BREAK THE OATH, and a higher compliment I would be hard pressed to give. And it's even appropriate for the 10-and-ups, so become the bad influence your kids/nieces/nephews/younger siblings need and get them a copy."
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By shaithis77
Format:Paperback
Since day one, the genre of music known as "black metal" was asking to be spoofed. Grown men in pseudo-KISS make-up, singing about trolls, frost, castles, and frost trolls that live in castles. It's pretty silly. But I've always loved it, none-the-less.
When it comes to Spear's & BB's graphic novel take on black metal (called Black Metal, of course. I mean, c'mon!), I feel the same way- it's over the top and silly. And that's the point. However, one can't really call this a spoof, because it's obvious these guys love the genre, and aren't simply laughing at it. They're honoring it in the best way possible- with a good mix of humor, violence, action, the supernatural, and an itty-bitty dash of romance.
A truly grim and epic adventure!
When it comes to Spear's & BB's graphic novel take on black metal (called Black Metal, of course. I mean, c'mon!), I feel the same way- it's over the top and silly. And that's the point. However, one can't really call this a spoof, because it's obvious these guys love the genre, and aren't simply laughing at it. They're honoring it in the best way possible- with a good mix of humor, violence, action, the supernatural, and an itty-bitty dash of romance.
A truly grim and epic adventure!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By gravitass
Format:Paperback
This book is a fun, intriguing read from start to finish. Great character designs and an epic story propel the reader into a cartoony homage to the grim music of Black Metal. You can tell this book is a labor of love. Keep more stuff like this coming.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By J. Grubbs
Format:Paperback
i'm not much of a comic reader, but this is definitely the exception to the rule...THIS RULES!!!! Shawn and Sam Stronghand are the reincarnation of a hellbound entity split in twain, and realize their quest for dominance by how? playing a record backwards, summmoning the dark forces that have shaped their lives from the uterus! GET THIS, OR DIE SUCKING!!!!!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
book review
black metal volume 1 is a whiz bang awesome comic book i read the digital edition and i loved it because of the plot
Published 14 months ago by scott
5.0 out of 5 stars
Review from a non-metal fan
I don't listen to black/death/heavy metal music, but I loved this book!
The art is great, the premise is interesting, the story is well told, and the characters are... Read more
The art is great, the premise is interesting, the story is well told, and the characters are... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Emily D
5.0 out of 5 stars
For Black Metal Fans with...a Sense of HUMOR???!!!!
I've been a fan of black metal music for about 2 years now, and I absolutely enjoyed every page of this book! Read more
Published on June 5, 2008 by Coleen
4.0 out of 5 stars
Cute and Funny Nihilism
Pretty silly story about a pair of death metal misfit brothers living their wild style in suburbia. They finally meet their death metal heroes and get sent to the netherworld that... Read more
Published on November 30, 2007 by andy7
5.0 out of 5 stars
First there was Blackness....
Great fun! You don't have to be a BM fan to enjoy this graphic novel, though it helps. The first third of the book is the best, but I like the illustrations throughout. Read more
Published on November 20, 2007 by J. Wright
5.0 out of 5 stars
Black Metal was MOST EXCELLENT.
I really liked this book a lot. The art was great and you can tell these guys respect the Black Metal. Read more
Published on October 17, 2007 by i. roney
5.0 out of 5 stars
FROSTBITTEN MADNESS!
HAILS TO SPEARS AND BB FOR CRAFTING A TRULY GRIM MASTERPIECE OF CHAOS!
This book is for any fan of the finest of metals. Read more
This book is for any fan of the finest of metals. Read more
Published on October 16, 2007 by Oogalad Woodsher
1.0 out of 5 stars
This book could have been so good
I really wanted to like this book but when it finally arrived it just went downhill really fast.
What turned me off was the lame, melodramatic, stereotypical black metal... Read more
What turned me off was the lame, melodramatic, stereotypical black metal... Read more
Published on October 5, 2007 by Tony Wisneske
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