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Jeff Lemire

Black Hammer Volume 1: Secret Origins: Secret Origins Paperback – Illustrated, April 11, 2017

by Jeff Lemire (Author), Dean Ormston (Illustrator)

354 ratings

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Once they were heroes, but the age of heroes has long since passed. Banished from existence by a multiversal crisis, the old champions of Spiral City--Abraham Slam, Golden Gail, Colonel Weird, Madame Dragonfly, and Barbalien--now lead simple lives in an idyllic, timeless farming village from which there is no escape! But as they employ all of their super abilities to free themselves from this strange purgatory, a mysterious stranger works to bring them back into action for one last adventure! Collects Black Hammer #1-#6.

The first chapter in Jeff Lemire (The Underwater Welder, The Complete Essex County, Animal Man) and Dean Ormston's (Lucifer) acclaimed series!

“I don’t read many comics these days, and I can’t remember the last time I read a superhero comic, but I’m loving Black Hammer.” – Mike Mignola

“Black Hammer is easily one of Lemire’s best creations.” – Scott Snyder

“Amazing. Just flat-out amazing.” – Patton Oswalt

Print length

152 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Dark Horse Books
Publication date

April 11, 2017
Dimensions

6.7 x 0.39 x 10.2 inches
ISBN-10

1616557869
ISBN-13

978-1616557867
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

New York Times Bestselling author, Jeff Lemire, is the creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder and Trillium. His upcoming projects include the original graphic novel Roughneck from Simon and Schuster, as well as the sci-fi series Descender for Image Comics (with Dustin Nguyen) and Black Hammer for Dark Horse Comics (with Dean Ormston). Jeff has also written Green Arrow, Justice League and Animal Man for DC Comics and Hawkeye for Marvel Comics. In 2008 and in 2013 Jeff won the Schuster Award for Best Canadian Cartoonist. He has also received The Doug Wright Award for Best Emerging Talent and the American Library Association's prestigious Alex Award, recognizing books for adults with specific teen appeal. He has also been nominated for 8 Eisner awards, 7 Harvey Awards and 8 Shuster Awards. In 2010 Essex County was named as one of the five Essential Canadian Novels of the Decade. He currently lives and works in Toronto with his wife and son. The author lives in Toronto, ON., Canada.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dark Horse Books; Illustrated edition (April 11, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 152 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1616557869
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1616557867
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.7 x 0.39 x 10.2 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #233,049 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #550 in Dark Horse Comics & Graphic Novels
- #2,999 in Superhero Comics & Graphic Novels

Customer Reviews:
354 ratings

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Jeff Lemire

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New York Times Bestselling author Jeff Lemire has built a unique career as both the writer and artist of acclaimed literary graphic novels like Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Sweet Tooth and Trillium and also as one of the most popular writers of mainstream superhero comics with acclaimed runs on such titles as Green Arrow, Animal Man, Justice League and Hawkeye for Marvel and DC Comics.

Current projects include the original graphic novel ROUGHNECK to be published by Simon and Schuster in 2016, as well as the science fiction series DESCENDER with Dustin Nguyen and A.D. with Scott Snyder.

In 2008 and in 2013 Jeff won the Schuster Award for Best Canadian Cartoonist. He has also received The Doug Wright Award for Best Emerging Talent and the American Library Association’s prestigious Alex Award, recognizing books for adults with specific teen appeal. He has also been nominated for 8 Eisner awards, 7 Harvey Awards and 8 Shuster Awards.

In 2010 Essex County became the first graphic novel to be included in the prestigious Canada Reads contest making it to the final five and winning the people’s choice vote as best Canadian novel of the decade.

He lives in Toronto with his wife and son.

Customer reviews

5 star		81%
4 star		14%
3 star		3%
2 star		2%
1 star		1%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Charlie GriffinTop Contributor: Batman

Metafiction strikes again

Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2017

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Recently, I seem to have found myself in a rather strange comfort zone in my reading: extremely metafictional superhero stories. Between DC Rebirth's titular title, to Flex Mentallo, to Doom Patrol, even to the unexpected character twist part of the way into Gotham City Sirens, I apparently get my warm fuzzies from modern comics using golden, silver, and bronze-age concepts as plot points in-universe as well as out. Black Hammer is such a story. Unlike most of those mentioned before, though, this book uses original characters who are based around very familiar origin stories, each with at least one particular new twist. One character is Captain Marvel, BUT... another Martian Manhunter, BUT... and so on. I don't want to get into the ways each breaks expectations here, because discovering each one was a big part of the fun for me. It even manages to go further past superheroes, too; one character intentionally invokes images of old-school horror comics.

These older concepts are not just a throwback to yesteryear, though. The whole point is using these in a way more wholly modern in execution. The story is an introspective character-drama rather than a traditionally action-heavy super hero comic. And Jeff Lemire is at the top of his game with all of this. I hate to give away anything he has going here, but it is sufficient to say that the struggles in this book feel original, fresh, and nuanced.

I did want to point out, though, my copy did have a slightly-more-than-small tear in the back cover and very last page inside, which I find surprising, as the stock of the cover feels a little sturdier than many other graphic novels in my collection. I'd guess that's probably a more one-off thing, so I wouldn't expect it to be a problem for anyone else.

17 people found this helpful

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Awesome Characters

Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2018

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I love Jeff Lemire's writing. This world of Black Hammer he created is a lot of fun to read. The characters are just really really fun to read and learn about. The way Lemire develops his characters is second to none. After finishing this one I can't wait to pick up the next volume.

2 people found this helpful

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S. Penrose

So much to like about this!

Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2021

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Amazing beginning to a series. Lemire and Ormston create a very cool world full of nostalgia, wonder, and mystery. All the characters get time to shine and readers are immediately invested. I already want to know everything about this world. I've never see the artwork from Dean Ormston but I think it was a perfect match for the story. Overall, a great read.

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Mel Odom

Not a superhero story in the sense you'd imagine

Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2020

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Lemire's take on his heroes is different from anything I'd imagined before I opened the graphic novel on my Kindle. I've read him for years and his stuff is always different. This one, though, reeled me into to a much more sedate story than I would have thought, filled the pages with feelings and drama without super-powered battles, and made me curious for more.

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Brandon

Incredible Writting

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2018

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This book is amazing! I highly recommend. The story is very well written. The mysterious plot unfolds as you get to know each of the characters and how they ended up together stuck in a small town farm. Each character struggling with their own issues as they try to fit in with the people of the small town hiding who they really are which, for some of them, is quite difficult, near impossible even.

2 people found this helpful

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daddybo

Marvelous work!

Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2021

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So much going with this writer. Inventive and compelling. Artwork is excellent and the explanations of their thought process in creating this wonder was as much fun as the book.

Helpful

Not bad!

Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2020

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I heard a lot about the series, so I took a chance on it. Not bad. Order the rest to see how it goes from here.

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Johnny Cook

Best Superhero Series from Dark Horse Comics.

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2020

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It's a wonderful book where the team of superheroes went disappeared and been hiding in plain sight. 10 years in the Black Hammer Farm, these heroes are trying to blend in as we get to know each of the characters, and their origins.

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Top reviews from other countries

G. J. Weaver

Everything I'm Looking For...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 24, 2017

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Whenever I'm talking about comics, I always have to give a little disclaimer: I don't read that many comics any more. I'm not the 16 year old with the out of control standing order at his local comic shop I used to be, I'm the 41 year old father of two who picks up a handful of trade paperbacks every year.

That said, Black Hammer has kicked in the doors of my expectations and left me with a big grin on my face. It's got old-school superheroes, it's got Jeff Lemire's trademark rural disquiet, it's got Lynchian small-town weirdness and it's got Dean Ormston's fantastic art. The whole thing is done in subdued autumnal colours, which add to incredible atmosphere.

I've followed Jeff Lemire's career since Essex County Trilogy, and have always enjoyed his more idiosyncratic work the most. I didn't really care for Trillium or Descender, but this is right back in the sweet spot if you ask me, up there with The Underwater Welder.

The less you know about the plot the better, really. In short, a group of misfit golden age superheroes find themselves living on a farm in rural Canada, pretending to be a family. We don't yet know exactly how they came to be living there or exactly what happens when they try to leave. That's all you need to know.

I really recommend it, the best first volume of anything I've read since Saga.

16 people found this helpful

M. W. Hatfield

this is wonderful and unique

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 2, 2018

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Superb graphic novel, full of Easter eggs for old time comic book geeks, this is wonderful and unique. The components are familiar, but the combination is what makes it work. The premise is very Kingdom Come- a group of superheroes are trapped in an alternate world which looks like a small town farm and they are trying to escape this cosy trap, and their own personal problems. There's an intriguing mystery here- where are they? why can't they escape? and who has trapped them here? This is sustained and well-developed. But the real joy is in the character interactions, which owe much more to Hellboy, post-modern comics like Morrison's Doom Patrol and The Umbrella Academy than typical Marvel/DC fare. The backstories allow parodies/homages to everything from Lee/Kirby including Fourth World Kirby to Adam Strange, House of secrets, the Martian Manhunter and Shazam! The art by Dean Ormston is absolutely delicious and this is Jeff Lemire's masterwork. deservedly heaped with awards.

This is brilliant stuff: if you read it, you will order volume two immediately. I did! And guess what? It maintains the quality. Great series-run, do not walk to the shop to buy it ( or a couple of clicks on your keyboard/mouse will do the job just as well. So do that!)

Mark

Excellent -- best graphic novel I have read for sometime

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 11, 2020

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This is an excellent graphic novel. Very good characterisation, very good art and an interesting story and of course did what all good books do made me want to read the next one and the next one. So the best graphic novel I have I have read for sometime.

Kevin Trebell

A brilliantly written new world is introduced

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 7, 2018

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Black Hammer volume 1 introduces Jeff Lemire's new universe, one in which a set of heroes from an alternate earth find themselves trapped in some sort of dimensions/world/town (nobody is sure) from which they cannot escape.

THis first volume is a brilliant introduction and one I would highly recommend. It has turned into my favourite current series and I'm now reading the equally excellent spin offs.

Jon Gardner

Love this brand new universe.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 30, 2017

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What a cracking start to a brand new universe. Hooked. The art is awesome from Ormston, story and cast of characters are both rich with potential. Really enjoyed it, writing this up then ordering volume 2.

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