Black Cloak #3

The Super Powered Fancast

The Story: The mystery continues to get more interesting and the list of suspects continues to grow in this issue. I love the narrative flow of this issue and how Essex is forced to confront her past as well as her trust issues to bring her partner in fully to find the truth. I love the layers of the story and how everyone is a potential suspect. As a detective story fan, Thompson has drawn me into this world fully with both the characters and the plot. The Art: McClaren delivers a rich, gorgeously illustrated world for these characters. The visuals are dynamic and grab the eye as the characters move from area to area and danger to danger.

POP: Culture and Comics

Thompson's dialogue continues to be some of the best in the business and McClaren, whose name I have never, ever misspelled 'McClarren' and anyone that says so is lying, brings a lightness and softness to the art that makes what could be an extremely grim—almost depressing—tale a delight to read. READ. THIS. COMIC. NOW.

ComicBook.com

From the start, Black Cloak's world has seemed like a fantasy realm on the verge of becoming a sci-fi setting. Black Cloak #3 acknowledges this, wrapping it in the idea of creating order from chaos. The grudges that once would have led to legendary grudges and battles instead are handled by law, and everyone, in theory, face the consequences of their actions. The Black Cloaks are mandated to dole out those consequences, and it's hard not to draw comparisons to real-life law enforcement. Someone with knowledge relevant to the case at hand at one point lays out the story's theme to Phaedra and Pax point blank: people with power can do whatever they want. It's on the Black Cloaks to apply the law to everyone. Black Cloak's first arc is still unfolding, but one hopes Kelly Thompson isn't drawing comparisons they're unwilling to address head-on down the line. Further, this issue introduces some familiar police story tropes into its narrative, such as the cop with a newborn at home, and some of the ribbing between the partners, while providing some levity, clashes with the gravitas of a murder investigation, especially one that could have such devastating effects on the city.

Comic Watch

Thompson continues to dive deep into the mysterious world that is surrounding Essex in Black Cloak. Thompson starts the issue off strong with having the keen protagonist on the search for more answers surrounding the connection of the Dracona Daggers. During this third chapter, Thompson continues to show Essex’s ability of tracking down information and their fearless drive to uncover what is being hidden. Essex is able to uncover that there may be unforeseen enemies that have everyone in the city in their hands and control. This alienating pressure doesn’t intimidate Essex and continues to push her forward. Thompson is able to use scene placement and dialogue to where there never feels like a dull moment in this issue. (...) This creative team is bringing to life an exciting detective story that will have a reader continuing to wonder what awaits the Black Cloak Essex. A true detective story in the realm of comics isn’t seen as often so it feels nice to read this storyline as it continues to unfold. From the compelling writing to the fantastic art style this is an enjoyable issue.