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Its here the painterly grayscale comic blooms into color.
Rowans eyes light up with shades of auburn and blue.
The flame that swallows the criminal is brilliant shades of red and crisp yellow.
It would be beautiful if it werent so gruesome.
She clearly has a shorthand with her fellow collaborator.
Her shadows arent sharp but soft, hazy, alluring.
Its this level of loving detail that makes the art ofBlack Magickstand out in the comic landscape.
But the greatest strength ofBlack Magicks visual world is its female gaze.
Theres no single vision of the female gaze in pop culture.
Yet the sixth issue, which kicks off the second arc, proved to be a turning point.
Her small form seems dominated by the lushness of the forest setting with a full moon glowing above her.
Once submerged in the waters in the stone clearing, Rowan truly embraces her lineage.
But her awe gives way to fear when she inherits the memories of her predecessors.
In the months following the rite, Rucka depicts Rowan falling apart.
Shes plagued by nightmares and starts fights at school.
But what if you could immerse yourself in the memories of your ancestors?
Taste what they tasted, see what they saw, fear what they feared?
How would that change you?
The first two arcs ofBlack Magickhave been subtitled Awakening.
This is whyBlack Magickis a comic that deserves to be read and studied.
