Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Lara Dominguez is a reporter covering the cop beat for the Creighton Courier, and is obsessed with the ‘Black Ghost’, a vigilante who in her words is ‘Robin Hood meets James Bond’. Nobody knows his real identity, so Lara of course makes it her mission to uncover the face behind the mask.
Created by Alex Segura, Monica Gallagher, and George Kambadais, issue #1 of the comic book series ‘Black Ghost’ begins with protagonist Lara fighting off thugs in a violent scuffle after they try to attack her student. Aha, she isn’t just a reporter; she also teaches GED and knows how to kick some serious butt. She is also struggling to land her next big story, so when her mysterious digital informant, known only as Lone, tips her off about a major drug deal, she follows the trail to witness the scoop of a lifetime.
While the plot for ‘Black Ghost’ is familiarly exciting courtesy its reporter chasing ‘vigilante’ angle, the artwork instantly seemed a little inconsistent in the way Lara was drawn throughout the issue. Also, the difference between the girl on the cover of the first issue and the actual character design of the protagonist is crazy different. On the cover she looks a bit like Ana De Armas (Eden/Ghosted/Blonde), while in the interior panels, the character resembles Miss Marvel/Kamala Khan from the older comics.
Basically, the artwork isn’t the best in ‘Black Ghost’, but the panels are bold, colorful and engaging enough. And the plot keeps the reader invested until the end, with Lara investigating into evidence that points to a new player operating within Creighton’s criminal network.
The first issue ends with a massive cliffhanger: Lara witnesses a sensational crime when she goes on ground to work on the drug deal tip off.
Issue #2 of Black Ghost, however, weirdly doesn’t follow through with the same frantic energy. The second chapter makes it difficult to root for Lara, who, instead of pursuing the big scoop, gets drunk, passes out, and then shows up late to work. Her editor rightfully fires her.
“I just can’t keep enabling your bad behavior. Not as a friend, and not as a boss.”
Her editor tells her this towards the end of Chapter 2, and honestly, I get it. Lara is shown to carry a lot of baggage from the past, including the unresolved murder of her brother, which fuels her drinking problem. But as a reporter, she really needs to get her act together.
With no job and two murders to solve, it remains to be seen where the next few issues of Black Ghost will take her. Will Lara finally land the big story on Creighton’s underworld, or will she simply drown in her own self-destructive habits?
I don’t think I’d recommend this mini-series just yet, and I’ll reserve judgment until I’ve read all the issues. But if the premise sounds intriguing, it’s worth checking out, especially since all five issues of Season 1 are already available.
Black Ghost is also available on Kindle Unlimited.
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