Black Beetle #1 (2013) seocnd print

Among certain comic circles the pulp lifestyle has taken hold, from the return of the Green Hornet and The Shadow to The Phantom and now this one, a new pulp creation called The Black Beetle, coming to you in four parts. The story and style is what you would expect, with the year being 1930-something with the world one of gangsters and a master villain that will need to be defeated. The artwork is the gem in this comic, striking a gritty atmosphere with aplomb, though the story itself doesn’t match it, being unfortunately flat, as most newer pulp instances are—the era has been so overdone that writing a fresh 1930’s story is as hard to come by as a…well, I won’t use an too-worn Chicago baseball analogy, but you get my point. Go through the story, stay for the art, and wait for the next issue, if you want.