Having taken revenge for the death of a friend, Edward Tech has set himself firmly on the path to becoming the legend known as Blackbeard. But will he make it out of merry old Boston alive? Just maybe, with the help a mysterious stranger…
BLACKBEARD: THE LEGEND OF THE PYRATE KING #2
Writer: GREGG HALE, EDUARDO SANCHEZ, JAMIE NASH, ROBERT NAPTON
Penciller MARIO GUEVARA
Cover: LUCIO PARILLO
Colorist: ROMULO FAJARDO JR.
Pressed into virtual slavery on a merchant vessel as a child, Edward Tech has grown up on the sea. After saving the life of one of his fellow sailors, he is called before his cruel “master”, Captain Roberts. After Roberts has his friend flogged for another’s mistake and kills him, Tech takes bloody revenge. Entering the Captain’s cabin, he tells him that “Freedom can’t be earned…It must be taken.” He then proceeds to cave Robert’s skull in with a heavy chain, repeatedly. With this act, Tech truly takes his first steps toward becoming the Blackbeard of legend. Thus ends the first issue.
The second issue of our sea faring extravaganza begins as the crew burst into the Captain’s quarters to find Tech standing over Robert’s body holding the bloody chain. As the crew attempts to stop Tech, he makes a daring escape, jumping through windows of the Captain’s quarters and diving into the sea. The port militia is quickly assembled, and the Tech takes refuge hiding in the streets of old Boston. Wanted for the murder of his Captain, as well as mutiny, he will hang if they capture him. Besides the local militia, a man named Captain Benjamin Hornigold is stalking the streets of the city with his men. Their mission is unclear at first, but they play a major part in the conclusion of the issue. Taking refuge in a brothel, Tech finds out that just because he is a paying customer does not mean he won’t be turned over. As his captors close in, his life takes another turn, a turn that will lead him back to the sea.
As with the first issue, filmmakers Gregg Hale (The Blair Witch Project) and Eduardo Sanchez (The Blair Witch, Altered) provide the story, and comic writer Robert Place Napton (The Dark Wraith of Shannara) and screenwriter Jamie Nash (Altered) have been providing the scripts for this nautical extravaganza. I’m still amazed that, even with so many contributors, we still get a story that is coherent and smooth as this one. They have developed a fictionalized version of Blackbeard’s possible origins, and have incorporated the major beats that are historically accurate. You feel as if they have done their research, and the liberties taken are there to help the story, and you don’t really notice them. It is interesting to look up various names and find their historic history and connections to Edward Tech. You can also find out some possible additional spoilers that way.
All in all, Blackbeard, Legend of the Pyrate King is still roaring along, although this issue was a little slower than the last. Not by much though, as this was a good issue with chases, slashed throats and sex. Speaking of with, this isn’t your Pirates of the Caribbean style of pirate, this is much more rated R. Keep it out of the hands of the kiddies unless you want to explain why the nice lady was taking her clothes off for the bearded man.
A high quality adventure that I look forward to each month, 4 out of 5 stars!
Born in the Bronze Age and matured in the Modern Age, Stacy Baugher has loved comics since before he could read. He remembers looking through spinner racks as a child at the drug store and wondering how many comics he could convince his parents to buy him on that trip. Later he remembers driving for an hour each way to go to the nearest comic store, and embarking on each trip with a wish list that was quickly forgotten in a wave of comic euphoria. Still residing in Mississippi, where he as born and raised, he spends his free time with his wife and daughter, hoping that his little girl won't think him to much of a geek when she gets older.
A while back he offered up an article to the Major Spoilers crew, and they just have not been able to get rid of him since then. He has written several Golden Age Hero Histories, and currently writes reviews and The Comic Casting Couch articles. When he is not working to pay the bills, enjoying his family, or writing, he is a photographer. You can view a few samples of his photography at www.stacybaugher.com and www.stacybaugherphotography.com.
The creators he admires include: Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, Jim Steranko, Neal Adams and Mike Grell. This list is by no means complete, these are just the top five.
His current Comic Holy Grail is a mint copy of Mysterious Suspense #1. after he finally obtains that, who knows...
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