Black Bolt Vol. 1: Hard Time

"The Inhumans are among Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s weirdest – and most troublesome – creations, and Black Bolt, their silent leader and king, has long proven a tough nut to crack. Endowed with a superhuman voice that can cause mass destruction with even a single, whispered utterance, his restraint renders him distant and icy – and often hard to root for. But in the hands of fantasy writer Saladin Ahmed and the gorgeous, psychedelic illustrations of Christian Ward, Blackagar Boltagon (his real name!) has never been more relatable or empathetic. Trapped in a labyrinthian space prison, the character confronts his privilege and questions the nature of heroism as he befriends fellow inmates to mount an escape. On one level, it works as your typical Marvel superhero comic, but Ahmed and Ward are operating on another by threading themes of mass incarceration, sacrifice and redemption into one kinetic, heartfelt story."