Posted in: Comics, Dark Horse Comics | Tagged: Black Hammer, dark horse, jeff lemire

Black Hammer: The End from Jeff Lemire & Malachi Ward from Dark Horse

In August 2023, Dark Horse Comics presents Black Hammer: The End by Jeff Lemire, with art and colours by Malachi Ward.

Last year Bleeding Cool reported on Jeff Lemire looking ahead to 2023 and the future, or lack of it, of his Black Hammer superhero universe. Created by Jeff Lemire in 2007 but only published by Dark Horse Comics from 2016 , the series follows a group of superheroes trapped in a small town called Spiral City, unable to escape. The series explores themes of identity, memory, and the role of superheroes in society, as the characters struggle to come to terms with their new reality and figure out a way to break free from the town. Last year, Jeff Lemire indicated a finale to the series by posting an image, "Black Hammer: The End". Subsequently, he announced an exclusive deal with Image Comics in January 2022, but also stated in his Substack;

Black Hammer Reborn will feed into 2023's big new series Black Hammer: The End which is the culmination of everything I have been doing in the Black Hammer Universe these past couple of years. But, despite its title, that will not be "the end" of Black Hammer. I have several other projects percolating, one of which will launch right here in a couple more weeks! More details on that new book coming in early April.

Later he posted  "Dear BLACK HAMMER Fans… The END is near. Here 4 issues. Malachi Ward and me. 2023. Get ready!" with this visual.

Malachi Ward is the creator of the Ritual comic book series from Revival House Press, The Expansion series with Matt Sheean, The Scout, Utu, and Top Five, reprinted in the 2013 edition of Best American Comics. Malachi has done work for Brandon Graham's Prophet, Prophet Strikefile and Island from Image Comics, Mome, Nobrow, and Study Group Comics. He previously worked on Black Hammer Reborn #5-8 with Jeff Lemire.

In his Substack newsletter, Jeff Lemire states "Now to the fun stuff…BLACK HAMMER: THE END. Spinning out of the events of Black Hammer: Reborn, Black Hammer: The End is a 6-issue mini-series written by me and illustrated by Malachi Ward. This series wraps up all the storylines we have been building over the last few years in one huge climactic story. This series will launch in MARCH and, I promise, it will change everything for the Black Hammer Universe, setting the stage for a whole new era of Black Hammer stories in 2023 and beyond."

Well, it took a little longer. And now in August 2023, Dark Horse Comics presents Black Hammer: The End by Jeff Lemire, with art and colours by Malachi Ward, and letters by Nate Piekos. The issue also features a variant cover by David Rubín.

In this multi-timeline, world-hopping adventure, we find new stakes, new heroes, and the long-awaited return to Black Hammer Farm. The Weber family reunites and faces new challenges and villains in Jeff Lemire's biggest event in the Black Hammer series thus far!

Black Hammer: The End is the next era of the Black Hammer Universe; a six-issue event series by Jeff Lemire and Malachi Ward that pulls the Black Hammer world into crisis.

"Black Hammer Reborn left the Black Hammer Universe on quite a cliffhanger," says writer Jeff Lemire, " and now we'll find out what happens next! Black Hammer: The End is a story I've been building across the various Black Hammer books for years now. It will pull storylines, and characters, from all the various series into one massive story which will both be a conclusion of all we've been doing, but also usher in a fresh start, and a whole new beginning, for the Black Hammer Universe!"

Black Hammer #1 (of 6) will be in comic shops on the 30th of August, 2023 for $3.99.

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