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Black Science #1-3
Black Science Premiere, Vol. 1: The Beginners' Guide to Entropy
Anarchist scientist Grant McKay has done the impossible! Using the Pillar, he has punched a hole through the barriers between dimensions, allowing travel to all possible universes. But now Grant and his team are trapped in the folds of infinity, the Pillar sending them careening through a million universes of unimaginable adventure, sanity-flaying danger and no way home...
This edition collects the first three arcs of the seminal pulp sci-fi smash hit by jive-ass super powered disco dancers RICK REMENDER and MATTEO SCALERA. Crammed with sketches, concept art and other rare goodies in a glorious oversized 8”x12” hardcover, truly the most incredible edition of BLACK SCIENCE in all the Eververse.
Collects BLACK SCIENCE #1-16.
This edition collects the first three arcs of the seminal pulp sci-fi smash hit by jive-ass super powered disco dancers RICK REMENDER and MATTEO SCALERA. Crammed with sketches, concept art and other rare goodies in a glorious oversized 8”x12” hardcover, truly the most incredible edition of BLACK SCIENCE in all the Eververse.
Collects BLACK SCIENCE #1-16.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published November 25, 2015
33 people are currently reading
612 people want to read
About the author
Rick Remender
1,238 books1,413 followersRick Remender is an American comic book writer and artist who resides in Los Angeles, California. He is the writer/co-creator of many independent comic books like Black Science, Deadly Class, LOW, Fear Agent and Seven to Eternity. Previously, he wrote The Punisher, Uncanny X-Force, Captain America and Uncanny Avengers for Marvel Comics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
July 5, 2020
3.5 stars
I'd already read the 1st volume but I want to get back into this title (maybe) and thought I could use a refresher.
The gist of this one is that there's this scientist working on a way to travel through the multiverse. Supposedly, the end result will mean that he can bring back all sorts of new technology to our universe.
Of course, within 2 minutes of starting his machine up, everything goes to hell.
He and his kids (who just happened to be there that day), plus his assistants, the security, and the project manager all get sucked into the great wide multiverse. <--at which point, the machine goes on the fritz.
Everything that can go wrong does go wrong from there on out, and not everyone who starts this journey will make it back.
Not to mention, not everyone on the team is what they seem to be, and almost all of them are hiding some pretty deep, dark secrets.
Oh, and apparently, this little science experiment is tearing the entire multiverse apart, so there's a good chance that their counterparts from other universes have already made enemies of everyone by the time they land on each new world.
Good time, good times...
It's hard to root for the characters in this thing, but I think I'm interested in the concept enough to continue.
I'd already read the 1st volume but I want to get back into this title (maybe) and thought I could use a refresher.
The gist of this one is that there's this scientist working on a way to travel through the multiverse. Supposedly, the end result will mean that he can bring back all sorts of new technology to our universe.
Of course, within 2 minutes of starting his machine up, everything goes to hell.
He and his kids (who just happened to be there that day), plus his assistants, the security, and the project manager all get sucked into the great wide multiverse. <--at which point, the machine goes on the fritz.
Everything that can go wrong does go wrong from there on out, and not everyone who starts this journey will make it back.
Not to mention, not everyone on the team is what they seem to be, and almost all of them are hiding some pretty deep, dark secrets.
Oh, and apparently, this little science experiment is tearing the entire multiverse apart, so there's a good chance that their counterparts from other universes have already made enemies of everyone by the time they land on each new world.
Good time, good times...
It's hard to root for the characters in this thing, but I think I'm interested in the concept enough to continue.
January 18, 2019
Bold. Imaginative. Visionary.
I was not sure what to expect with this series but it hit me like a runaway train as it pulled me away on it's adventure. I don't want to go into too much detail about the plot as it might be best to go in almost completely fresh the way I did, and jump headfirst into the trip down the rabbit hole and into the onion as this flawed crew of travelers try to survive their dangerous trip through countless dimensions.
The biggest thing that struck me was how fast the story moves. It drops the reader right into the middle of the action from the beginning and NEVER stops. There is no exposition to get you acquainted with the world at the start, and there is no time to take a breather during the entirety of its 400+ pages.
I've seen reviews talk about the speed of its storytelling was a problem with it being too confusing but I totally disagree. I really appreciated that the creators didn't treat the readers with kid gloves and trusted us to keep pace with the story. And learning more about the rules, the background of the expedition, and info about the characters while the story was moving forward really added to the experience. So buckle your seatbelt before jumping into this one, and keep up!
The artwork here, especially the inking and the color work, was a real standout here, providing a singular atmosphere that's really memorable. Whenever I think about this story in the future, I'll visualize those sharp lines and bold neon-ish colors. It's awesome to look at in this large hardcover format too.
There are a few reasons why my grade for this was dropped a couple points though. The constantly shifting POV narration became a little obnoxious and sometimes distracted from the flow of the story, I wish that there was a bit more variety in the nature of the different dimensions, and I wish some of the action was easier to follow. This story also seems like it might benefit from it being read in big chunks like this premiere volume, which collects the first three trade paperback. I seemed to have responded to this better than other friends who started reading it in the shorter paperback volumes.
For me, this was a wild ride and I can't wait to continue.
I was not sure what to expect with this series but it hit me like a runaway train as it pulled me away on it's adventure. I don't want to go into too much detail about the plot as it might be best to go in almost completely fresh the way I did, and jump headfirst into the trip down the rabbit hole and into the onion as this flawed crew of travelers try to survive their dangerous trip through countless dimensions.
The biggest thing that struck me was how fast the story moves. It drops the reader right into the middle of the action from the beginning and NEVER stops. There is no exposition to get you acquainted with the world at the start, and there is no time to take a breather during the entirety of its 400+ pages.
I've seen reviews talk about the speed of its storytelling was a problem with it being too confusing but I totally disagree. I really appreciated that the creators didn't treat the readers with kid gloves and trusted us to keep pace with the story. And learning more about the rules, the background of the expedition, and info about the characters while the story was moving forward really added to the experience. So buckle your seatbelt before jumping into this one, and keep up!
The artwork here, especially the inking and the color work, was a real standout here, providing a singular atmosphere that's really memorable. Whenever I think about this story in the future, I'll visualize those sharp lines and bold neon-ish colors. It's awesome to look at in this large hardcover format too.
There are a few reasons why my grade for this was dropped a couple points though. The constantly shifting POV narration became a little obnoxious and sometimes distracted from the flow of the story, I wish that there was a bit more variety in the nature of the different dimensions, and I wish some of the action was easier to follow. This story also seems like it might benefit from it being read in big chunks like this premiere volume, which collects the first three trade paperback. I seemed to have responded to this better than other friends who started reading it in the shorter paperback volumes.
For me, this was a wild ride and I can't wait to continue.
April 18, 2018
I didn’t notice it at first but the constant annotation of monologue in each panel is really distracting, annoying and typical ramblings of Remender. Enough with the psycho analysis just tell the damn story.
Also I found the artwork in action scenes not clear, similar to Low, too much going on and like all his lead male characters, I get bored of the down trodden and self depreciating. Give us someone fresh please Rick or you’re going to send your readers into a depression too!
The good is that it’s great sci fi, I must say I had been looking forward to this for a while, but I reamin disappointed.
Also I found the artwork in action scenes not clear, similar to Low, too much going on and like all his lead male characters, I get bored of the down trodden and self depreciating. Give us someone fresh please Rick or you’re going to send your readers into a depression too!
The good is that it’s great sci fi, I must say I had been looking forward to this for a while, but I reamin disappointed.
June 12, 2020
Just finished reading this a second time because I'm doing a straight read through of the entire series. I still love it. While the high concept science fiction takes a back seat to the flawed humans, I find it engaging, entertaining, and even a little thought provoking.
The art outshines the story I think. Scalera's pencils have lots of motion in them. They are like a dirty version of anime with angled faces and the imagination and design for the different worlds is astonishing. The color palette which changes based on the new worlds always fits perfectly.
The main characters all have issues and I know some have found it hard to care about any of them but I do feel Grant is someone who has made mistakes and is really trying to make up for them, but even in those endeavors he makes more mistakes. His redemption I think is what is driving me to continue reading now.
Remender's writing is a little jumbled up. In this volume he recounts character's errors multiple times which got old. There's some bitter commentary on society, guilt for past mistakes, morality vs. practicality. He's thrown a little bit of everything and at times it feels unfocused. Hopefully he straightens this out in the rest of the series.
EDIT: I forgot to mention that I have the first, glued binding edition of this and the gutter loss is horrible. The binding is so tight it takes a lot of effort to actually hold the pages open. There is a remastered version with a sewn binding that I would prefer to have but I certainly don’t want to pay for two.
The art outshines the story I think. Scalera's pencils have lots of motion in them. They are like a dirty version of anime with angled faces and the imagination and design for the different worlds is astonishing. The color palette which changes based on the new worlds always fits perfectly.
The main characters all have issues and I know some have found it hard to care about any of them but I do feel Grant is someone who has made mistakes and is really trying to make up for them, but even in those endeavors he makes more mistakes. His redemption I think is what is driving me to continue reading now.
Remender's writing is a little jumbled up. In this volume he recounts character's errors multiple times which got old. There's some bitter commentary on society, guilt for past mistakes, morality vs. practicality. He's thrown a little bit of everything and at times it feels unfocused. Hopefully he straightens this out in the rest of the series.
EDIT: I forgot to mention that I have the first, glued binding edition of this and the gutter loss is horrible. The binding is so tight it takes a lot of effort to actually hold the pages open. There is a remastered version with a sewn binding that I would prefer to have but I certainly don’t want to pay for two.
January 27, 2021
No ty bláho!!
Co jsem to teď dočetl jako?!
Kresba top a příběh parádní.
Potřebuji další díl!! Nutně!! Hned!!
Co jsem to teď dočetl jako?!
Kresba top a příběh parádní.
Potřebuji další díl!! Nutně!! Hned!!
April 20, 2025
This is like jumping headfirst into a sci-fi fever dream—with a broken parachute and family drama in tow. Rick Remender doesn’t pull any punches; the story kicks off at a sprint and barely lets you breathe, and it really pulls you into the messy world the characters are living through. You’ve got an anarchist scientist who’s cracked interdimensional travel… but surprise! That tech backfires, flinging him, his team, and part of his family across chaotic, deadly, alien, alternate realities. It’s nonstop action, layered with guilt, betrayal, and just enough philosophy to keep you thinking between alien battles and apocalyptic showdowns.
What really works is how raw and messy it all feels—these aren’t noble heroes saving the multiverse, they’re deeply flawed people trying to survive their own mistakes, and you are along for the ride, feeling it along with them. The art is wild and kinetic, and the colors elevate it that much more—trippy, vivid, and totally immersive. At times the pacing can feel disorienting, but honestly, that’s part of what I loved bc that kind of fits the theme: chaos science, chaos storytelling. It’s gripping, unpredictable, and emotional in a way that sneaks up on you and I didn’t expect. Definitely worth the ride if you like your sci-fi with edge and heart. And I will absolutely be continuing on!
What really works is how raw and messy it all feels—these aren’t noble heroes saving the multiverse, they’re deeply flawed people trying to survive their own mistakes, and you are along for the ride, feeling it along with them. The art is wild and kinetic, and the colors elevate it that much more—trippy, vivid, and totally immersive. At times the pacing can feel disorienting, but honestly, that’s part of what I loved bc that kind of fits the theme: chaos science, chaos storytelling. It’s gripping, unpredictable, and emotional in a way that sneaks up on you and I didn’t expect. Definitely worth the ride if you like your sci-fi with edge and heart. And I will absolutely be continuing on!
February 9, 2016
Lots of philosophical high concept issues dealt with during a story of inter-reality travel. I loved the comment "How can anything matter if every possible thing happens?" In this story the universe if full of other realities where different choices were made. Infinite realities where everything happens is an amazing idea. Every cure and good thing instead of the bad happened somewhere along the way. But also, every worse and bad thing too. Our heroes of this story are stuck with a malfunctioning machine shooting them into different reality after reality as they try to survive and get back home. And with every bad and good possible discovery and outcome on the line, the stakes for doing the right thing could not be higher. Most of us would do anything to protect our family, but what about reality? What about friends and coworkers? What about our selves from different timelines?
This is four star content and I've been highly anticipating this book for months. I'm removing a star because of the binding. They spent extra money to make this book bigger than normal and I love that but they skimped on the binding. It's glued, tight, and there is some gutter loss. There should not be gutter loss in a book of this size. I would gladly have paid $10 more for a sewn binding that would lay flat with no gutter loss and it could not cost near that amount for the better binding. Hopefully in a couple years when the next volume comes the binding will be better.
This is four star content and I've been highly anticipating this book for months. I'm removing a star because of the binding. They spent extra money to make this book bigger than normal and I love that but they skimped on the binding. It's glued, tight, and there is some gutter loss. There should not be gutter loss in a book of this size. I would gladly have paid $10 more for a sewn binding that would lay flat with no gutter loss and it could not cost near that amount for the better binding. Hopefully in a couple years when the next volume comes the binding will be better.
April 26, 2018
This is a crazy, fast paced, sci-fi nonsense filled, deeply confusing joy ride. I really enjoyed this book and glad I tackled the 400 page Vol 1 as opposed to several smaller trades. I needed to read a lot of this together to try and keep track of what all was happening.
If you like Rick Remender (and I really enjoyed his take on X-Force) then this is a perfect example of him at his best. It's a little overly swear-y for me, in that it feels forced at times to really drive home the drama, but that's a minor nit-pick in an otherwise fantastic narrative.
I look forward to reading more of this series at this ends on a spectacular cliff hanger.
If you like Rick Remender (and I really enjoyed his take on X-Force) then this is a perfect example of him at his best. It's a little overly swear-y for me, in that it feels forced at times to really drive home the drama, but that's a minor nit-pick in an otherwise fantastic narrative.
I look forward to reading more of this series at this ends on a spectacular cliff hanger.
May 17, 2024
I love the overall vibe and aesthetic of this book. It’s somewhat serious while also having a lighthearted tone in spots.
The pacing feels very fast and it’s hard to keep up at times (for me at least). This is fine, but it kind of leaves you questioning a lot of things then going back to find some references etc. there’s just too much going on at once. I’m hoping in future volumes it chills out a bit to breathe and focus on character/world building.
The colors look incredible here. I overall like the art, but people are a bit goofy looking with the long noses and other unusual features.
I like where this is going, however I don’t see how it’s going to keep going without having a ton of filler. We shall see
The pacing feels very fast and it’s hard to keep up at times (for me at least). This is fine, but it kind of leaves you questioning a lot of things then going back to find some references etc. there’s just too much going on at once. I’m hoping in future volumes it chills out a bit to breathe and focus on character/world building.
The colors look incredible here. I overall like the art, but people are a bit goofy looking with the long noses and other unusual features.
I like where this is going, however I don’t see how it’s going to keep going without having a ton of filler. We shall see
July 23, 2020
Vizuálně naprosto úžasné! Ten komiks si zaslouží každý centimetr čtvereční z velké plochy téhle Premiere HC edice. Jeho kresba je úžasně dynamická, barevná a plná fantazie.
Příběh je taktéž skvělý. Jsou tam úžasné nápady a scénář si krásně hraje s možnostmi cestování mezi dimenzemi/realitami. Ty nápady a možné důsledky cestování mezi realitami jsou naprosto ohromující. Příběh je to taky hodně o rodině. O tom co máme a nevážíme si toho, a o tom, že někter�� věci si uvědomíme až když je už pozdě s tím něco dělat.
V první polovině se nám představí vědecký team, který se kvůli sabotáži ztratil v nekontrolovaných skocích mezi alternativními realitami. V druhé polovině začne příběh lehce ztrácet zběsilé tempo a začíná se více zamotávat. Začínají se vyhrocovat vztahy mezi "dimenzionauty", jak si hlavní hrdinové říkají, a nikdy nevíte, jestli se dalšího skoku dočkají všichni z nich. Navíc se ukazuje, že v každé dimenzi, bez ohledu na tamní životní formy, existují bytosti s podobným osudem jako mají naši hrdinové. V jedné chvíli jsem si uvědomil, že něco podobného jsem viděl v Atlasu mraků, ale ta podobnost je jen velmi vzdálená. Black Science je mnohem komplexnější a komplikovanější, a časová souběžnost těch podobných osudů napříč realitami a fakt, že se tyto bytosti mohou vzájemně setkat, má naprosto nepředvídatelné a dalekosáhlé důsledky.
Překvapila mě kvalita Premiere Hardcoveru. Parádní pevná vazba a velmi kvalitní papír, na kterém nezůstávají otisky. Zmínit musím i obsáhlou galerii alternativních obálek, skicář a ukázku scénáře. Prostě paráda!
Příběh je taktéž skvělý. Jsou tam úžasné nápady a scénář si krásně hraje s možnostmi cestování mezi dimenzemi/realitami. Ty nápady a možné důsledky cestování mezi realitami jsou naprosto ohromující. Příběh je to taky hodně o rodině. O tom co máme a nevážíme si toho, a o tom, že někter�� věci si uvědomíme až když je už pozdě s tím něco dělat.
V první polovině se nám představí vědecký team, který se kvůli sabotáži ztratil v nekontrolovaných skocích mezi alternativními realitami. V druhé polovině začne příběh lehce ztrácet zběsilé tempo a začíná se více zamotávat. Začínají se vyhrocovat vztahy mezi "dimenzionauty", jak si hlavní hrdinové říkají, a nikdy nevíte, jestli se dalšího skoku dočkají všichni z nich. Navíc se ukazuje, že v každé dimenzi, bez ohledu na tamní životní formy, existují bytosti s podobným osudem jako mají naši hrdinové. V jedné chvíli jsem si uvědomil, že něco podobného jsem viděl v Atlasu mraků, ale ta podobnost je jen velmi vzdálená. Black Science je mnohem komplexnější a komplikovanější, a časová souběžnost těch podobných osudů napříč realitami a fakt, že se tyto bytosti mohou vzájemně setkat, má naprosto nepředvídatelné a dalekosáhlé důsledky.
Překvapila mě kvalita Premiere Hardcoveru. Parádní pevná vazba a velmi kvalitní papír, na kterém nezůstávají otisky. Zmínit musím i obsáhlou galerii alternativních obálek, skicář a ukázku scénáře. Prostě paráda!
December 29, 2017
Рік Ремендер завжди писав добротний сай-фай, не вдаючись ані в постмодерністські ігри, ані в складні філософсько-фізичні теорії, позбавляючи таким чином основного у жанрі - фантазії. У цьому коміксі, як на мене, збалансовано екшн і драму, витримано ритм і вибудовано просто нереально прекрасні світи (не без майстерної руки художника Матео Скалера). З одного боку, це історія про непередбачувані наслідки наукових експериментів і загалом людського бажання зазирнути за ширму відомого, що призвело до часових стрибків і, як наслідок, руйнування світів, реальностей і планет. Звідси можна "розкручувати" й питання екологічної безпеки, культурної спадщини й людської самовизначеності. Так, це все складно звучить, але подано дуже легко й зрозуміло. Особливим плюсом у серії є паралельний монолог головного героя Ґранта МакКея - анархіста, науковця, руйнівника всесвітів і власної сім'ї - який (монолог) додає драматизму й глибини історії.
З іншого боку, це також розповідь про сім'ю, дружбу, цінності, тобто усі важливі речі для людей. Найбільш мені подобається те, що герої не просто безпідставно й нелогічно маніфестують ці проблеми, а приходять до них через різні випробовування. Тому довіра виникає не на рівні "вірую, бо абсурдно", а на рівні "вірую, бо логічно". Це означає, що ми пожинаємо плоди своєї діяльності (і часто бездіяльності), втрачаючи рідних, а основне - самих себе. Десь у цибулині часових стрибків, далеко від Землі.
З іншого боку, це також розповідь про сім'ю, дружбу, цінності, тобто усі важливі речі для людей. Найбільш мені подобається те, що герої не просто безпідставно й нелогічно маніфестують ці проблеми, а приходять до них через різні випробовування. Тому довіра виникає не на рівні "вірую, бо абсурдно", а на рівні "вірую, бо логічно". Це означає, що ми пожинаємо плоди своєї діяльності (і часто бездіяльності), втрачаючи рідних, а основне - самих себе. Десь у цибулині часових стрибків, далеко від Землі.
January 3, 2021
Black Science. Recommended for fans of Sciencefiction, time travel, and badass action. And also with alot of heart. Its a story about a family actually. The father spends all his time making some sort of time Travel device. They decide to test it and shit goes very wrong. They jump time with the entire family and try to fix the sabotaged pillar. So every couple hours the make a new jump they dont know where. Making this a very action packed fun read. Everything that happens has a sort of butterfly effect. So happy to have sold my trades and get this magnificent edition. Its huge ! The size of the DC Absolutes, the oversized artwork is stunning and this is really a deluxe edition
November 3, 2024
One of the more memorable works of sci-fi I’ve read in a while and one that really stuck in my head. Hugely imaginative and a page turner, Black Science’s biggest problem is its overambition. Remender introduces the reader to so many interesting timelines and ideas but doesn’t always succeed in follow-through. The series’ ending is a bittersweet sucker punch that had me thinking for days but ultimately found pretty satisfying. Giving it 5 stars mainly due to how much I’ve continued thinking about it since putting it down.
July 13, 2020
Goddamn was this awesome!! I couldn't quite reading and without restraint i would have burned through this in a day. Hard to put down. Characters are dynamic, flawed, real. Art and coloring are among the best in comics - try and figure out which is better!! Definitely recommend buying this one, a hands down great series!
May 28, 2019
This book is an imaginative blast of adventure. Quality entertainment.
December 26, 2018
This surprised me a bit. I wasn't sure this was the type of comic that I would like, was sortof expecting it to be a bit more.. for lack of a better word, superficial. But I don't really know why I had such mediocre expectations, considering who's written it. I think I've really enjoyed everything by him I've read.
This was also the kind of story that could easily have worn thin, dragged out or become repetative after a while, but it manages to avoid these pit-falls and stay engrossing and interesting. This has a lot to do with the characters and once again I find myself being really impressed by Remenders ability to (seemingly) lightly and effortlessly create very real and complex characters in a comic (graphic novel).
This was also the kind of story that could easily have worn thin, dragged out or become repetative after a while, but it manages to avoid these pit-falls and stay engrossing and interesting. This has a lot to do with the characters and once again I find myself being really impressed by Remenders ability to (seemingly) lightly and effortlessly create very real and complex characters in a comic (graphic novel).
Read
August 12, 2022Stopped before I got to Volume 3. My need to figure out what happens is being taken over by my to read pile calling. I just wish it was better, but at the moment it is not. Maybe I'll come back to it one day. Maybe.
Read
May 16, 2018Stunning art by Matteo Scalera and a thrilling story by Remender that is halfway between pulp weird tales of science fiction from the 60's and a well-crafted family drama. Awesome!
July 7, 2020
Woah! What a ride! 🤩
March 8, 2018
Black Science je jednoducho povedané skvelá záležitosť. Prečo? Lebo funguje ako sci-fi, keďže sledujeme partiu vizionárov, ktorý sa snažia preskúmať neznáme dimenzie a priniesť z nich ľudstvu vedomosti a objavy, ktoré by mohli zmeniť život na Zemi. Samozrejme, že nejde všetko ako po masle a tu prichádza ďalší aspekt, ktorý v tomto komikse funguje - vzťahová dráma. Máme tu totiž disfunkčnú rodinu, milenku, rivalov v obore, intrigy, nenaplnené ambície, pocit povinnosti ale aj elementárny pud sebazáchovy, ktorý sa neštíti ničoho. Samo o sebe by to ale možno nebolo tak skvelé, keby tu nebola fantastická kresba Mattea Scalleru. Hovorím to už dlho a tvrdím to aj po tomto booku, že čítať tento komiks je v istých momentoch ako chodiť po galérii. Celkovo je to teda úžasné čítanie. Niekde zhruba v polovici, som sa síce trochu bál, že sa dianie a postavy skrz rôzne dimenzie zbytočne prekombinuje, ale Rick Remender z toho vykorčuľoval bravúrne. A záverečný cliffhanger? Pokračovanie raketovo postúpilo v mojom wishliste na popredné priečky.
February 1, 2019
I enjoyed the first volume of this series, but after continuing with the whole of book one I have to say that the series generally fails to deliver further. The art is good, the premise is interesting, but each subsequent chapter is kind of more of the same: another hostile dimension and more identity crises. The writing also uses a frequent technique where the illustrations are telling one story but a "voice over" is telling another totally different story, and I found that to be mostly a distraction. Not sure if I'll continue with the series.
March 8, 2024
Dingue
June 10, 2024
A+/100 (Outstanding) 5 Stars
May 26, 2023
BLACK SCIENCE. Vol.1 – How To Fall Forever.
Intense sci-fi drama about a working group who create a “pillar” (a ‘time-machine’ of sorts) and inadvertently take the main technician’s children into other dimensions, becoming Dimensionauts. Interesting take on the act of sabotage and ego-driven pursuit of leadership power and preservation. Clever flashbacks fill in the narrative. ****
#1 - “.. I delved into BLACK SCIENCE.” – Grant
“Are we home?” – Nathan. “No, son..” – Grant
#2 – Idiom: From pillar to post. (a) From place to place, esp. aimlessly, (b) From one bad situation or predicament to another.
#3 – Three generations of my family are buried in fields like this. All because of the BAD decisions of INCOMPETENT leaders. – Ward
#4 – To get through a war, a man needs something bigger than himself to fight for. The fate of people he CARES for. The state of the world he leaves BEHIND. The honor of a PROMISE.
#5 – “He tells them what they want to hear. People LOVE liars.” – Chandra
So .. future Grant returns to current Grant
#6 – It’s not what I’ve DONE that flashes before my eyes – it’s what I’m going to MISS.
..
Black Science, Vol. 2: Welcome, Nowhere
Weirder than volume 1 and yet intriguingly original. The alien’s are clearly ‘non-human’, violent, omnicidal, and yet seemingly have social structures not too different to those of ancient human history. The parallel universes and multi-dimensions makes for interesting character trajectories. Fever dream experience. ***
#7 – “Every life is paid for by some sacrifice.”
#8 – “I knew by the time I was eight years old I couldn’t trust adults.” – McKay.
Some freaky sloth-like attackers.
#9 – “Without freedom from the past, there is no freedom at all…”
#10 – “How can everything matter when every possible thing happens?”
#11 – “If you run on lies long enough they become your truth.”
..
Black Science, Vol. 3: Vanishing Point
This took it all up another notch! Soul-searching! ***
#12 – “If I could do it all over again, I’d just want to be less afraid all of the time.”
#13 – “When people say ‘spending time’, that’s exactly right, Grant.”
#14 – “Some people don’t deal so well with the stress of being a parent.”
#15 – “Institutional learning facilities are traps intended to control the mind, subdue the soul, and keep you in debt until you’re too old to cause trouble.”
Dang! The guy I was starting to respect the most just got… pole axed!
#16 – “IT WASN’T HIM! He didn’t kill ….”
Intense sci-fi drama about a working group who create a “pillar” (a ‘time-machine’ of sorts) and inadvertently take the main technician’s children into other dimensions, becoming Dimensionauts. Interesting take on the act of sabotage and ego-driven pursuit of leadership power and preservation. Clever flashbacks fill in the narrative. ****
#1 - “.. I delved into BLACK SCIENCE.” – Grant
“Are we home?” – Nathan. “No, son..” – Grant
#2 – Idiom: From pillar to post. (a) From place to place, esp. aimlessly, (b) From one bad situation or predicament to another.
#3 – Three generations of my family are buried in fields like this. All because of the BAD decisions of INCOMPETENT leaders. – Ward
#4 – To get through a war, a man needs something bigger than himself to fight for. The fate of people he CARES for. The state of the world he leaves BEHIND. The honor of a PROMISE.
#5 – “He tells them what they want to hear. People LOVE liars.” – Chandra
So .. future Grant returns to current Grant
#6 – It’s not what I’ve DONE that flashes before my eyes – it’s what I’m going to MISS.
..
Black Science, Vol. 2: Welcome, Nowhere
Weirder than volume 1 and yet intriguingly original. The alien’s are clearly ‘non-human’, violent, omnicidal, and yet seemingly have social structures not too different to those of ancient human history. The parallel universes and multi-dimensions makes for interesting character trajectories. Fever dream experience. ***
#7 – “Every life is paid for by some sacrifice.”
#8 – “I knew by the time I was eight years old I couldn’t trust adults.” – McKay.
Some freaky sloth-like attackers.
#9 – “Without freedom from the past, there is no freedom at all…”
#10 – “How can everything matter when every possible thing happens?”
#11 – “If you run on lies long enough they become your truth.”
..
Black Science, Vol. 3: Vanishing Point
This took it all up another notch! Soul-searching! ***
#12 – “If I could do it all over again, I’d just want to be less afraid all of the time.”
#13 – “When people say ‘spending time’, that’s exactly right, Grant.”
#14 – “Some people don’t deal so well with the stress of being a parent.”
#15 – “Institutional learning facilities are traps intended to control the mind, subdue the soul, and keep you in debt until you’re too old to cause trouble.”
Dang! The guy I was starting to respect the most just got… pole axed!
#16 – “IT WASN’T HIM! He didn’t kill ….”
February 6, 2024
Acabado el primer tomo de Ciencia Oscura, y decidido a seguir en algún momento con el siguiente. No, por la nota que le he puesto se puede deducir que no me ha vuelto loco, pero tampoco hace falta que todo aquello que leemos nos cambie la vida, y Ciencia Oscura me parece una lectura efectiva que mantiene un ritmo y una tensión auténticamente endiablados, y aunque cuesta un poco situarte en la historia, una vez que estás dentro... estás dentrísimo. Y realmente creo que parte del motivo de que no me haya vuelto loco es el dibujo de Matteo Scalera, que no me ha convencido demasiado... aunque hay que reconocerle que es muy distinto y absolutamente reconocible.
Ciencia Oscura nos cuenta la historia de un equipo científico y un par de invitados dirigidos por Grant McKay, un físico que ha conseguido desarrollar El Pilar, un sistema de viaje por el multiverso que permite saltar de dimensión en dimensión, explorando así las infinitas dimensiones que conforman el multiverso. Junto a Grant, estarán sus hijos Pía y Nate, el supervisor de su proyecto Kadir, la persona de confianza de este último, Chandra, el jefe de seguridad, Ward, y otros dos científicos, Shawn y Rebecca, el primero amigo y la segunda amante de Grant. Y es que resulta que se produce un sabotaje sobre el Pilar por parte de alguno de los presentes, que hace que salte llevándose a personas que no deberían formar parte de esa prueba... y que no puedan regresar a casa. Así, a través de saltos aleatorios entre dimensiones y encima sin poder controlar el tiempo, el equipo irá viajando de un lado a otro, de dimensión en dimensión, enfrentándose a las amenazas y peligros que vienen de fuera, pero también de dentro, porque poco a poco nos vamos a ir metiendo en la dinámica de un grupo donde pocas cosas son lo que parecen...
Así que nada, en la próxima visita a la librería, el segundo...
Ciencia Oscura nos cuenta la historia de un equipo científico y un par de invitados dirigidos por Grant McKay, un físico que ha conseguido desarrollar El Pilar, un sistema de viaje por el multiverso que permite saltar de dimensión en dimensión, explorando así las infinitas dimensiones que conforman el multiverso. Junto a Grant, estarán sus hijos Pía y Nate, el supervisor de su proyecto Kadir, la persona de confianza de este último, Chandra, el jefe de seguridad, Ward, y otros dos científicos, Shawn y Rebecca, el primero amigo y la segunda amante de Grant. Y es que resulta que se produce un sabotaje sobre el Pilar por parte de alguno de los presentes, que hace que salte llevándose a personas que no deberían formar parte de esa prueba... y que no puedan regresar a casa. Así, a través de saltos aleatorios entre dimensiones y encima sin poder controlar el tiempo, el equipo irá viajando de un lado a otro, de dimensión en dimensión, enfrentándose a las amenazas y peligros que vienen de fuera, pero también de dentro, porque poco a poco nos vamos a ir metiendo en la dinámica de un grupo donde pocas cosas son lo que parecen...
Así que nada, en la próxima visita a la librería, el segundo...
May 25, 2020
Peel back the layers of the onion on this one why don't you?
Allow me. Be warned, it may bring a tear to your eye. Ha..... Ha ha.
Remender doesn't quite peel back the layers of this onion, he grabs a sledge hammer and seemingly smashes it to bits, leaving you with no other choice but to follow his lead. As we plow through the lightning pace of this book, a sweet contrast begins to form. He never smashed the onion at all, and begins to peel back the real layers of this story bit by bit. It was all a ruse to confuse!
Without spending too much time on the specifics of the science involved, and all onion metaphors aside, Remender cleverly creates a stunningly colourful sandpit (thank you Mateo Scalera & Dean White) in which to play with these complex characters.
The beauty of the onion, the multiversal machine Grant McKay and co use to delve into the complexities of Black Science, is that we get to see multiple versions of these characters and they all have the same issues. No matter your life choices, you have the same issues, the differing choices may just take you down a different path.
One scene summed up my feelings on the book; where young Pia, daughter of Grant, gets to meet an alternate version of her mother Sara and she tells her everything she may have been afraid to say to her real mother. It's a touching moment that tugs a bit too close to home for everyone.
And that's what Black Science is really about when you pull back the layers of non-stop action, running and dimension-hopping. It's about family, loyalty, anxiety, depression, morality and being able to live with the choices we make.
It may have taken a good chunk of the book to get there, but I loved it, and I only expect more from the next two books!
Allow me. Be warned, it may bring a tear to your eye. Ha..... Ha ha.
Remender doesn't quite peel back the layers of this onion, he grabs a sledge hammer and seemingly smashes it to bits, leaving you with no other choice but to follow his lead. As we plow through the lightning pace of this book, a sweet contrast begins to form. He never smashed the onion at all, and begins to peel back the real layers of this story bit by bit. It was all a ruse to confuse!
Without spending too much time on the specifics of the science involved, and all onion metaphors aside, Remender cleverly creates a stunningly colourful sandpit (thank you Mateo Scalera & Dean White) in which to play with these complex characters.
The beauty of the onion, the multiversal machine Grant McKay and co use to delve into the complexities of Black Science, is that we get to see multiple versions of these characters and they all have the same issues. No matter your life choices, you have the same issues, the differing choices may just take you down a different path.
One scene summed up my feelings on the book; where young Pia, daughter of Grant, gets to meet an alternate version of her mother Sara and she tells her everything she may have been afraid to say to her real mother. It's a touching moment that tugs a bit too close to home for everyone.
And that's what Black Science is really about when you pull back the layers of non-stop action, running and dimension-hopping. It's about family, loyalty, anxiety, depression, morality and being able to live with the choices we make.
It may have taken a good chunk of the book to get there, but I loved it, and I only expect more from the next two books!
October 10, 2017
To be fair, I had already read the first six of these, but there's 10 more chapters in here (plus some supplementary art material) so this was worth me re-reading the first six to really dive back into it.
The breakneck pacing of this really helps to further drive home the point about entropy (right there in the title, or at least, the subtitle) - anarchic scientist Grant McKay has, with help and funding, made a device that breaks down or rips open portals to other dimensions, but every time they use it (and they have to, due to plot devices) things seem to get markedly worse not only for everyone in his little explorer's party, but everything and everyone they interact with, as well. The art is spectacularly frenetic, with Steadman-like splashes over Kubert/Romita faces and backgrounds - it's an homage in this case, or an influence, and it's a good one.
The huge scale of this edition (it's like carrying around a phone book) is in aid of the epic content; one of the dimensionauts hurtling through city streets on an alien world grappling with a plant-headed otherworldly warrior looks better here than ever before. My only complaint about this edition is that the dialogue boxes (internal thoughts, not explicit speech) are printed a bit light, making them relatively difficult to read. Otherwise, this is better than I thought it was going to be initially, and you should read it.
The breakneck pacing of this really helps to further drive home the point about entropy (right there in the title, or at least, the subtitle) - anarchic scientist Grant McKay has, with help and funding, made a device that breaks down or rips open portals to other dimensions, but every time they use it (and they have to, due to plot devices) things seem to get markedly worse not only for everyone in his little explorer's party, but everything and everyone they interact with, as well. The art is spectacularly frenetic, with Steadman-like splashes over Kubert/Romita faces and backgrounds - it's an homage in this case, or an influence, and it's a good one.
The huge scale of this edition (it's like carrying around a phone book) is in aid of the epic content; one of the dimensionauts hurtling through city streets on an alien world grappling with a plant-headed otherworldly warrior looks better here than ever before. My only complaint about this edition is that the dialogue boxes (internal thoughts, not explicit speech) are printed a bit light, making them relatively difficult to read. Otherwise, this is better than I thought it was going to be initially, and you should read it.
November 1, 2020
Remender tells the story of a scientist working on a way to travel through the multiverse. The idea here being that by doing this, the scientist can not only borrow from other universes to fix what’s wrong with his universe -think borrow technology or cure diseases, for example- but also, borrow from other universes to fix those as well.
To this end, he and his team build a machine, a pillar, that can travel through the layers of the multiverse. But, this is sci-fi, so everything that can go wrong, goes wrong. The machine malfunctions and jumps from universe to universe every x many hours. The scientist, his team (assistant, security, project manager, and some other folks), and his two kids (who happened to be visiting that day) get pulled into this madness.
We get twists, betrayals, romance, aliens, surprises, etc. as the team tries to piece together what went wrong and how they can get back to their own universe.
So, here’s the thing, I like the premise, but I can’t say I like the characters or the way in which the story is being told. From the beginning we are dropped into the action, and through the first few issues, Remender helps us figure out what is going on here. I figured that his style is not linear when I read Fear Agent so that’s not an issue. What I think is an issue here is that the premise itself is better than the execution. The characters seem to be merely plot devices to move the story from point A to point B; I have yet to see actual development that sticks. Also, the characters are all pretty unlikeable. Granted, this is book 1 of 3, so there’s still room for that.
As of now, 6/10 for the story - mainly for the premise and not for the execution. The art is pretty good, but I am not a fan of the colors in this book. 7/10 in there, overall. I think I’ll keep reading to see where this is headed, but I’m not very impressed so far.
To this end, he and his team build a machine, a pillar, that can travel through the layers of the multiverse. But, this is sci-fi, so everything that can go wrong, goes wrong. The machine malfunctions and jumps from universe to universe every x many hours. The scientist, his team (assistant, security, project manager, and some other folks), and his two kids (who happened to be visiting that day) get pulled into this madness.
We get twists, betrayals, romance, aliens, surprises, etc. as the team tries to piece together what went wrong and how they can get back to their own universe.
So, here’s the thing, I like the premise, but I can’t say I like the characters or the way in which the story is being told. From the beginning we are dropped into the action, and through the first few issues, Remender helps us figure out what is going on here. I figured that his style is not linear when I read Fear Agent so that’s not an issue. What I think is an issue here is that the premise itself is better than the execution. The characters seem to be merely plot devices to move the story from point A to point B; I have yet to see actual development that sticks. Also, the characters are all pretty unlikeable. Granted, this is book 1 of 3, so there’s still room for that.
As of now, 6/10 for the story - mainly for the premise and not for the execution. The art is pretty good, but I am not a fan of the colors in this book. 7/10 in there, overall. I think I’ll keep reading to see where this is headed, but I’m not very impressed so far.
April 17, 2023
Grant es un científico que quiere mejorar el mundo, quiere salvara la humanidad y crea el Pilar, una tecnologia-ciencoia que puede llevarnos a otros mundos y realidades, ¿Qué podría salir mal?.
TODO
LO BUENO: La historia esta llena de buenas ideas, diseños llamativos, un ritmo que no se detiene, y se deja leer fácil, y con una velocidad que no te deja respirar: vamos aun mundo de cienpies inmensos que quieren acabar con los humanos, pero pasemos por uno donde los nativos americanos son la fuerza dominante, y si,,,y si...y así, un infinito de posibilidades que siguen. El arte de Matteo Scalera es simplemente hermoso, con un dinamismo que parece anime a mayor velocidad, y con el tiempo para llenar fondos, detalles rápidos y simples que alimentan la obra.
LO MALO: Hay ideas, que por mas ciencia ficción que quieras, no se agarran:
-Ey, vamos a llevar a mis hijos a una prueba de viaje interdimensional solo porque se me sale de los huevos.
-No quiero usar un arma,. pero pasadas unas paginas matare a alguien, tenlo por seguro.
Sin que sea una queja mayor, hay un baile de coloristas que no entiendo.
TODO
LO BUENO: La historia esta llena de buenas ideas, diseños llamativos, un ritmo que no se detiene, y se deja leer fácil, y con una velocidad que no te deja respirar: vamos aun mundo de cienpies inmensos que quieren acabar con los humanos, pero pasemos por uno donde los nativos americanos son la fuerza dominante, y si,,,y si...y así, un infinito de posibilidades que siguen. El arte de Matteo Scalera es simplemente hermoso, con un dinamismo que parece anime a mayor velocidad, y con el tiempo para llenar fondos, detalles rápidos y simples que alimentan la obra.
LO MALO: Hay ideas, que por mas ciencia ficción que quieras, no se agarran:
-Ey, vamos a llevar a mis hijos a una prueba de viaje interdimensional solo porque se me sale de los huevos.
-No quiero usar un arma,. pero pasadas unas paginas matare a alguien, tenlo por seguro.
Sin que sea una queja mayor, hay un baile de coloristas que no entiendo.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2021
Scientist Grant McKay built the Pillar - a device enabling jumps throughout Eververse, into all kinds of different worlds. It was supposed to be for the greater good, an opportunity to use other world’s achievements to better those worlds in need. It was supposed to end all wars, find cures for diseases. People who made the jumps were called dimensionauts. But of course something goes awry, the Pillar was sabotaged and Grant along with other dimensionauts can’t control the jumps anymore. They are thrown all over the Eververse into all possible worlds and lives. How will they get home? What needs to be done to get everything back to normal?
This was an adventure! Cool scifi story with really imaginative and colorful art to accompany it. I’m a sucker for all things time-travel, multiverse etc, so when it came to the context I loved it from the beginning. This omnibus ended on a cliffhanger of course, so I really need to get my hands on the next issue in line or the second omnibus. I’ve read very mixed reviews about the story development after issue 17, so lets hope for the best.
This was an adventure! Cool scifi story with really imaginative and colorful art to accompany it. I’m a sucker for all things time-travel, multiverse etc, so when it came to the context I loved it from the beginning. This omnibus ended on a cliffhanger of course, so I really need to get my hands on the next issue in line or the second omnibus. I’ve read very mixed reviews about the story development after issue 17, so lets hope for the best.
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