THE BLACK BEETLE ~ NO WAY OUT #4 - The Epic Conclusion!

~~ Click on the images for biggie ~~

Hello Beetlemaniacs,

    The Black Beetle's NO WAY OUT #4 came out this week and the conclusion of this first miniserie was another big success among readers and critics! Once again, on behalf of everyone who has worked on this book: THANK YOU ALL!
   And don't worry- as you might have seen/read in the last pages of issue 4 (and as you can see from the new header above), more Black Beetle adventures are already on their way to you: look for this fall for the second mini hitting the stores and titled: NECROLOGUE!

    And now here's a partial list of the great reviews BB #4 has received :)

NEWSARAMA
Best Shots Rapid Reviews: 
Black Beetle: No Way Out #4 (of 4) 10/10

At the conclusion of the penultimate issue of this series, it seemed very obvious where the plot was going, but in this final issue Francesco Francavilla pulls the rug out from under us with a clever twist that makes the story that much richer. This is a great conclusion to a smart series filled with mystery and non-stop action that doesn’t let up till the very last panel. Francavilla’s pulp artwork is just dripping with atmosphere in this final issue, highlighted by creative composition, inventive layouts, dark and moody panels swimming with heavy blacks, and some truly gorgeous use of color. The final page sets things up for the next miniseries, which just can’t come soon enough.

CBR
Black Beetle: No Way Out #4 Review 4/5★
Francavilla just seems to know what he's doing from start to finish with minimal effort, as though he exhales artwork in a finished state.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=user_review&id=6090

MTV GEEK
This Week's Comics! The Winners:

"The Black Beetle in No Way Out" #4
I've been getting a kick out of this pulpy, moody miniseries since it premiered back in January, and this final issue (Francavilla does promise the character will return in another series this fall) is the perfect wrap-up to the writer/artist's experiment in radio-drama-style storytelling.
It's delightful.

COMICVINE
The Black Beetle: No Way Out #4 Review 5/5★
Francavilla's characterization of his creator owned Black Beetle character might remind you of characters you would have read in old pulp fiction novels or on radio show broadcasts from the 1930's, and it isn't just his art that relays that theme, it's the language in the dialogue he uses as well. Overall it's just incredibly well done, and it hooks you from the very start. The issue starts with four little words, "tonight is the night," which is enough to prey on any reader's level of curiosity.

WORD OF THE NERD ONLINE
Review: Black Beetle: No Way Out #4
Francavilla is crafting a new pulp hero and with each story, Black Beetle gets closer and closer to the Pulp Pantheon.
The end is only the beginning.

BUY INDIE COMICS
Black Beetle #4 Review
As the first, and hopefully not the last, story arc in the adventures of The Black Beetle comes to a close, it is stunningly clear that Francesco Francavilla has delivered the goods.
More Black Beetle would be great. More Francavilla, period!

GEEKS OF DOOM
Comic Review: The Black Beetle: No Way Out #4
Writer and artist Francesco Francavilla wraps up this excellent miniseries with more of the same – excellence. I have to tell you, even though I’ve been reading this character for four issues, it really feels like I’m very familiar with The Beetle and his universe. It’s like when you read a comic that you haven’t read in years and a wave of nostalgia comes rushing back.

COMIC BOOK JUNKIE
It's Wednesday!
THE BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #4 (of 4)
I’m constantly finding evidence that supports Carl Jung’s concept of collective unconsciousness. The current trend in pulp comics is one. To varying degrees of success, the books range in type from bringing pulp characters into the 21st century to doing pulp with a modern twist to planting both feet firmly in the genre and creating a classic pulp story. Francavilla’s series plays in the third space and does it marvelously.

CULTURE MASS
Top of the Pull List – The Black Beetle: No Way Out #4
True to the genre, the final installment of No Way Out is a blood-soaked, bullet-riddled page turner.  From the Beetle rocketing down a dark street flanked by shadowy trees to the final ominous pages (that finally shed a little light on the “Intermezzo” sequences), this book practically grabs you by the eyelids and commands you to keep reading.

THE FANBOY FACTOR
Comic Review: Black Beetle: No Way Out #4 (Dark Horse) 4/5★
Black Beetle has been one of those series (miniseries?) that stands out as what noir comics should be. Each exciting issue with it’s colorful villains, understated action scenes, and startling detective work keeps the reader on the edge of there seat. The book keeps that classic noir tone of great stories like Dick Tracy and the Rocketeer.

MAJOR SPOILERS
Staff's Picks: THE BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #4
Pulp-inspired antics with a cool character and wonderfully moody art… It’s a win/win situation for me, like Batman without all the troublesome elements or a new-fangled tech-savvy Shadow. Check it out!

MULTIVERSITY COMICS
Comics Should Be Cheap - Staff's picks
Black Beetle: No Way Out #4 ($3.99) – This miniseries has been an absolute delight for fans of pulpy vigilante stories. The old school vibe meets modern technique that Francesco Francavilla is known for in terms of visual is equally present in his writing, resulting in a comic that is a pure delight to read. Here’s hoping we will see much more Black Beetle in the future!

RCB READ COMICBOOKS
Editor’s Picks: THE BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #4
The conclusion to Francesco Francavilla‘s awesome creator owned series from Dark Horse. This was a labor of love, people! Francavilla pretty much did everything on this title and it showed. He’s got a great passion for this series and it’s fantatic that we’re going to get more of it in the future. If you missed this series, for whatever reason, make sure you get the collection when it comes out and pre-order the next Black Beetle series from Dark Horse. You seriously can’t go wrong.

 
ADVENTURES IN POOR TASTE!
Is It Good? The Black Beetle: No Way Out Part 4 9/10★
Yes, it’s quite good. It makes me want to wear a suit and go to a jazz club. The reality of that would drive me insane, but it makes me want to act classy. It’s a period comic done to perfection. The art is cool, the action is swift, the mystery is compelling, and the colors are dark.

COMIC BASTARDS
Review: The Black Beetle #4 4/5★
if you haven’t already, get caught-up with this series. Its richly-textured, atmospherically alive art and simple yet gripping storytelling has been a hallmark of my formative days here at Comic Bastards, and a credit to Dark Horse’s line as a whole. To put it more succinctly, much like a well-aimed bullet in a damp Colt City night, The Black Beetle “No Way Out” is unmissable.

DONIST WORLD
The Black Beetle: No Way Out #4
Hot dang, denizens, this was one heck of fun noir/mystery book. Francavilla went for a very specific look and tone for his story, and he achieved both with flying colors--or rather dark and moody flying colors.
The Black Beetle is a must-own book, denizens, doubly so if you are a fan of old noir books and film, or if you are a fan of the vintage heroes. If you have not bought any of the issues for this series thus far, and you are a completist like me, then you might want to hold on until late September when a $19.99 cover price hardcover collection is released.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

GONZO GEEK
GonzoGeek Comics Reviews - The Black Beetle
No Way Out has been a great read.  Francavilla's got his thumb right on the pulpy pulse of Colt City.  The corruption runs deep and only the Black Beetle stands between the citizens and the criminals.  If his Phantom of the Paradise headgear doesn't scare you straight, his matte black automatic will stop you cold.

ROCKIN COMICS
The Black Beetle #4 4.5/5
The art, as always, is fantastic. The pages with the big reveals are great, and I love how Francavilla split the panels up with puzzle pieces. To be honest, I want the first page with Black Beetle and puzzle pieces to frame and put on my wall. I love it that much.
In all, it’s a damn fine issue, a damn fine four issue run, and a damn fine bit of news that Black Beetle will return.

THE WEEKLY-CRISIS
BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #4
Francavilla has long shown himself to be a hyper talented artist, but here he's been spreading his writing wings to whip up some brilliant superhero noir (as Dark Horse likes to call it).  This book is slick, and I cannot wait to see how it all ends up.

ALL ABOUT BOOKS AND COMICS
Black Beetle #4

Francavilla writes a better detective story than any issue of Detective Comics I’ve read in a few years. Great stuff!

Cheers,
Francesco

THE BLACK BEETLE ~ NO WAY OUT #3 Is Another Hit!

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Hello Beetlemaniacs,

    The Black Beetle's NO WAY OUT #3 came out last week and it was another success among readers and critics! On behalf of everyone who has worked on this book (even if I am writing, drawing, and coloring it, there is a team of talented people that help bringing it to life and into your hands): THANK YOU SO MUCH, everyone!
   And speaking of talented people who helped with this book, I wanna give a special thanks to my dear friend Rafael Kayanan, whose expertise in Martial Arts helped me choreographing a big fight scene in this issue.

   So happy you are enjoying this little noir yarn. One more chapter to go, with the big Labyrinto reveal (have you figure out yet who is behind the mask? ;))

    And now here's a partial list of the great reviews BB #3 has received :)

MAJOR SPOILERS
REVIEW: The Black Beetle – No Way Out #3 5/5★
Nary a syllable is wasted in this latest installment of the Black Beetle’s adventures from writer and artist Francesco Francavilla. It’s a tightly written story with perfect pacing that keeps you so engaged that you’re unable to turn the pages fast enough.
it’s a great story and you’re cheating yourself if you’re not reading it. The Black Beetle – No Way Out #3 earns 5 stars.

RCB READCOMICBOOKS
The Black Beetle: No Way Out #3 Advance Review 9/10
The third chapter, of four, of Francesco Francavilla’s Black Beetle is nothing short of epic. With only one issue to go, Francavilla ramps up the action.
Really, truly, this limited series has been great. Francavilla has a character in Black Beetle that has impressed from the start, and it’s really quite clear that he’s putting his heart and soul into each and every panel between these covers. The final issue, in 30 agonizing days, is going to be one to remember.

COMICBOOKBIN
Black Beetle: No Way Out #3 comics review 9/10
If there is a slump coming in The Black Beetle, it will have to wait because issue #3 is as good as the issues before it.
Damn, I love this comic book.

UNLEASH THE FANBOY
Black Beetle: No Way Out #3 Review 4.5/5★
No artist draws pulp like Francesco Francavilla, and if The Black Beetle: No Way Out #3 is any indication, he writes pulp just as well as he draws it.
The Black Beetle: No Way Out #3 is an incredibly fun read, not in spite of its dark grittiness, but because of of it.

TALKING COMICBOOKS
Black Beetle #3
I’m sticking around for more of our eponymous hero’s pulpy (mis)adventures!!!

THE WEEKLY CRISIS
Post-Crisis Comic Book Previews
Major Releases BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #3
Francesco Francavilla's Black Beetle is getting better with every issue.  The time and care that goes into these issues is evident from how well put together they are.  Black Beetle walks that line of hitting the tropes you'd expect while also taking the story places you might not.  Francavilla's work is always oozing with his personal style, and nowhere is that more true than here in the pages of Black Beetle.

MULTIVERSITY COMICS
Comics Should Be Cheap!
Black Beetle: No Way Out #3
Pulp style comics may not be everyone else’s bag, but they are mine, and few artists in the industry today do them as well as Francesco Francavilla. Hell, few artists in the industry today are as good as Francavilla, period. I try to read every issue he works on, and that goes double for this great creator-owned series.

OMNICOMIC
Review - The Black Beetle: No Way Out #3
The Black Beetle: No Way Out #3 gets the series ready to conclude and it's poised to go out big. The Black Beetle knows what he must do and is set on doing it, continuing to make Colt City a better place to live.

ROCKIN COMICS
The Black Beetle #3 Review - 4.5/5★
I REALLY, REALLY loved the art. I’ve thought that Francavilla’s art has been excellent all the way through, giving us a really nice noir/pulp throwback feel, but there are things he does with the panels here that you just have to see.

 NERDIST
Top Picks
Black Beetle: No Way Out #3 | Francesco Francavilla
Much like the moment when the Game of Thrones end credits roll, the moment when I finish an issue of Francesco Francavilla’s Black Beetle: No Way Out is the worst part of my month, because that means that there’s the longest possible period of time until I can get my hands on a new issue. It’s that good. The seedy world of Colt City and its pulpy protector, the Black Beetle, come to life through Francavilla’s tightly paced writing and eye-popping artwork. Following up on his lead from the city’s rat-riddled underground, the plot gets thicker than a New York deli sandwich once our goggled gangbuster sees a familiar face at the Coco Club – namely one that should be dead. Suffice it to say, this book just keeps getting better. I only have one question: Is it May yet?

UPROXX
Pull List: Black Beetle: No Way Out #3
Speaking of pulp, Francesco Francavilla’s gorgeous pulp noir continues to go down smooth. Francavilla’s love of the pulps shines through every page, but what really shines here are his layouts. A back alley fight scene in particular is a gleeful riot of oddly angled panels, colors, and witty narration. It’s sad there’s only one more to go: Hopefully we haven’t heard the last of the Black Beetle.

WORD OF THE NERD
Review: Black Beetle: No Way Out #3
The issue moves along at a brisk pace, but never loses steam. Can’t wait for the finale!

COMIC BASTARDS
Review: The Black Beetle #3 5/5★
the more I follow the adventures of The Black Beetle, switching as he does between devil-may-care antics and street-level detective work, the more I appreciate his populating, if not exemplifying, a fully-textured world. Everything in this place feels like it’s been rendered from rich hide, a throwback to a world where materials, like its men, were made of sterner stuff, instead of plastic affectation.
I honestly couldn’t love this book more if I tried. Luckily, I really don’t have to try.

TALKING COMICS!
The Black Beetle #3 Review
Now this is genre-fiction done right in the 21st Century. Black Beetle: No Way Out might be straight up hard-boiled detective pulp, but Francesco Francavilla lends the book a distinctly modern feel through his innovative artwork and distinctive color palette.

Olivia's Comic Book Reviews
Review The Black Beetle #3
It’s just such a fun and exciting book, with a likeable and often relatable protagonist in an utterly thrilling tale.

CULTURE MASS
Top of the Pull List – The Black Beetle: No Way Out #3
this comic is everything I hoped it would be.  Action, suspense, a genuine sense of mystery—this is the work of a master craftsman, through and through.

COMICS MATTER
Pull List Review: The Black Beetle: No Way Out #3  7/10
 Francesco Francavilla is pouring himself into this series, and every page glows.
A consistently triumphant book continues to impress.

MULTIVERSITY COMICS
Review: The Black Beetle: No Way Out #3  9/10
Francavilla is one of the most gifted storytellers in comics, and “The Black Beetle” is a passion project that finds him at the top of his game. It’s an absolute blast to read, and something I hope we see much more of after “No Way Out” wraps next month.

ENTROPIC WORLDS
Check This Out! Comics Pick of the Week: The Black Beetle #3
This is the type of book that really needs some love for the creator-owned end of the medium: a fresh, stylish, and fun series from a young up-and-comer filled with contagious enthusiasm.
When I talk about reading comics as an active experience, I usually mean intellectually – but Francavilla delivers it on a visceral physical level and I love it.

COMIC ATTACK!
Dark Horse Reviews: The Black Beetle #3 5/5★
To say that this series is good is probably the biggest understatement on the planet.

SCI-FI PULSE
In review: The Black Beetle #3
BB  is a fun mix of detective and costumed super hero.

READING REALMS
The Black Beetle #3 4/5★
picked up the first issue because of the art and the promise of pulp fiction, both reasons have delivered in spades.

Cheers,
Francesco

THE BLACK BEETLE ~ NO WAY OUT #3 Preview!

~~ Click on the cover for a large preview of NO WAY OUT #3 ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

     The third episode of The Black Beetle's NO WAY OUT is airing this Wednesday in all your favorite comicbook stores, and you can get a meaty preview by clicking the cover above.

Please trust me when I say this is the prettier chapter yet and make sure to be there in about 30 days for the explosive conclusion of the first adventure/foray of The Black Beetle on the shelves.
Hope you enjoy the read :)

The Black Beetle: No Way Out #3
Written by Francesco Francavilla
Art by Francesco Francavilla
On sale April 17th, 2013     
Under the watchful gaze of the mysterious Labyrinto, Black Beetle fights for his life! Is this the doing of a man that Black Beetle thought was dead? Could a zombie mobster be commanding the foes of Colt City’s dark avenger?! If he survives the night, the investigative insect will be left with questions to ponder as he takes his investigation . . . to the morgue!


Have a wonderful Pulp Sunday, everyone :)

Cheers,
Francesco

The Black Beetle NO WAY OUT #4 (of 4)

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Hello Beetlemaniacs,

    I can finally reveal the final cover (and solicits text) of THE BLACK BEETLE first mini: NO WAY OUT #4 will be in stores in April and will reveal who is behind Labyrinto's mask (unless you have guessed it already by then - if you have, than I am proud of your detective skills :))

   Once again, pre-orders mean everything: as you might know by now, we totally sold out of #0 and I received tons of messages from people telling me their store didn't carry any so now they are left out. Stores will rarely order copies of a book if they don't get customers ordering them cause they fear they will be left with unsold copies (fear totally understandable).
   So, please, make sure to let your store know that you want all 4 issue of THE BLACK BEETLE, add the title to your pull list: it's the only way to make sure you are not gonna miss any of these :)


The Black Beetle: No Way Out #4
Written by Francesco Francavilla
Art by Francesco Francavilla
On sale April 17, 2013     
The epic conclusion to Black Beetle’s first series! Colt City’s caped crusader goes head to head with the mysterious villain Labyrinto! Can Black Beetle make it out of this maze of matched wits and matched blows alive?!  

    THE BLACK BEETLE NO WAY OUT #1 will be in stores next Wednesday!
Advance reviews have already started to pour in and - like for NIGH SHIFT #0 - they are all praising how entertaining this book is.

Here's a quick extract from COMICBOOKBIN's ★★★★★ review:
"Everything about this issue, from its stylish 399cent (as in $3.99) cover price to its uneven and blocky logo, The Black Beetle drips pulp fiction. This is going to be the must read of 2013."

So don't miss out on the FUN and make sure to grab a copy this coming week - hopefully you have already put the title on your pull list and don't have to worry ;)



Cheers,
Francesco

THE BLACK BEETLE "NO WAY OUT" #1 Preview

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Hello Pulp Friends,

     I am so excited to share the latest 2 lobby cards with some support words from two comicbook legends and a huge inspiration of mine: Jim Steranko and Warren Ellis. I am lucky enough to call Jim a friend and he has always been enjoying The Black Beetle since the ashcan from a few years ago, so having his stamp of approval (being the Pulp authority he is) really means a lot to me.
     And to add another cherry to the pie, Warren asked to see the pages from issue 1, enjoyed it and gave me the blurb I used on the lobby card below. More thumbs up from these greats means I might be doing this right :) Let's hope I don't screw it up along the way ;)


     Issue #0 (collecting the NIGHT SHIFT 3-parter published in DHP plus extra material) is coming out in less than two weeks and there is still time to put in pre-orders for issue 1 coming out in January.

     Speaking of issue 1 of NO WAY OUT, here's an excerpt of an interview that was recently published on CBR (done with Daniel Glendening) in which I talk a bit of the story, The Black Beetle, and show some sneak peek of the book (first 3 pages).

~~Ŧ~~

     Back alleys shrouded in darkness and long shadows cast by dim streetlights, all-night diners and wise guy gangsters, esoteric artifacts and Nazi secret agents: this is the world readers have come to associate with classic noir, and the world readers will find in writer/artist Francesco Francavilla's "The Black Beetle" from Dark Horse Comics. With the release of "The Black Beetle" #0, collecting the three-part story "NightShift" that originally ran in Dark Horse's anthology series, "DarkHorse Presents," on December 19 and the subsequent launch of "The Black Beetle: No Way Out" four-issue miniseries on January 16, Francavilla continues his impressive rise in the comic book industry. Francavilla nabbed the 2012 Eisner Award for Best Cover Artist as well as the 2012 Eagle Award for Favourite Newcomer Artist. He brings his signature graphic, pulp aesthetic to every panel of his developing series, eagerly sharing the process on his "Black Beetle"-centered blog.

     "We are still at a very early phase of the Black Beetle's history," Francavilla told Comic Book Resources. "We know he operates in Colt City and we know he is some sort of masked vigilante or hero. The events in 'Night Shift' span one night -- We've learned what the Black Beetle is capable of, and where his 'base of operations' is located."

     The Black Beetle is a hero, to be sure, and he's willing to take a bullet in defense of the innocent. However, he is not without his flaws, as hinted at in "Night Shift," and Francavilla compares him to Humphrey Bogart's character Rick Blaine in the 1941 film, "Casablanca."

     "[The Black Beetle] operates outside the radar of the law, which allows him to get information on criminal activity in Colt City and act accordingly, sometimes adopting unorthodox measures," said Francavilla. "He is a hero, after all -- not a perfect hero, but still a hero."

[...]

      "There is something else going on more than just simply 'protecting the citizens of Colt City,'" said Francavilla. "What is that 'something else?' That's one of the major plot-points that we'll discover a bit at a time through the next several issues in the series."

[...]

    "A main goal I had for this book is to explore several genres of the pulps," Francavilla explained. "'Night Shift' was a mix of spy-war story with some supernatural elements, while 'No Way Out' is more of a crime-mystery story."

     Francavilla cites the pulp and noir films and serials of the 1930s, '40s and '50s as direct influences on The Black Beetle, as well as classic pulp crime fiction writers like Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. The series is also clearly indebted to early masked-heroes like The Shadow and The Spider.

     "I always loved the high entertainment value of those stories," said Francavilla. "You didn't need to know much going in except that some bad guy is going to do something bad and The Shadow or The Spider was going to take care of him. Same goes with the gangster or crime movies from that period: you were going in without any pre-conception or knowledge of the characters; getting to meet the hero (or anti-hero) during the movie, and deciding to like or hate him or her at the end. You probably thought you knew how the movie was going to end, but somehow the whole experience wasn't as predictable as you thought. And that made it fun, entertaining. Hopefully I will be able to achieve the same effect with 'The Black Beetle.'"

~~Ŧ~~

So please spread the word about BB, pre-order #1 and #2, tell your store to order some extra copies, and -last but not least- have a wonderful Pulp Sunday, everyone :)

Cheers,
Francesco