The Black Coat and Athena Voltaire share several things in common. First, they are creator owned heroes that are and always have been published by independents. Second, in the context of their fictional universes they are period heroes. Third, they are non-powered resourceful adventurers who use their intelligence and skills to win.

The Black Coat operates in the 16th century. Athena Voltaire is a 1930s aviatrix. How do these two meet? They don't. Not really. Instead, Lichius and Bryant exploit a well known legend that will span the decades.

The story starts as the Black Coat and his companion Ursula defend their ship against pirates led by the wittily designed Captain Blithe. Ursula used to be a pirate before marrying the Black Coat's best friend. Her former history keeps her alive as Blithe wishes to satisfy his curiosity about the dangerous "Miss Ramsey." Their reacquainting also allows Nathaniel Finch the time to change into something a little more shadowy.

Once in the guise of Black Coat, Nathaniel shows Blithe and company the marvels of nascent science. The hero's trademark trickery is one of the reasons why Black Coat appeals to the selective reader. He's smart as a whip and Lichius finds a way to make the technology that we take for granted new and wondrous again.

The swashbuckling aspect is another factor in the Black Coat's critical success story. Lichius makes certain that Blithe and Nathaniel end up in a rousing clash of cutlasses. What amazes even more is that he compresses this story into 14 action packed pages without sacrificing characterization or rushing the plot.

In the 1930s New York, somebody else is seeking the treasure that Blithe attempted to plunder. That person hires Athena Voltaire to charter an expedition.

Bryant works from the consequences of the Black Coat story. He then considers how the treasure might be acquired to catalyze the events. The threat that Bryant works out is an original feat of imagination. He remolds this popular subgenre and the amending fits right in with the pulp nature of Athena Voltaire's adventures.

Once the horrors are introduced, it's only a matter of time for Athena to energetically display her marksmanship and then dope out a means for dispatching all. Bryant, like Lichius, evinces a mastery of the short story form. He economically relates a tale with a beginning, middle and end, but he doesn't abandon characterization or the twists and turns that make the narrative interesting.

Both Lichius and Bryant mesh their different styles of storytelling and sketching quite seamlessly, yet both shorts work independently. Colorists Millet and White also must be commended for their subtle use of hues to denote the occult menace and the violence vainly done to them.

Black Coat/Athena Voltaire is a slick non team-up between two critically acclaimed indie heroes. They work together through the passage of time to put an end to an age old hazard.

---

What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!

---