Blackout #1 is a new series written by Frank Barbiere and published by Dark Horse about Scott Travers who discovers a special suit that allows him to travel unseen through a parallel dimension. Even though it gives him this incredible ability it does come with a cost as he has started to become plagued with nightmares, which are also part memory, every time he uses the suit. He has memories of using the suit to infiltrate a security lab in hopes of finding clues about his missing benefactor but he felt there was something else in the suit with him pulling him deeper into the shadows. And he recalls being surrounded and unable to escape but he also thinks he ended up killing someone. It’s bad enough he doesn’t know where the suit came from because it was just left in his apartment with a note saying “find me,” but he doesn’t even understand the full capabilities of the suit. But not everyone is ignorant about the suit because Ms. Luca, who was present during an attack, knew the suit was top-secret Blackout gear and from his reactions determined he must have just found the suit due to his lack of knowledge regarding it. And he has drawn the attention of some very powerful foes in addition to the personal issues the mysterious disappearance of his benefactor, Robert Marshall, has created for him. With so much coming at him from every angle, including from within the suit, are these new powers given to Scott more trouble than they’re worth?

I was interested in this series when I read the premise, and since it was written by Frank Barbiere, who also writes the White Suits, I knew I had to check it out. And immediately I was pulled into the shadowy world of Blackout and a great job was done showing the benefits of possessing the suit as well as the pitfalls and how Scott would be haunted by what was buried deep in the suit. So it was understandable that he would want to get rid of it while he and Ash would still be in awe of its powers. And even in the aftermath of his attack it was understandable that those affected by this attack would want to do what was necessary to discover the truth behind it. And the fact that there were those already familiar with the suit and also interested in the missing benefactor made the story more intriguing. But I didn’t warm up to Scott Travers outside of the suit as much as I initially thought I would and that was due to his character not being as unique as his suit and its abilities. During his interactions with others he came across as an aloof, disconnected alter ego who doesn’t even care about a missing benefactor so he’s also spoiled in his daily life. Yes, I’m not familiar with his relationship with Robert Marshall and of course he’s maintaining his secret identity as the one who has the suit but I’m hoping there’s a more interesting backstory to the character than that. And I’m also hoping there’s more to the capabilities of the suit than what is shown this issue because the machinations of those trying to find him as well as the backstory of the creation  of the suit was more intriguing than the actual suit. And so I still see a lot of potential in this series but this issue was just good as opposed to me being blown away by it as I hoped I would.

SUMMARY

Blackout #1 is a good issue that lays the groundwork for some potential interesting story threads and so I’m looking forward to seeing how these things unfold. I wasn’t impressed with Scott’s character outside of the suit and his interactions with Ash as his cover/alter ego seemed to be a combination of the stereotypes of superhero alter egos. The suit and its ability were interesting but the machinations surrounding it were more intriguing and so I’m hoping the suit is more impressive as more of its origin is revealed, or Scott faces different situations. And the stage for that is set at the conclusion of this issue and I’ll be waiting to see what’s in store.

Release Date: 3/26/14

Writer: Frank Barbiere, Randy Stradley

Artist: Colin Lorimer, Doug Wheatley