You’re gonna dig ‘Black Dynamite’ baby | review

Yeah, here’s my confession, bad writing and stereotypes aside – I actually liked the movie Black Dynamite. I mean, I love caricatures and the more extreme the stereotype – the better.  The microphone dangling from the ceiling, the bad acting and the fake tears on Honey Bee … and in it all, Black Dynamite standin’ up to the MAN. I liked Black Dynamite.

And it also didn’t hurt that he was also gifted with the ladies either.

Well, that’s what the comic Black Dynamite’s about. Based on the original film by Michael Jai White, sure enough, with all of his jive-talkin’ and his culturally-mashed up knowledge of kung-fu and karate, Black Dynamite stands ready to destroy the criminal elements in the community! But there’s also learning for Black Dynamite – he gets a crash course in the collateral effects of protecting the community when other peoples’ property is destroyed in his quest to rid the neighbourhood of these stone-cold turkeys. And then, there’s also the negative stereotype he’s puttin’ out there for all to see…

Wait a minute – this former CIA agent, international ladies’ man – he’s bad for the community?

And so begins Black Dynamite’s need to keep on movin’ – maybe to find other adventures and see what the word has to offer and what he can offer the world.  So does this mean that it’s time for Black Dynamite needs to grow up?

Yeah, sadly, it is. That’s what disappointed me a little about this comic. I just wanted the goofiness to continue. Sure, there was the battle scene with Too Swole, but the chump-thumpin’ ended there and he suddenly gains a conscience.  I wanted Black Dynamite to keep kicking ass and takin’ no jive sass from anyone.

Still, I was kind of intrigued to see where writer Brian Ash was going with this. In the end, Ash has Dynamite throw off this role and begin the story with a sort of spiritual re-awakening. I think more could have been offered in this story titled “Every Origin Has a Beginning” but I’m content with the knowledge that there is more forthcoming in the future that’ll make me want to pick up the second copy and see where the story goes. It’s still a little vague, but I’m hoping that the Black Dynamite I know will return in some goofy, over-the-top way.

What’s also pretty cool about this issue too is that while it’s drawn by Ron Wimberly, it’s inked by comic-legend Sal Buscema.

Nostalgia has gotten hold of me on this one. I want Black Dynamite to do well simply because it’s based on a damn funny source. It’s a larger-than-life character who can do some pretty larger-than-life things. But, in the end, for this story to succeed, let’s hope that Black Dynamite is ready to do some large-livin’!

You dig?