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Column:
Small Press Pass
"The Black Coat"
By Adam White
Published: 2006-07-08
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SMALL PRESS PASS introduces you to the world of independent and small press comicbooks. As small press titles are
often hard to locate on the vastness that is the Internet, Adam will be doing the legwork for you and showcasing a different
title each week so that you can stay up to date on the unbelievable variety of comicbooks available from places other than
the main four or five companies out there that you already know. Get ready to widen your domain of comicbook knowledge and
enter the world of the Small Press.
For the inaugural SMALL PRESS PASS, I introduce to you the world of The Black Coat, a mysterious masked
adventurer operating in Colonial America circa 1775. Created by writers Ben Lichius and Adam Cogan along with illustrator
extraordinaire Francesco Francavilla, The Black Coat follows the self-titled exploits of this hard-hitting pulp hero
who works under the tutelage of Benjamin Franklin himself, which sets the action firmly in American history.
Ben Lichius and Adam Cogan craft a fantastic tale of the Black Coat and his team of colonial cohorts fighting against the
oppression of England and its errant king, and insert several intriguing mysteries for good measure. Lichius and Cogan put
their own spin on the pulp hero archetype, firmly setting their story in historical context without letting it dictate their
direction. Each character is distinguished and enjoyable, and they remain true to the time period without becoming boring or
stuffy like so many stories of the period told by lesser writers.
Francesco Francavilla illustrates this epic with panache, creating accurate, period-specific characters, ships, and
locations that leap right off of the page; Francavilla’s clear storytelling flows from panel to panel and brings the
past to life with excitement not often associated with stories of Colonial America. The Black Coat himself has a familiar
yet distinct look, allowing readers the easy recognition of the archetype yet making him unique enough to stand out in
readers’ minds. Francavilla has obviously put immense effort into his illustrations for The Black Coat, and
that effort has made the series an unforgettable career-maker.
Genre: Pulp Adventure, Mystery, Historical Drama
You will enjoy this series if you like: Jonah Hex, The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, The
Shadow, Zorro, Loveless, the novels of Patrick O’Brian, Outlaw Josey Wales, Pirates of the
Carribean, or just good stories in general
Where to find it: Ask your comicbook retailer to order it, and Ape Entertainment has a list of Ape-friendly retailers.
—CCdC—
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