Writer – Brian Augustyn
Artist – Rags Morales
Colours – Eric Kachelhofer
Letters – Gaspar

The first issue of Black Condor as written by Brian Augustyn and drawn by Rags Morales wastes no time in getting into the thick of things and does so with a glimpse of the past where Black Condor gets his powers through a science experiment. It then cuts to the present day where some robbers and kidnappers who are currently trying to make a getaway, are not having the best time of it. This all leads to a moment when a park ranger who tries to help them out, gets himself kidnapped and said ranger who is then unable to check back in with headquarters, is also friends with the man named Black Condor. This is the moment where Augustyn and Morales spur their hero into action, the moment where readers get to see the man in action and they do an effective job at showing what Condor can do as he not only has the ability to fly but a form of telekinesis which he does indeed deploy. In the end, the good guys win and the bad guys are defeated and while the book gives no indication as to what will happen in the next issue, there is enough here to make one curious as to what it might be. Within the book, there are the beginnings of a mystery, at least of a sort and it relates to the origin of Black Condor himself. During the beginning sequence, it shows the man getting his powers from what one can only assume is his grandfather and it also seems like he was made to serve but there is no indication of that throughout the story. One has to wonder what will happen to Condor should these men come looking for him and what it will mean should they find him. If there was one drawback to it all it would be the inks as they muddied the artwork a little, making it a tad too dark as some things would just bleed into the other. A finer line might have made all the difference but it was not bad enough to hamper the experience and overall, was a decent start to the series with Augustyn giving readers just enough to keep them intrigued to come back for more.

3 out of 5