Black Hammer Volume 5 Reborn Part 1 by Jeff Lemire is a continuance of the Black Hammer series following the hero that was a small part of the first four volumes and was the daughter of an original member of the team. This book will serve as a reboot but with lots of throwbacks to volumes 1-4 and one recurring character coming back, who was part of the original team. The Black Hammer series is big on fate and we will see a character deal with aging and fate 20 years after the end of volume 4. Black Hammer is a very meta and truly weird story that messes with time, you could not pick up this volume and not go what is going on. I’ve read all the volumes and still go, what is going on? at some points. There’s slightly more action in this volume than in previous ones. The pace of the book moves very rapidly. The conclusion for the volume is very good and makes you want to pick up the next volume as soon as possible with a huge twist at the end. The story is setting you up from the beginning for a gut punch at the end. I don’t know if I’m I’m fully onboard on the series bringing back an old enemy, since it is so tied to why the original team cannot come back. I felt Black Hamer ended so beautifully in volume 4, I’m intrigued by this new direction the series is taking. The art was different and way more showy I was a fan of the low-key, not glossy hero. I did not like the way they aged Black Hammer in 20 years I wanted to see more aging it looks too similar to 20 years later Black Hammer. Black Hammer Volume 5 Reborn Part 1 includes issues Black Hammer Reborn (#1-4). Black Hammer Volume 5 Reborn Part 1 was published on February 22, 2022, by Dark Horse Books.

Plot Summary: In 1986 Lucy Weber watched her dad superhero Black Hammer and his team seemingly die after defeating Anti-God, But Lucy doesn’t believe they are gone and finds them in an alternate reality, doomed to live there if they return Anti-God returns. Lucy’s father has died but his hammer remains, it gives the power to Lucy, and she is sent back to her earth to become The Black Hammer reborn. We see Lucy domesticated and with a husband and 2 kids and has seemingly hung up the mantle of Black Hammer. We find out why she hung it up and why she must become the Black Hammer once again.

What I Liked: The ending was the best part I was kind of on the fence about this book but then the ending hit and it jumped up a star in my rating. I liked the action when Lucy gets to use the Black Hammer. The shark creatures chasing through multiple worlds was neat. The reveal of who Lucy’s husband is from her past was good and unexpected. The returning character from the original team made sense for return and was a big part of the killer ending.

What I Disliked: The subplot to bring back Anti-God, the only reason I would be for this is if they brought back the original team, but right now it just feels cheap. The glossy new look I’m not a fan of since the previous book used a muted color pallet, which made it unique. The way Lucy barely aged in twenty years was way too subtle, especially with the story all about messing with time and flashbacks.

Recommendation: Volume 5 is a new direction to the Black Hammer, When the last book ended I thought it was over but Jeff Lemire came up with a story to follow an important but minor character in volumes 1-4. It took me a while to come around to the new direction, but when the finale hit, I was ready to read more. I recommend my followers check out this book but start with volume 1.

Rating: I rated Black Hammer Volume 5 Reborn Part 1 by Jeff Lemire 4 stars. The book was around 3.5 stars but rounded up to 4 and feel good about it.