Black Hammer
Cover of Black Hammer #1 (July 2016). Art by Dean Ormston.
Publication information
PublisherDark Horse Comics
ScheduleMonthly
FormatOngoing
GenreSuperhero
Metafiction
Publication dateJuly 2016 – present
Creative team
Created byJeff Lemire
Dean Ormston
Written byJeff Lemire
Artist(s)Dean Ormston (2016–2019)
Caitlin Yarsky (2021–2022)
Malachi Ward (2021–2023)
Letterer(s)Todd Klein (2016–2019)
Nate Piekos (2019–present)
Colorist(s)Dave Stewart
Editor(s)Brendan Wright (#1–7)
Daniel Chabon (#1–present)
Collected editions
1. Secret OriginsISBN 9781616557867
2. The EventISBN 9781506701981
3. Age of Doom – Part 1ISBN 9781506703893
4. Age of Doom – Part 2ISBN 9781506708164
5. Reborn – Part 1ISBN 9781506714264
6. Reborn – Part 2ISBN 9781506715155
7. Reborn – Part 3ISBN 9781506720159
Streets of SpiralISBN 9781506709413
Visions – Vol. 1ISBN 9781506723266
Visions – Vol. 2ISBN 9781506725512

Black Hammer is an ongoing American comic series created by writer Jeff Lemire and artist Dean Ormston, published by Dark Horse Comics.

Plot

Ten years ago, Black Hammer and six other superheroes saved Spiral City from the Anti-God, but in the process became trapped in Rockwood, a timeless Twilight Zone-ish town. Shortly after the heroes arrived, Black Hammer died while trying to escape. In the present, the six heroes live on Black Hammer farm with very little hope of ever escaping Rockwood.

Publication history

Phase I

Jeff Lemire originally conceived of Black Hammer in 2007, intending to draw the story himself after the end of Essex County.[1] In 2008, he pitched the series to Dark Horse editor Diana Schutz. The pitch was accepted, but Lemire was unable to begin work until he finished The Nobody and Sweet Tooth for Vertigo, then his exclusivity contract for DC Comics prevented him from working on the series from 2010 to 2014.[2] When Lemire returned to the series in 2014, he was working on so many projects that drawing it himself was no longer possible, so he teamed up with artist Dean Ormston for the title. According to Lemire, it was important for Black Hammer to not to look anything like mainstream superhero comics. He wanted the series to stand outside of superhero comics and comment on them, not become one of them. For this, Ormston's art style was deemed perfect.[3]

Black Hammer #1 was originally scheduled for release March 2015, but Ormston suffered a cerebral hemorrhage,[4] which left the right side of his body partially paralyzed. After months of rehabilitation, Ormston recovered.[3] The first issue of Black Hammer came out July the following year. Lemire continued working on the series while Ormston recovered. Dean Ormston's working pace was greatly reduced, so he sometimes worked with layout assistance from Peter Gross.[5] Because of this, Lemire has scripts written well ahead of the release schedule.[6]

In 2017, Jeff Lemire started to expand the Black Hammer universe with spinoff titles, starting with Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil. The spinoffs are identified by a "From the world of Black Hammer" banner along the top of the cover.[7][8] Early on, Black Hammer and its spinoffs were frequently referred to as "The Hammerverse" (not to be confused with David Drake's Hammerverse) by editor Daniel Chabon in the letter columns, though the official branding is now "The World of Black Hammer".

Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil

In October 2017, shortly after the cliffhanger ending of Black Hammer #13, Dark Horse Comics launched Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil, the first Black Hammer spinoff miniseries, written by Jeff Lemire with art by David Rubín. The series focused on Lucy Weber, a young investigative reporter searching for the truth about what happened ten years ago when her father, the Black Hammer, disappeared.[9] The miniseries introduced numerous characters that would go on to play larger roles in future stories, such as Cthu-Louise and Grimjim.

Doctor Andromeda and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows

Originally published as Doctor Star and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows, this second Black Hammer spinoff miniseries was written by Jeff Lemire with art by Max Fiumara was launched in December 2017. The series focuses on Doctor Star (later renamed Doctor Andromeda), a Golden Age superhero and contemporary of Abraham Slam.[10]

The series was retitled "Doctor Andromeda and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows" following a legal issue with another publisher. As Lemire himself explained in a 2020 interview:

"I have been cagey about this because the honest truth is that there was a legal issue with the name and its similarity to another publisher's character and there is very little I can actually discuss. But we worked it out very amicably with that other publisher and we agreed to change his name and costume a bit. Not any drama or anything, it was all very civil. The good thing is the name changed, but the story is exactly the same. And that original printing of Doctor Star trades and floppies will probably be collector's items to a degree now, I guess. This being Black Hammer, I do have a fun meta way of explaining the name change within the universe itself that will unfold next year in some new Black Hammer projects".[11]

Doctor Andromeda originally appeared in a cameo role in the original Black Hammer series as an homage to Starman, specifically the incarnation written by James Robinson, to the point that the character's alter ego was named "Jimmy Robinson".

Black Hammer: Age of Doom

Black Hammer series ended and was relaunched as Black Hammer: Age of Doom in 2018.[12] Lemire explained the name change in a press release:

"One thing Black Hammer has always done is comment on the history of superhero comics and we live in a world where superhero universes seem to be rebooted, relaunched, and rebirthed every year. It felt like we needed to play around with that idea, but put a Black Hammer spin on it".[13]

Age of Doom finished the story that Lemire had originally pitched to Dark Horse about the superheroes stranded on Black Hammer farm. However, in a July 2019 interview, he explained this was simply the end of Phase I, and went on to tease developments for Phase II with more spinoffs and a new core Black Hammer series.[14]

The Quantum Age

The Quantum Age, a spinoff set in 2141 (originally 3041, but this date was revised in the trade paperback) about a group of superheroes, inspired by the heroes of Black Hammer Farm, was released in March 2018.[15] The series deals with some of the aftermath of Age of Doom.

Black Hammer ’45

Black Hammer ’45, a four-issue miniseries about the Black Hammer Squadron in World War II, was published in December 2018. This miniseries marked the first time a Black Hammer title wasn't solely written by Jeff Lemire, with Ray Fawkes joining as co-writer.[16] Matt Kindt, who had previously worked on the Black Hammer: Giant-Sized Annual, returned as the artist.

Phase II

Skulldigger + Skeleton Boy

Just prior to SDCC 2019, Newsarama announced Skulldigger + Skeleton Boy, a six-issue miniseries about the vigilante Skulldigger, written by Jeff Lemire with art by Tonci Zonjic. The series had previously been mentioned in the Stranger Things / Black Hammer Free Comic Book Day 2019 issue[17] and in The World of Black Hammer Encyclopedia.[18] Jeff Lemire said that this book would be the first title in "Phase II" of the Black Hammer universe.[19] Early on, Lemire had planned on drawing the series himself, but he couldn't find time in his schedule.[20]

Colonel Weird: Cosmagog

Colonel Weird: Cosmagog, a four-issue miniseries was published in October 2020, written by Jeff Lemire with art by Tyler Crook.[21] It looks at Colonel Randall Weird's past and his future beyond the ending of Black Hammer: Age of Doom. Lemire described the series as a bridge from the Phase I Black Hammer series to the stories he has planned for the future.[22]

Barbalien: Red Planet

Barbalien: Red Planet, a five-issue miniseries written by Jeff Lemire and Tate Brombal with art by Gabriel Hernández Walta was announced in spring 2020.[23] The miniseries explores Mark Markz's time as a police officer during the 1980s AIDS crisis. It was originally scheduled to launch in LGBTQ Pride Month, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Black Hammer: Visions

In November 2020, Dark Horse announced an eight-issue anthology series, with each story from different creative teams.[24] Lemire has clarified that Visions is not in continuity.[25]

Black Hammer: Reborn

This will be the core title of Phase II. It will be a twelve-issue series with a new artist, Caitlin Yarsky. Dean Ormston will continue to work in the World of Black Hammer on another title with more of a horror focus. The series jumps ahead twenty years after the finale of Black Hammer: Age of Doom with Lucy living in the suburbs with her partner and children.[26] Lemire described it as "Lucy Weber's Mid-Life Crisis on Multiple Earths".[27] It will focus on Lucy Weber as the new Black Hammer and include Skulldigger in a prominent role as well as many other returning characters.[20]

The Unbelievable Unteens

Dark Horse announced a new spinoff reuniting Jeff Lemire and Tyler Crook, The Unbelievable Unteens in May 2021.[28] This story is set to focus on comic artist Jane Ito meeting one of her comics creations. Earlier that year, Lemire had posted a teaser image by Crook featuring Jack Sabbath holding the fictional final issue of The Incredible Unteens.[29]

The Last Days of Black Hammer

In March 2022, Lemire launched The Last Days of Black Hammer, a 110-page comic that was serialized weekly through his Substack newsletter, Tales from the Farm. Drawn by Stefano Simeone, this story is a prequel to the original Black Hammer run, set in 1986 and focused on Joe Weber and his family.[30]

Colonel Weird and Little Andromeda

Like The Last Days of Black Hammer, Colonel Weird and Little Andromeda was originally serialized through Jeff Lemire's Tales from the Farm newsletter. Written by Tate Brombal, the series has work from many artists. Ray Fawkes drew the framing sequences, while Tyler Bence, Shawn Kuruneru, Ariela Kristantina, Dani, Marguerite Sauvage, Andrea Sorrentino, Tyler Crook, Yuko Shimizu, and Nick Robles all drew self-contained stories within the framework.[31] The series introduced the character Willow D. Whisper, created by Tate Brombal and Dani.[32]

Black Hammer: The End

In September 2021, Lemire posted an image on Instagram teasing Black Hammer: The End.[33] After it was announced that he had entered into an exclusive deal with Image Comics, Lemire posted a newsletter explaining what this would mean for Black Hammer—that the deal had an exemption for all his Black Hammer work. However, he also mentioned that he was planning to bring Black Hammer to an end in 2023.[34] He has since clarified that The End will wrap up all the storylines that have been building over the last few years, and will set the stage for a whole new era of Black Hammer stories in 2024 and beyond.[35][36]

Crossovers

Beginning in July 2019, Dark Horse Comics and DC Comics released "Hammer of Justice," a five-issue Black Hammer and Justice League crossover miniseries, written by Jeff Lemire and drawn by Michael Walsh. In the initial announcement, Lemire assured readers he would keep Black Hammer character-driven and free of unnecessary tie-ins and events. "Hammer of Justice!" is not "a throwaway imaginary story" and will have lasting repercussions for future stories in continuity.[37]

As to the topic of further crossovers in future, Lemire said: "If there is a very good story to be told, I am open to it, but I doubt we will see many, or any, other crossovers in the future. This particular opportunity really worked and was a great once in a lifetime chance to tell a really fun story".[38] He has mentioned that artist Dean Ormston would like to do a Hellboy crossover if Mike Mignola was interested.[20]

Future

In his email newsletter, Lemire has spoken about a few upcoming titles that have yet to be formally announced.[39] Dean Ormston will be drawing a Madame Dragonfly miniseries. Following Black Hammer: The End, Lemire said he aimed to bring the series back to one core Black Hammer book for a while.

Lemire has also mentioned he'd like to do a sequel to The Quantum Age called The Quantum World with artist Wilfredo Torres.[20] He's also mentioned that he intends to come back to Black Hammer at some point after The End, when he's had a few years' break, to do a Golden Gail story.[40]

Issues

Phase I
Series Issue Release Date Story Art Colors Letters Cover
Black
Hammer		 #1 July 20, 2016 Jeff Lemire Dean Ormston Dave Stewart Todd Klein
  • Dean Ormston
  • Jeff Lemire (variant)
  • Dustin Nguyen (SDCC 2016 variant)
  • Fábio Moon (ECCC 2018 variant)[41]
#2 August 17, 2016
  • Dean Ormston
  • Jeff Lemire (variants)
#3 September 21, 2016
#4 October 19, 2016
#5 November 16, 2016
#6 December 21, 2016
Giant-Sized
Annual
(2017)		 January 18, 2017 Michael Allred
Ray Fawkes
Matt Kindt
Emi Lenox
Dustin Nguyen
Nate Powell		 Ray Fawkes
Sharlene Kindt
Dave Stewart		 Todd Klein
  • Jeff Lemire
#7 March 22, 2017 Dean Ormston Dave Stewart Todd Klein
  • Dean Ormston
  • Jeff Lemire (variants)
#8 April 19, 2017
#9 May 24, 2017 David Rubín
  • David Rubín
  • Jeff Lemire (variant)
#10 June 21, 2017 Dean Ormston Dave Stewart Todd Klein
  • Dean Ormston
  • Jeff Lemire (variants)
#11 July 26, 2017
#12 August 23, 2017 David Rubín
  • David Rubín
  • Jeff Lemire (variant)
#13 September 20, 2017 Dean Ormston Dave Stewart Todd Klein
  • Dean Ormston
  • Jeff Lemire (variant)
Sherlock
Frankenstein
and the
Legion of Evil		 #1 October 18, 2017 Jeff Lemire David Rubín
  • David Rubín
  • Mike Mignola (variant)
  • Darren Warren Johnson (ECCC 2018 variant)[41]
#2 November 22, 2017
  • David Rubín
  • Dean Ormston (variant)
#3 December 20, 2017
  • David Rubín
  • Duncan Fegredo (variant)
#4 January 24, 2018
  • David Rubín
  • Jeff Lemire (variant)
Doctor Star
and the
Kingdom of
Lost Tomorrows		 #1 March 7, 2018 Jeff Lemire Max Fiumara Dave Stewart Nate Piekos
  • Max Fiumara
  • Declan Shalvey & Jordie Bellaire (variant)
  • Jeff Lemire (ComicsPRO variant)
#2 April 4, 2018
  • Max Fiumara
  • J.G. Jones (variant)
#3 May 2, 2018
  • Max Fiumara
  • Dustin Nguyen (variant)
#4 June 6, 2018
  • Max Fiumara
  • Annie Wu (variant)
Black
Hammer:
Age of Doom		 #1 April 18, 2018 Jeff Lemire Dean Ormston Dave Stewart Todd Klein
  • Dean Ormston
  • Skottie Young (variant)
  • Rafael Albuquerque (2018 Diamond Retailer Summit variant)
  • James Stokoe (C2E2 2018 variant)
#2 May 23, 2018
  • Dean Ormston
  • Jeff Lemire (variant)
#3 June 20, 2018
  • Dean Ormston
  • Michael Cho (variant)
#4 August 22, 2018
  • Dean Ormston
  • James Harren (variant)
#5 September 19, 2018
  • Dean Ormston
  • Fábio Moon (variant)
#6 October 17, 2018 Rich Tommaso
  • Rich Tommaso
  • Farel Dalrymple (variant)
#7 November 21, 2018
  • Rich Tommaso
  • Christian Ward (variant)
Black
Hammer		 FCBD 2018:
Overwatch /
Black Hammer
"The Quantum Age"		 May 5, 2018 Jeff Lemire Dean Ormston
Wilfredo Torres		 Dave Stewart Todd Klein N/A
The
Quantum
Age		 #1 July 4, 2018 Jeff Lemire Wilfredo Torres Dave Stewart Nate Piekos
  • Wilfredo Torres
  • Christian Ward (variant)
  • Marcos Martín (SDCC 2018 variant)
#2 August 1, 2018
  • Wilfredo Torres
  • Andrew MacLean (variant)
#3 October 10, 2018
  • Wilfredo Torres
  • Marco Rudy (variant)
#4 November 14, 2018
  • Wilfredo Torres
  • Brendan McCarthy (variant)
#5 December 12, 2018
  • Wilfredo Torres
  • Tula Lotay (variant)
#6 January 30, 2019
  • Wilfredo Torres
  • Jeff Lemire (variant)
Black
Hammer		 Cthu-Louise December 12, 2018 Jeff Lemire Emi Lenox Dave Stewart Todd Klein
  • Emi Lenox
  • Jill Thompson (variant)
Black
Hammer:
Age of Doom		 #8 February 27, 2019 Jeff Lemire Dean Ormston Dave Stewart Todd Klein
  • Dean Ormston
  • Bill Sienkiewicz (variant)
#9 March 27, 2019
  • Dean Ormston
  • Sanford Greene (variant)
#10 May 8, 2019
  • Dean Ormston
  • Michel Fiffe (variant)
#11 July 3, 2019
  • Dean Ormston
  • Paolo and Joe Rivera (variant)
#12 September 18, 2019
  • Dean Ormston
  • Paul Pope (variant)
Black
Hammer ’45		 #1 March 6, 2019 STORY
Jeff Lemire
STORY & SCRIPT
Ray Fawkes		 Matt Kindt Sharlene Kindt Marie Enger
  • Matt & Sharlene Kindt
  • Veronica Fish (variant)
#2 April 3, 2019
  • Matt & Sharlene Kindt
  • Glenn Fabry (variant)
#3 May 1, 2019
  • Matt & Sharlene Kindt
  • Denys Cowan, Don Hudson, & Noelle Giddings (variant)
#4 June 5, 2019
  • Matt & Sharlene Kindt
  • Sanford Greene (variant)
Black
Hammer		 FCBD 2019:
Stranger Things /
Black Hammer
"Horrors to Come"		 May 4, 2019 Jeff Lemire
Ray Fawkes		 David Rubín N/A
The World of
Black Hammer
Encyclopedia		 July 3, 2019 Jeff Lemire
Tate Brombal		 Various Dave Stewart N/A
  • Andrea Sorrentino
Black
Hammer /
Justice League:
Hammer of
Justice!		 #1 July 10, 2019 Jeff Lemire Michael Walsh Nate Piekos
  • Michael Walsh
  • Jeff Lemire (variant)
  • Yanick Paquette (variant)
  • Yuko Shimizu (variant)
  • Andrea Sorrentino (2 variants)
  • Christian Ward (SDCC 2019 variant)[42]
#2 August 14, 2019
  • Michael Walsh
  • Ian Bertram (variant)
  • Matteo Scalera (variant)
  • Jill Thompson (variant)
  • Julián Totino Tedesco (variant)
#3 September 11, 2019
  • Michael Walsh
  • Ray Fawkes (variant)
  • Tradd Moore (variant)
  • Nate Powell (variant)
  • Evan Shaner (variant)
#4 October 9, 2019
  • Michael Walsh
  • Tyler Crook (variant)
  • Francesco Francavilla (variant)
  • Andrew Robinson (variant)
  • Gabriel Walta (variant)
#5 November 13, 2019
  • Michael Walsh
  • Shawn Crystal (variant)
  • Terry Dodson (variant)
  • Sandy Jarrell (variant)
  • Matt Kindt (variant)
Black
Hammer[43]		 3 for $1 November 6, 2019 ʀᴇᴘʀɪɴᴛs:
  • Black Hammer #1
  • Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil #1
  • The Quantum Age #1
  • David Rubín
Phase II
Series Issue Release Date Story Art Colors Letters Cover
Skulldigger +
Skeleton Boy
[19][43]		 #1 December 18, 2019 Jeff Lemire Tonci Zonjic Steve Wands
  • Tonci Zonjic
  • Mike Deodato Jr. (variant)
  • Jeff Lemire (variant)
#2 January 15, 2020
  • Tonci Zonjic
  • James Harren (variant)
#3 February 19, 2020
  • Tonci Zonjic
  • Patric Reynolds (variant)
#4 September 23, 2020
  • Tonci Zonjic
  • Daniel Warren Johnson
    with Mike Spicer (variant)
#5 October 21, 2020
  • Tonci Zonjic
  • Sam Kieth (variant)
#6 February 24, 2021
  • Tonci Zonjic
  • Cliff Chiang (variant)
Colonel Weird:
Cosmagog		 #1 October 28, 2020 Jeff Lemire Tyler Crook
  • Tyler Crook
  • Jeff Lemire
    with Dave Stewart (variant)
#2 November 25, 2020
  • Tyler Crook
  • Evan Dorkin
    with Sarah Dyer (variant)
#3 December 30, 2020
  • Tyler Crook
  • John McCrea
    with Mike Spicer (variant)
#4 January 27, 2021
  • Tyler Crook
  • Malachi Ward (variant)
Barbalien:
Red Planet		 #1 November 18, 2020 Tate Brombal Gabriel Hernández Walta Jordie Bellaire Aditya Bidikar
  • Gabriel Hernández Walta
  • Phil Jimenez
    with Dave Stewart (variant)
#2 December 16, 2020
  • Gabriel Hernández Walta
  • Kevin Wada (variant)
#3 January 20, 2021
  • Gabriel Hernández Walta
  • Aud Koch (variant)
#4 February 17, 2021
  • Gabriel Hernández Walta
  • Naomi Franquiz (variant)
#5 March 24, 2021
  • Gabriel Hernández Walta
  • Nick Robles (variant)
Black
Hammer:
Visions		 #1 February 10, 2021 Patton Oswalt Dean Kotz Jason Wordie Nate Piekos
  • Dean Kotz
    with Jason Wordie
  • Evan Dorkin
    with Sarah Dyer (variant)
  • Gilbert Hernández
    with Dave Stewart (variant)
#2 March 10, 2021 Geoff Johns Scott Kolins Bill Crabtree
  • Scott Kolins
  • Kelley Jones
    with Bill Crabtree (variant)
  • Tom & Sian Mandrake (variant)
#3 April 14, 2021 Chip Zdarsky Johnnie Christmas Dave Stewart
  • Chip Zdarsky
  • Jason Loo (variant)
  • Gerardo Zaffino (variant)
#4 May 12, 2021 Mariko Tamaki Diego Olortegui
  • Diego Olortegui
  • Christina Chung (variant)
  • Patricia Martin (variant)
#5 June 9, 2021 Kelly Thompson Leonardo Romero Jordie Bellaire
  • Leonardo Romero
  • Annie Wu (variant)
  • Marguerite Sauvage (variant)
#6 July 14, 2021 Cullen Bunn Malachi Ward & Matthew Sheean Dave Stewart
  • Malachi Ward & Matthew Sheean
  • Dan Brereton (variant)
  • Brian Hurtt (variant)
#7 August 18, 2021 Cecil Castellucci Melissa Duffy Bill Crabtree
  • Melissa Duffy
  • Veronica Fish (variant)
  • Yuko Shimizu (variant)
#8 September 22, 2021 Scott Snyder David Rubín
  • David Rubín
  • Glenn Fabry
    with Karen Holloway (variant)
  • Patric Reynolds
    with Luis NCT (variant)
Black
Hammer:
Reborn		 #1 June 23, 2021 Jeff Lemire Caitlin Yarsky Dave Stewart Nate Piekos
  • Caitlin Yarsky
  • Jeff Lemire
    with Dave Stewart (variant)
#2 July 21, 2021
  • Caitlin Yarsky
  • Jill Thompson (variant)
#3 September 1, 2021
  • Caitlin Yarsky
  • Fiona Stephenson (variant)
#4 October 13, 2021
  • Caitlin Yarsky
  • Dave Johnson (variant)
#5 October 27, 2021 Malachi Ward & Matthew Sheean

THE CASE OF THE ELECTRIC BOY
Rich Tomasso		 Malachi Ward

THE CASE OF THE ELECTRIC BOY
Rich Tomasso
  • Caitlin Yarsky
  • Malachi Ward & Matthew Sheean (variant)
  • Vanesa Del Rey (Tales from the Farm variant)
#6 November 24, 2021
  • Caitlin Yarsky
  • Malachi Ward & Matthew Sheean (variants)
#7 December 29, 2021
#8 January 26, 2022
#9 February 23, 2022 Caitlin Yarsky Dave Stewart
  • Caitlin Yarsky
  • Aaron Conley (variant)
#10 March 23, 2022
  • Caitlin Yarsky
  • Andrea Mutti (variant)
#11 April 20, 2022
  • Caitlin Yarsky
  • Stefano Simeone (variant)
#12 May 18, 2022
  • Caitlin Yarsky
  • Raul Allen (variant)
The
Unbelievable
Unteens		 #1 August 11, 2021 Jeff Lemire Tyler Crook
  • Tyler Crook
  • John McCrea (variant)
#2 September 8, 2021
  • Tyler Crook
  • Emi Lenox (variant)
#3 October 13, 2021
  • Tyler Crook
  • Ray Fawkes (variant)
#4 November 10, 2021
  • Tyler Crook
  • Andrea Sorrentino (variant)
Black
Hammer:
The End		 #1 August 30 2023 Jeff Lemire Malachi Ward Nate Piekos
  • Malachi Ward
  • David Rubín (variant)
#2 September 27, 2023
  • Malachi Ward
  • Max Fiumara (variant)
#3 October 25, 2023
  • Malachi Ward
  • Wilfredo Torres with Bill Crabtree (variant)
#4 November 22, 2023
  • Malachi Ward
  • Tonci Zonjic (variant)
#5 January 10, 2023
  • Malachi Ward
  • Caitlin Yarsky (variant)
#6 February 14, 2024
  • Malachi Ward
  • Tyler Crook (variant)

Tales from the Farm online stories

In September 2021, Lemire launched a new iteration of his Tales from the Farm newsletter through Substack, a place where paying subscribers would have access to behind-the-scenes material and new stories.[44][45][46] On January 31, 2022, he began the first of several planned World of Black Hammer projects.[47]

On September 1, 2022, Lemire posted that he would no longer be serializing stories through the newsletter due to increased demands on his schedule. (He was showrunning the Essex County television adaptation at the time.) The Colonel Weird and Little Andromeda story was left incomplete until its hardcover collection in March the following year.[48][49] On this topic, Lemire said, "I naïvely thought I could juggle comics with doing that show, but it just became obvious that it was like a full-time job ... The last year has been basically just the show."[50]

Tales from the Farm stories
Series Chapter Release Date Story Art Colors Letters
The Last Days of
Black Hammer		 The Hyperguild War! January 31 – March 17, 2022 Jeff Lemire Stefano Simone Nate Piekos
Black Hammer No More March 31 – April 28, 2022
Cataclysm Crossover May 19, 2022 – July 7, 2022
Colonel Weird
and Little Andromeda		 Parts 1–4 April 6 – May 5, 2022 Tate Brombal Ray Fawkes Steve Wands
Para-Zoned May 18, 2022 Tyler Bence Bill Crabtree
Martian Mayday May 25, 2022 Shawn Kuruneru Jordie Bellaire
Utopia Born June 8, 2022 Ariela Kristantina
Interlude I
Willow D. Whisper: Chaotic Investigator		 June 15, 2022 Dani Jordie Bellaire
Cataclysm June 22, 2022 Ray Fawkes
Para-Zone Island June 29, 2022 Tate Brombal Marguerite Sauvage
A Girl and her Eyeball July 6, 2022 Andrea Sorrentino Dave Stewart
Cosmic Sheep July 13, 2022 Tyler Crook
The End of Eve July 20, 2022 Yuko Shimizu
Interlude II
Chasing Chaos		 July 27, 2022 Dani Jordie Bellaire
Randall's Story August 3, 2022 Nick Robles
Untitled Black Hammer: Visions story August 4, 2022 David A. Robertson Scott B. Henderson Uncredited
Betwixt, Between August 24, 2022 Lucy Sullivan

Collected editions

Trade paperbacks

Black Hammer trade paperbacks
Title # Release Date Material collected ISBN
Black Hammer:
Secret Origins[51]		 1 March 29, 2017
  • Black Hammer #1–6
 9781616557867
Black Hammer:
The Event[52]		 2 December 27, 2017
  • Black Hammer #7–11, #13
 9781506701981
Black Hammer:
Age of Doom – Part I[53]		 3 January 2, 2019
  • Black Hammer: Age of Doom #1–5
 9781506703893
Black Hammer:
Streets of Spiral		 — September 11, 2019
  • Black Hammer: Giant-Sized Annual
  • Black Hammer: Cthu-Louise
  • "Horrors to Come"
  • The World of Black Hammer Encyclopedia
 9781506709413
Black Hammer:
Age of Doom – Part II		 4 December 18, 2019
  • Black Hammer: Age of Doom #6–12
 9781506708164
Black Hammer:
Reborn – Part I		 5 February 2, 2022
  • Black Hammer: Reborn #1–4
 9781506714264
Black Hammer:
Reborn – Part II		 6 June 1, 2022
  • Black Hammer: Reborn #5–8
 9781506715155
Black Hammer:
Reborn – Part III		 7 October 4, 2022
  • Black Hammer: Reborn #9–12
 9781506720159
The Last Days of
Black Hammer		 — February 22, 2023
  • The Last Days of Black Hammer
 9781506731124
Black Hammer:
The End		 8 June 11, 2024
  • Black Hammer: The End #1–6
 9781506732534
The World of Black Hammer trade paperbacks
Title Release Date Material collected ISBN
Sherlock Frankenstein
and the Legion of Evil[54]		 May 9, 2018
  • Black Hammer #12
  • Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil #1–4
 9781506705262
Doctor Star
and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows[55]		 November 14, 2018
  • Doctor Star and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows #1–4
 9781506706597
Doctor Andromeda
and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows
(revised edition)		 April 28, 2021 9781506723297
The Quantum Age April 10, 2019
  • "The Quantum Age"
  • The Quantum Age #1–6
 9781506708416
Black Hammer ’45 October 16, 2019
  • Black Hammer ’45 #1–4
 9781506708508
Colonel Weird: Cosmagog January 27, 2021
  • Colonel Weird: Cosmagog #1–4
 9781506715162
Barbalien: Red Planet May 12, 2021
  • Barbalien: Red Planet #1–5
 9781506715803
Skulldigger + Skeleton Boy June 2, 2021
  • Skulldigger + Skeleton Boy #1–6
 9781506710334
The Unbelievable Unteens March 9, 2022
  • "Horrors to Come"
  • The Unbelievable Unteens #1–4
 9781506724362

Hardcovers

Black Hammer hardcovers
Bʟᴀᴄᴋ Hᴀᴍᴍᴇʀ
Title Release Date Material collected ISBN
Black Hammer / Justice League:
Hammer of Justice!		 March 25, 2020
  • Black Hammer / Justice League: Hammer of Justice! #1–5
 9781506710990
Black Hammer:
Visions – Volume 1		 October 13, 2021
  • Black Hammer: Visions #1–4
 9781506723266
Black Hammer:
Visions – Volume 2		 February 2, 2022
  • Black Hammer: Visions #5–8
 9781506725512
Colonel Weird
and Little Andromeda		 March 22, 2023
  • Colonel Weird and Little Andromeda
 9781506733821

Library editions

Black Hammer library editions
Volume Release Date Material collected ISBN
1[56] November 28, 2018
  • Black Hammer #1–13
  • Black Hammer: Giant-Sized Annual (2017)
 9781506710730
2[57] September 23, 2020
  • Black Hammer: Age of Doom #1–12
  • Black Hammer: Cthu-Louise
  • The World of Black Hammer Encyclopedia
 9781506711850
3[58] October 10, 2023
  • Black Hammer: Reborn #1–12
 9781506725468
The World of Black Hammer library editions
Volume Release Date Material collected ISBN
1 Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil
and
Doctor Andromeda and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows[59]		 October 7, 2020
  • Black Hammer #12
  • Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil #1–4
  • Doctor Star and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows #1–4
 9781506719955
2 Black Hammer ’45 and The Quantum Age[60] February 23, 2021
  • Black Hammer ’45 #1–4
  • "The Quantum Age"
  • The Quantum Age #1–6
 9781506719962
3 Colonel Weird: Cosmagog and Barbalien: Red Planet[61] June 16, 2021
  • Colonel Weird: Cosmagog #1–4
  • Barbalien: Red Planet #1–5
 9781506719979
4 Skulldigger + Skeleton Boy and The Unbelievable Unteens[62] October 26, 2022
  • Skulldigger + Skeleton Boy #1–6
  • "Horrors to Come"
  • The Unbelievable Unteens #1–4
 9781506726014
5 Visions[63] April 12, 2023
  • Black Hammer: Visions #1–8
 9781506732503

Awards

Award Year Category Nominee Result
Eisner Awards 2017[64] Best New Series Black Hammer
Jeff Lemire & Dean Ormston		 Won
Best Lettering Todd Klein Won
Best Writer Jeff Lemire Nominated
2018[65] Best Continuing Series Black Hammer
Jeff Lemire & Dean Ormston		 Nominated
Best Writer Jeff Lemire Nominated
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team David Rubín Nominated
Best Coloring David Rubín Nominated
Best Coloring Dave Stewart Nominated
2019[66] Best Single Issue/One-Shot Black Hammer: Cthu-Louise
Jeff Lemire & Emi Lenox		 Nominated
Best Continuing Series Black Hammer: Age of Doom
Jeff Lemire, Dean Ormston, & Rich Tommaso		 Nominated
Best Writer Jeff Lemire Nominated
Best Lettering Todd Klein Won
2020[67] Best Coloring Dave Stewart Won
2021[68] Best Limited Series Barbalien: Red Planet
Jeff Lemire, Tate Brombal, and Gabriel Hernández Walta		 Nominated
Best Writer Jeff Lemire Nominated
Best Graphic Album—Reprint Black Hammer – Volume 2 (library edition)
Jeff Lemire, Dean Ormstom, Emi Lenox, and Rich Tommaso		 Nominated
Harvey Awards 2018[69] Book of the Year Black Hammer: Secret Origins Nominated
Ringo Awards 2019[70] Best Series Black Hammer: Age of Doom Won
2020 Best Series Black Hammer: Age of Doom Nominated
Tripwire Awards 2021[71] Best Collection Black Hammer – Volume 2 (library edition) Won
Best Colourist Dave Stewart Nominated

In other media

A film and television development was reported to be in development with Legendary Entertainment in November 2018. This deal included not just Black Hammer, but all its associated titles, effectively opening the door to create a cross-platform film and television shared universe.[72] Both Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston are executive producers, and Lemire will be actively involved in the adaptations. Lemire described his involvement as follows:

"I decided with Black Hammer, because it's so personal and near and dear to my heart, if I was ever going to option and develop it, I had to be intimately involved. As far as that adaptation, I do have to be the one that is creatively steering that ship, like the comic".[73]

Lemire wrote a pilot script for the initial project with Legendary and a series bible,[73][74] but in April 2021 Legendary Entertainment's option on the series was passed and Lemire was looking a new home for it.[75]

References

  1. ↑ Sunu, Steve. "Lemire Explores Superheroics in "The Black Hammer"". Comic Book Resources. Comic Book Resources. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  2. ↑ Renaud, Jeffrey. "Jeff Lemire Goes DC Exclusive". Comic Book Resources. Comic Book Resources. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  3. 1 2 Lemire, Jeff (March 29, 2017). The Real Secret Origins of Black Hammer (Afterword in Black Hammer – Volume 1: Secret Origins). Dark Horse Comics. ISBN 9781616557867. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  4. ↑ Brett, White. "Dark Horse's "Black Hammer" Delayed". Comic Book Resources. Comic Book Resources. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  5. ↑ Lemire, Jeff; Ormston, Dean (January 2, 2019). Black Hammer: Age of Doom – Part 1. Sketchbook section: Dark Horse Books. ISBN 9781506703893.
  6. ↑ Edgar, Sean. "Nate Powell, Matt Kindt, Dustin Nguyen & More Expand Jeff Lemire's Black Hammer Universe in New Annual". Paste Magazine. Paste Magazine. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  7. ↑ Salvatore, Brian. "An Interview With Our Best Writer of 2017, Jeff Lemire". Multiversity Comics. Multiversity Comics. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  8. ↑ Dueben, Alex. "Jeff Lemire opens up about BLACK HAMMER, writing superheroes, & trying new things". Comics Beat. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  9. ↑ Marnell, Blair. "Mike Mignola covers Sherlock Frankenstein & the Legion of Evil # 1". Crave. Crave. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  10. ↑ Dandy, Jim. "Doctor Star Takes Center Stage in New Black Hammer Spinoff". Den of Geek. Den of Geek. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Black Hammer's Jeff Lemire and Tate Brombal Chat Barbalien: Red Planet". ComicBook.com. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  12. ↑ Sagers, Aaron. "Jeff Lemire and Dark Horse End Black Hammer and Will Return With Age of Doom". Syfy Wire. Syfy Wire. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  13. ↑ "The Eisner-Award Winning Comic Book Saga "Black Hammer" Returns in 2018". Dark Horse Comics. Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  14. ↑ Lemire, Jeff. "JOKER, THE QUESTION and THE FUTURE OF BLACK HAMMER!". Jeff Lemire's Blog. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  15. ↑ "C2E2 2018: Jeff Lemire and Wilfredo Torres Explore the Future of Superheroes". Dark Horse Comics blog. Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  16. ↑ Estrella, Ernie. "Exclusive Reveal: Black Hammer '45 Miniseries Will Turn Back the Clock to the Golden Age". SyFy Wire. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  17. ↑ Lemire, Jeff; Fawkes, Ray; Rubín, David (May 4, 2019). Stanger Things / Black Hammer. Dark Horse Comics. p. Credits page. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  18. ↑ Brombal, Tate (July 3, 2019). The World of Black Hammer Encyclopedia. Dark Horse Comics. p. 27. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  19. 1 2 Arrant, Chris. "New Black Hammer Title Centers on Skulldigger + Skeleton Boy". newsarama.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "Twitter AMA recap".
  21. ↑ "Dark Horse Expands 'Black Hammer' Universe With 'Colonel Weird' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2020-01-10.
  22. ↑ Caraballo, Jose. "Exclusive: Jeff Lemire Talks BLACK HAMMER'S New Spinoff Comics". Screen Rant. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  23. ↑ "'Black Hammer' Spinoff Comic to Launch Timed to LGBTQ Pride Month". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  24. ↑ Holub, Christian. "Patton Oswalt is writing a Black Hammer comic". Entertainment Weekly.
  25. ↑ Lemire, Jeff. "ASK ME ANYTHING #2 (PART TWO)". Tales from the Farm.
  26. ↑ Weiss, Josh. "First Look: Jeff Lemire Returning To Spiral City This Summer With 'Black Hammer: Reborn'". Forbes.
  27. ↑ Lemire, Jeff. "BLACK HAMMER REBORN!". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25.
  28. ↑ King, Samantha. "EXCLUSIVE: The World Of Black Hammer Expands In New Jeff Lemire Series". Screenrant.
  29. ↑ Lemire, Jeff. "Spoiler..." Twitter.
  30. ↑ Lemire, Jeff. "CDoS: ANNOUNCING THE LAST DAYS OF BLACK HAMMER (PART 1)!". Tales from the Farm.
  31. ↑ Whitbrook, James. "Black Hammer's Universe Deepens With this Look Inside the Next Tales from the Farm Story". Gizmodo.
  32. ↑ Lemire, Jeff. "COLONEL WEIRD & LITTLE ANDROMEDA SHORT - DANI - WILLOW D. WHISPER PT. 1". Tales from the Farm. Substack.
  33. ↑ Lemire, Jeff. "Black Hammer: The End teaser". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25.
  34. ↑ Lemire, Jeff. "On My Image Exclusive Deal... What does it mean for Black Hammer and Substack?!". Tales from the Farm. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  35. ↑ Lemire, Jeff. "Looking Ahead to 2023 Part 1: BLACK HAMMER: THE END!". Tales from the Farm. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  36. ↑ Lemire, Jeff. "BLACK HAMMER: THE END IS FINALLY HERE!". Tales from the Farm. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  37. ↑ Bailey, Benjamin. "Exclusive: DC's Justice League Meets Black Hammer in "Hammer of Justice!"". IGN. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  38. ↑ "Black Hammer And Justice League Crossover In World-Colliding Event". PreviewsWorld. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  39. ↑ Lemire, Jeff. "HAPPY NEW YEAR - THINGS TO COME".
  40. ↑ "Jeff Lemire EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW! (2022)". YouTube.
  41. 1 2 "Dark Horse Announces Emerald City Comic Con 2018 Exclusives". Graphic Policy. Graphic Policy. 20 February 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  42. ↑ "SDCC 2019: Dark Horse Announces Convention Exclusives". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  43. 1 2 "SDCC 2019: Peek Into the Black Hammer-verse". Dark Horse Comics. Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  44. ↑ Lemire, Jeff. "TALES FROM THE FARM". Tales from the Farm. Substack. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  45. ↑ Lemire, Jeff. "Tales from the Farm: Welcome to the first installment of this strange new adventure…". Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  46. ↑ Lemire, Jeff. "Tales from the Farm: Mazebook: Cover Process".
  47. ↑ Lemire, Jeff. "CDoS: ANNOUNCING THE LAST DAYS OF BLACK HAMMER!". Tales from the Farm. Substack. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  48. ↑ Lemire, Jeff. "Tales from the Farm: Year 2". Tales from the Farm. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  49. ↑ "COLONEL WEIRD AND LITTLE ANDROMEDA HC". DarkHorse.com. Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  50. ↑ John Siuntres (February 23, 2023). "Word Ballon Comics Podcast: Jeff Lemire Talks Swamp Thing and his Latest Creator Owned Series" (Podcast). Event occurs at 28:00. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  51. ↑ Lemire, Jeff; Ormston, Dean (March 29, 2017). Black Hammer – Volume 1: Secret Origins. Dark Horse Comics. ISBN 9781616557867. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  52. ↑ Lemire, Jeff; Ormston, Dean; Rubín, David (December 20, 2017). Black Hammer – Volume 2: The Event. Dark Horse Comics. ISBN 9781506701981. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  53. ↑ Lemire, Jeff; Ormston, Dean (January 2, 2019). Black Hammer – Volume 3: Age of Doom – Part 1. Dark Horse Comics. ISBN 9781506703893. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  54. ↑ Lemire, Jeff; Rubín, David (May 9, 2018). Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil. Dark Horse Comics. ISBN 9781506701981. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  55. ↑ Lemire, Jeff; Fiumara, Max (November 14, 2018). Doctor Star and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows. Dark Horse Comics. ISBN 9781506706597. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  56. ↑ "Dark Horse to Publish Library Edition of "Black Hammer"". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  57. ↑ "Black Hammer Library Edition Volume 2". Amazon. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  58. ↑ Black Hammer Library Edition Volume 3. ISBN 1506725465.
  59. ↑ "Dark Horse First Look: Deluxe and oversized 'The World of Black Hammer Library Edition Volume 1' coming June 2020". Adventures in Poor Taste. 20 January 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  60. ↑ The World of Black Hammer Library Edition Volume 2. ISBN 1506719961.
  61. ↑ "The World of Black Hammer Library Edition Volume 3". Penguin Random House. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  62. ↑ "The World of Black Hammer Library Edition Volume 4". Penguin Random House.
  63. ↑ "The World of Black Hammer Library Edition Volume 5". Penguin Random House.
  64. ↑ "2017 Eisner Awards Winners (Full List)". Newsarama. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  65. ↑ "2018 Eisner Awards Nominations". Newsarama. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  66. ↑ "2019 Eisner Awards Nominees". io9. 26 April 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  67. ↑ "32nd Annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards". YouTube. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  68. ↑ "33rd Annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards". YouTube. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  69. ↑ "The Harvey Awards Reveal Nominees for 2018".
  70. ↑ "2019 Ringo Awards".
  71. ↑ "Tripwire Awards 2021 Results In Full". Tripwire Magazine.
  72. ↑ Gustines, George Gene (13 November 2018). "Black Hammer, an Indie Comic, Gets a Major Film and TV Deal". The New York Times. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  73. 1 2 Estrella, Ernie. "Exclusive: Jeff Lemire Confirms He's Writing the Black Hammer Pilot and Will Be Closely Involved with the Adaptation". SyFy Wire. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  74. ↑ Lemire, Jeff. "New Sweet Tooth Series and More".
  75. ↑ Grunenwald, Joe. "INTERVIEW: Jeff Lemire & Caitlin Yarsky talk BLACK HAMMER: REBORN". Comics Beat.
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