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Charles Burn's Black Hole #11

By Leroy Douresseaux
February 15, 2004 - 13:27

I’ve been afraid of cartoonist Charles Burns’ work ever since I first encountered his unsettling comix in an issue of RAW almost two decades ago. I usually avoid him, even when he has a short piece in some anthology. Still, there’s no denying that he is one of the most skilled comix artist of the past two decades, and since I received a review copy of BLACK HOLE #11, I was forced to confront my fears. And I came away a happy reader.

It’s actually quite rare for any cartoonist to consistently evoke very strong feelings and emotions in his readers over long periods of time, and Burns does that as if it were his sole calling. He is also a true cartoonist – that creator who can merge words and pictures into a single storytelling vehicle in which the parts totally give way to the sum.

A cohesive whole, Black Hole is a love story, a teen melodrama, and a murder mystery. When I look at Burns’ work, I feel discomfort and revulsion in my eyeballs, but after reading my first Burns comic in its entirety, I’ll come back for more, gooseflesh and all.
[DRECK, DULL, READABLE, VERY GOOD, EXCELLENT]

Leroy Douresseaux is a comic book writer and critic based in Louisiana.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12