Comics / Comic Reviews / More Comics

Black Kiss 2

By Philip Schweier
January 17, 2013 - 14:26

Howard Chaykin’s original Black Kiss was a controversial project when published in 1988 due to its extreme sexual content. In the series, Beverly Grove is a perpetually young sexual succubus, a secret about to be revealed should a certain vintage adult film recently stolen from the Vatican ever be made public. Grove and her companion, Dagmar Lane (the girl with a surprise down there), strike a deal with Cass Pollack, a down-on-his-luck jazz musician on the run from the law. If he steals the film back for her, Grove will come forward and alibi him for the murder of his ex-wife and child.

The story is laced with a significant amount of sexual content, so much so that it could be regarded as pornography. The project pushed the boundaries of good taste – pushed them into a dark alley where they were raped, beaten and abandoned with more than a few fingers missing.

Now, 25 years later, Chaykin revisits Grove’s sexual demons with a six-issue mini-series chronicling her erotic adventures over the decades. Her un-life unfolds against the backdrop of such historical mile markers as the golden age of Hollywood, Nazi-occupied Paris, and the New York City blackout of 1977.

As she leaves behind a bloody trail capable of making Jack the Ripper toss his cookies, she recruits one sexually-ambiguous companion after another. The time period of the original series is passed like an out-of-control freight train, allowing Cass Pollack to leap aboard, allowing the demonic Beverly to be resurrected.

But to what purpose? Other than chronicling the path that led Beverly Grove from a 1920s-era stag film to the events of the original series, the story serves little purpose other than reunite Grove with Cass Pollack, a man so in fear of her that it led to his eventual state of sobriety.

I have been a big fan of Chaykin’s work for many years, and as he himself has said, he is a brand, and those who buy his work usually have a pretty clear idea of what to expect. In regards to Black Kiss 2, he does not disappoint.

Having said that, I was disappointed with Black Kiss 2 simply because it was a story that didn’t have to be told, and I don’t say that out of any objection to the content. It merely happens to be a piece of commerce, not art.

Black Kiss 2 is for fans of Howard Chaykin who appreciate him at his raunchiest. Not only does it fail to reveal new territory as the original did, it fails to explore it as well. The sexual content of the original was backdrop to the story, which could’ve been told in an R-rated setting. The sequel comes across as a series of sexual episodes, unable to survive critical scrutiny without any erotic content.

But if the secret to good story-telling is not the story itself, but the manner in which it is told, then I’m completely wrong, because Chaykin truly brings his A-game to the art and design of each panel, whether in terms of layout or depicting a seemingly-accurate historical representation. As such, it elevates a weak narrative, but perhaps not high enough to suit me.

Chaykin is one of those comic book creators who recognizes the commercial aspects of the medium for which we are all fans. It’s easy to forget comic books are a business; thankfully, Chaykin is ready to remind us.

While it may disappoint me, it does not surprise me. No matter how high we may regard the work of a creative individual, not every endeavor is going to enjoy the artistic success of American Flagg!, Time2 or Dominic Fortune. Into every career, there will be the occasional Pulp Fantastic or Forever Maelstrom – or Black Kiss 2.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12