Black Badge #1 Review

Scouts Honor

Written By Matt Kindt
Illustrated By Tyler Jenkins
Colors By Hilary Jenkins
Lettered By Jim Campbell

The Grass Kings creative team of Matt Kindt and Tyler Jenkins returns with a new series, in Black Badge the US Government is secretly recruiting the best and brightest kids in the Boy Scouts in order to run covert ops mission in places adults cannot operate.


The story starts with our troop of scouts landing in Seoul, South Korea. Attaching themselves to a larger school trip, before making their way across the border into the North Korean countryside to extract a nuclear scientist. Willy is the new guy, dropped into this veteran team who aren't eager to have a new member, it's through Willy we’re shown a little about the recruitment process for the Black Badge and he’s also the first to object to what they’re being asked to do.

Kenny is the leader, who sees no debate about the situation, they’ve been asked to do a job and there must be a good reason for it, then what's and why’s are not up for debate as far as Kenny is concerned.

We don’t see much from either Cliff or Mitz in this issue, but Tyler Jenkins does a wonderful job of infusing them with plenty of personalities. Cliff appears sympathetic to Willys dilemma but unwilling to rock the boat while Mitz is standoffish refusing to humor Willy calling him a burden.

When Matt Kindt starts a new book he has a very welcome habit of making the first issue a complete story, a done in one that gives the reader a fuller idea of what kind of story to expect in the long run. Here we’re given a story heavy on interpersonal drama and some good old-fashioned ethical and moral debate.

Bits and Pieces:

An engaging stand-alone story for anyone interesting in trying out this new series, the series concept promises to ask a lot of interesting questions while presenting us with an emotionally complex cast.

8.5/10