January 2025 closed out the second arc of Blade Runner. An Eisner-nominated comic by one of the most interesting creative teams in the industry, Black Cloak is perfect for fans of mystery, sci-fi, noir, and woman-driven stories (even if they don't star Harrison Ford).
Black Cloak by Kelly Thompson, Meredith McClaren, and Becca Carey has an incredible magic system, and the world building is top-notch. On top of Thompson's stellar scripts, there is McClaren's simple yet fantastical art style. But Black Cloak is not just a phenomenal fantasy series; it's also a murder mystery.
In Black Cloak, the royal prince is murdered, and it is up to the titular Black Cloaks - who are essentially this world's detectives - to solve this case. But as they dig deeper, they realize that there is something darker afoot. How Black Cloak blends genres feels akin to one of the best sci-fi films of all time: Blade Runner.
Black Cloak Is Equal Parts Fantasy and Noir, Perfect for Blade Runner Fans
Black Cloak Is a Can't Miss Image Series
Up front, Black Cloak is a fantasy comic with a murder mystery plot. However, there is a science-fiction feel to the fantasy. It's a unique and fun take on the genre, blending the magical with the scientific, which is one reason why the world-building and magic system in Black Cloak stands out so much. On top of those elements, McClaren fires on all visual cylinders and builds such an advanced and modern-feeling fantasy world. However, underneath this glimmering society is a dark secret.
For something a little more mainstream - but just as gnarly and world-building heavy - check out Absolute Wonder Woman by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman, available now from DC Comics.
This dark secret, the murder mystery, and the political conspiracies and cover-ups make Black Cloak feel reminiscent of the film noir genre. With each issue, the Black Cloaks, on top of the reader, uncover more and more about this death. Not only do these revelations expose a much larger picture, but they also keep readers fully engaged. Plus, blending a detective story with high genre elements is akin to how Blade Runner is a film noir set in a science-fiction world, one that is not initially what it seems.
The Game-Changing Ending of Black Cloak's First Arc Makes the Second a Must-Read
New Readers Need to Jump On Board Now
Black Cloak has so much going for it: art unlike any other series, a beautiful blend of genres, captivating characters, first-class world building, political intrigue, and much more. If that does not sell readers on this Eisner-nominated series, then the last issue of the first arc will. Black Cloak #6 goes hard with the revelations, serving as the culminating chapter in the first collected edition, which is available now from Image Comics. Thompson's writing is at its best here as all the pieces come together, and then McClaren comes in with some haunting and iconic artwork.
6 Image Comics Superheroes Who Should Get A TV Show After Invincible
Image Comics has seen a lot of superheroes and shared universes since its inception, and some of these would make for great TV shows like Invincible.
Not only do all the pieces fall together in such a cathartic way, but it also busts the doors wide open for a game-changing story in the second arc. Those who have been following Black Cloak since the beginning had to wait over a year for the return of the series with Black Cloak #7 in August 2024. Thankfully, anyone new to this series does not have to go through that wait, as Black Cloak's next collected edition hits shelves on March 19th, 2025 - and there's always Blade Runner to re-watch as fans wait for the next arc.
Black Cloak is available now from Image Comics.
The original Blade Runner is a sci-fi neo-noir film set in 2019 in a dystopian cyber-punk society. Harrison Ford stars as Rick Deckard as a Blade Runner for the LAPD, tasked with hunting rogue replicants, genetically engineered humans designed to tackle tasks that human beings cannot. When four replicants go rogue and begin killing humans, Deckard is forced out of retirement to hunt them down and stop them - but the truth isn't as simple as it seems. Deckard will have to reckon with the philosophical dilemma of what makes someone human.
- Cast
- Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos, M. Emmet Walsh, Daryl Hannah, William Sanderson, Joe Turkel
- Runtime
- 117 minutes
- Director
- Ridley Scott
- Writers
- Hampton Fancher, David Webb Peoples, Philip K. Dick, Roland Kibbee
- Sequel(s)
- Blade Runner 2049
- Main Genre
- Sci-Fi
- Budget
- $28 million
- Studio(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
