Seven Block (2nd Series)

    (IDW)
™ and © Idea + Design Works LLC

It’s difficult to see anything terribly impressive about this story. Maybe it’s Dixon’s uninspired concept, which features the tired idea of medical experimentation on prisoners and the even more uninspired idea of said prisoners gaining super-powers from said experiments. Or maybe it’s Zaffino’s overindulgent use of black ink, which makes it hard to see anything, impressive or otherwise. Rather than convey anything resembling night or darkness, Zaffino succeeds only in giving the impression that he lacks confidence in his own artistic skills, because nothing he illustrates appears to have any kind of illumination beyond that of a candlestick. A flimsy premise leads to an all-too-expected conflict, and the plot developments from there are about as exciting as day-old bread. Clichés abound, from the abused prisoner to the cold, clinical doctor. And, golly gee, could the military be looking for the ultimate human weapon?

If Dixon and Zaffino’s intent was to assemble a noir-type psychological thriller, all they managed was a predictable and lackluster TV movie-of-the week.

— Jim Johnson
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#1

September, 1995
Cover Price: $5.99
1 copy available for $19.99 		Chuck DixonJorge Zaffino