There is a deep current of pop culture rebellion running through comics, especially of course in the underground scene. It’s only natural, then, that comics would sooner or later embrace the most extreme, antagonistic cultural movement of the late 20th century. A little surprising even that the comic Black Metal didn’t see publication until 2007, but that is apparently the time it took the (peripheral) mainstream to absorb the dark, angular matter.
Black Metal (the comic) is of course mainstream; it’s out on ONI Press rather than DIY photocopied booklets, for Odin’s sake! Writer Rick Spears and artist Chuck BB display enough kvlt coinaissance to convince that they aren’t scene stealers, however; even as they pull off a storyline that could be described as Bill & Ted in corpsepaint, there is a genuine sympathy for the main characters.
These leads are evil twins Sam and Shawn Stronghand, who in their solemn and nihilist struggle through junior high school existence come upon (and play backwards) a vinyl recording of the trve and unrelentingly otherworldly Frost Axe. By so doing, they summon a demon from the Pit, guarding the magic sword Atoll.
A sword that can only be wielded by the Roth, long dead baron of Hell … and Sam & Shawn, of course, since they are the split reincarnation of that infernal nobleman. It doesn’t make much sense, nor does their quest to settle scores with the rival Hell baron who once killed the Roth.
And who cares? The attraction of Black Metal lies in the heart and soul that is ironically invested in the brothers.
Despite their insistence on evil principles they remain teenagers at their core, and the story development deals with first loves and a growing acceptance of booger-eating half brothers, as much as with their battle with lesser evils.
That places the tale squarely in the territory of TIC rock comedies like Wayne’s World and the aforementioned B&T movies, but Spears and BB ensure their street (or fjell) credibility by planting references to black metal bands and the general bleak vision that surrounds the genre.
Still, there is a grownup’s amusement to the way the Stronghand twins are portrayed: As a-bit-too-solemn, almost gullible in their convictions as only pre-teens eagerly, desperately faking cool can be. Once again, the Bill & Ted factor of smirking at the protagonists while laughing with them 
As such, the infusion of ice cold, nihilist (although mockingly so) black metal into that worn formula also breathes new life into it, and reminds we aged readers of what attracted us to it, apart from the misperceptions that Steve Vai was shit hot and that god gave rock’n'roll to Kiss.
Black metal being the purist art form that it is, however, we must define this as USBM – obviously, since it isn’t so self-denying as to be void of humor, and the use of genre as a means to an end rather than the musical expression of Ragnarok speaks for itself, too.
Personally, I could care less about the elitist aspects of the black metal scene, and quite clearly recognize Sam and Shawn’s posing from the endless stream of self-important bandshots in my old issues of Terrorizer Magazine.
What it all comes down to is that Black Metal is a book cunningly crafted with equal insight in genre, character, and staging. It is highly recommended anyone with the slightest inclination to metal, or to the jittery antics of obnoxious teens, or the black metal scene where the two join at the hip.
Tags: Black Metal, Chuck BB, ONI Press, Richie Spears, Rick Spears