In 2016, the U.S. President suggested his own way of alleviating some of the issues with air traffic and highway traffic: the Black Diamond, a superhighway 150 above the ground, stretching from one coast to the other. No rules, no speed limits, no problem. But now the government has decided to crack down on the random fiefdoms that have taken control of the Diamond, bringing about one odd form of protest: the kidnapping of Kate Maddox, daughter of the Diamond’s designer. Now, Dr. Don McLaughlin (who is quite content with his dental practice on the ground) must take to the highway in an illegal car, because no one is going to help rescue his wife. No one except him. It’s a cross-country race for love, but the question is whether or not that particular emotion remains strong to survive when you’re being set on fire or skidding down the asphalt on your back.

Writer Larry Young’s love of pulp entertainment certainly doesn’t hide from anyone; this book is a direct throwback to 70s exploitation films with a bit more of a romantic heart. Don is your classic everyman, enjoying a traditional suburban existence, thrown into a situation where he has no foundation or control and given a singular goal. That is certainly what gives THE BLACK DIAMOND its story appeal. But what draws you in once you’re inside is Proctor’s art. It’s amazing stuff, cinematic in a way that surprises. It isn’t the “widescreen” approach favored by a guy like Bryan Hitch, but a mixture of astonishing panel composition and eye-popping applications of color that are as important as any other element on the page (including the dialogue). You can lose yourself in some of these pages.

And that’s good… because the ending lands with a thud. It comes on very suddenly and feels rushed and incomplete. There’s a romantic element to it, but it gets a bit overwhelmed by your bewilderment – “That’s it?” Yep, that’s it. Still, 85% of a good book is still awfully damned good. I’ll take it. Will you?

Marc Mason