New Black Hammer “Barbalien: Red Planet” Mini-Series Shines a Light on the AIDS Crisis

Posted on March 13, 2020 in comic news

Set for release this June from Dark Horse Comics, BARBALIEN: RED PLANET – a brand new five-part series from writer Tate Brombal, artist Gabriel Hernández Walta, colourist Jordie Bellaire and letterer Aditya Bidikar – expands the Black Hammer Universe with a tale about identity, survival, and the choices we make.

Mark Markz has found a comfortable life on Earth as both a decorated police officer and as the beloved superhero, Barbalien. But when Mark is suddenly thrust onto the frontlines of the AIDS crisis, his role as a cop raises doubts and he must now reckon with his own closeted sexuality.

Growing tensions make balancing his disparate identities seem impossible—especially when a Martian enemy from his past hunts him down on Earth to take him home, dead or alive.

Heroism, privilege, and complacency are all called into question, as Mark becomes more-and-more embroiled in the activism of the time and with the man leading its charge—the handsome and headstrong Miguel.

Barbalien: Red Planet #1 (of five) will debut just in time for LGBTQ Pride Month and will hit shelves June 24, 2020, and is available for pre-order at your local comic shop.

The writer of this piece was: Craig Neilson-Adams (aka Ceej)
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