Black Kiss II

by Howard Chaykin

Nearly 25 years ago, HOWARD CHAYKIN brought the '80s to a close, and comics to the brink, with his landmark erotic thriller, BLACK KISS. Now, after years of anticipation, he's back with BLACK KISS II, telling the story behind that legendary story - like the original, in glorious black and white. And really, now -- does it have to be so dirty?

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Erotica, Graphic Novels Comics

128 pages, Paperback

First published July 17, 2013

About the author

Howard Victor Chaykin is an American comic book artist and writer. Chaykin's influences include his one-time employer and mentor, Gil Kane, and the mid-20th century illustrators Robert Fawcett and Al Parker.

Reviews

[Alex Sarll]

Finally, a collection has been announced for the depraved prequel/sequel. Showing how little progress has been made in 20 years, everything after issue 1 was illegal to import to Britain. Showing how much progress has been made in 20 years, I could pick them all up fairly quickly, and sometimes for less than they would have cost if imported legitimately by my comics shop, via eBay. Prohibition - as effective as ever.
There's no denying that Chaykin seems to be working out some psychosexual issues here, and I wouldn't call it his best work by any means, but even aside from the bits that succeed as wince-inducing horror, he comes up with an ingenious way around the difficulty of putting characters in meaningful jeopardy in a prequel.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

First book I've read in a very long time. Howard Chaykin is coming to the Montreal Comiccon this year, and I can't wait to meet this living legend! So I'm catching up on his books. What better way to dive back into comics, than with good, wholesome entertainment like Black Kiss II? If you can imagine it, it's even more explicit than the first Black Kiss. But it's also an origin story (of sorts) for the original series' main villain. Needless to say, this isn't for everybody. Keep this one on a high shelf, lest little kiddies get their hands on it.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prequel / Sequel to the Black Kiss series that had come out about, what, 20 years ago.

I liked the prequel part, but then things kind of mash up when it transitions from the Prequel to the Sequel. What can I say I had read the original 20+ years ago, you can't expect me to actually remember it all. And no, I do not feel compelled to re-read the original series for the x'ed time.

It would appear that Chaykin has a thing for pre-op transvestites in this book, but hey, a man's gotta have his hobbies, right?

Could have used a few more "real" female antagonists. As it is, the only "real" woman was the Demon/Vampire/Succubus... ah well, at least she got the main screen time.

[Sooraya Evans · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cleaner art and less wordy than the first book. So, it’s a lot easier on the eyes. Story-wise, this is sort of a prequel/origin story with various incarnations of Dagmar. It gets repetitive after a while. All the way to a lame ending.

[Titas · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is really tough to judge a book like Black Kiss. It is weird, brutally sexual and just bloody erotic. Certainly not everyone's cup of tea. But Howard Chaykin's art is unique. Love him or hate him, you can't ignore him.

[Bernard Convert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh là là !

[Colin Oaten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Howard Chaykin return to his erotic masterpiece of 25 years previous with an expanded backstory shedding new light on his original story.

[Keith [on semi hiatus] · Rating 5 out of 5]

MOAR?!

[Sanjeev Kumar · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m sure there was a plot. Alas, it was lost somewhere in between the sex, prefabricated dialogue and odd time lapses. It started off well before falling into a rabbit hole of predictability, only to be capped off with a damp ending.

Enjoy!

[Mark]

Since I'm a completist, I read BLACK KISS II immediately after re-reading BLACK KISS (for the first time since its publication). Unless you are a real Chaykin fantastic, you don't need to read this sequel, and you'll probably enjoy the original more if you leave it at that.

[Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just as dark and twisted as the original.

[Ed Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read it for the sleaze of it.