REVIEW: Classified: The Black Box

3.76/5.0 Stars
Rating if the Book Were a Movie: PG-13

Creative Team 

Writer: Fabrice Sapolsky, Tom Lyle
Art: Tom Lyle
Colors: Sebastian Lamirand
Cover: Fabrice Sapolsky, Tom Lyle, Sebastian Lamirand, Toyin Ajetunmobi, Phillip Sevy
Publisher: Fairsquare Comics

Ratings 

Story: 4.0
Interior Artwork: 3.9
Cover Artwork: 3.9
Dialogue: 3.8
Mechanics: 3.5
Editing: 3.5

About the Book:

What happens when a government archive worker discovers a secret black box device that appears to be art?  Then tries to discover the origins of the black box, only to discover a secret that started towards the end of world war 2 and leads right to the Oval Office in present time. 

Reviewer’s Notes:

When this story first came across my list my first thought was it appeared to be something similar to the famed movies of National Treasure. The story starts off with a simple archival clerk who is just doing his job and discovers that what is listed as a simple music box is so much more.

Upon going to sources that are outside of the government control to try and discover what the “simple music box” is doing, the archival clerk joins forces with a reporter and a sound tech and they go down a trail that leads to one of the best kept secrets of the Oval Office.

I loved this story, its intrigue and plot twists keep the reader guessing, and make the reader eager for more.  While I can see this story being considered a spy story the intrigue I think makes it more treasure hunt rather than spy.

The cover art screams spy story.  The contrast of the artwork showing the silhouette of the main character with the Oval Office in the background, indicates where the story ends. But if you like spy or intrigue novels it definitely gets your attention.

The internal artwork is very well done, and makes me almost feel like I was watching an adult cartoon to a certain degree.  The details that go into each panel keeps the story going forward and keeps your attention at the same time.

In closing this is definitely a story that should be picked up if you liked any book, series or movie that deals with government intrigue.  I think it is one of the best intrigue stories I have read.

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May the historical documents of the imagination always inspire! Thanks for reading!