Black Hole #7

The seventh, "nice" issue of Charles Burns's dark and forbidding tale of adolescence and physical mutations marks the midway point of Black Hole. Two new chapters flow ominously from Burns's heavy pen: In "Under Open Skies" Chris and her boyfriend Rob skip school and drive out to the ocean for a romantic day together during which they profess their love for each other. The tiny mouth on Rob's chest starts spouting cryptic messages, turning the whole day dark. "The Woods" shows Chris flashing back to the events that happened after the "Under Open Skies" chapter. Chris runs away from home and begins to live with Rob and his disfigured friends in the woods. She has an encounter with the same creepy guy we've seen in previous issues and freaks out. Burns proves he is a dominant force of graphic mastery and horror storytelling in the world today.