A day on the slopes is supposed to be the easy part of a family trip. Black Diamond turns it into one of the worst choices a parent could ever face, and it does it in a single issue. On September 3, the first issue of Black Diamond is out and I can tell you right now: you need this issue, and here’s why.
Black Diamond
Publisher: Panick Entertainment
Writer: Brendan Columbus
Artist: Danilo Beyruth
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Saida Temofonte
Cover Artist: Ben Templesmith
Release Date: September 3, 2025 (#1)
The Team Behind the Slopes
Black Diamond is created by writer Brendan Columbus, whose work I am not familiar with yet, and artist Danilo Beyruth, who worked on the fantastic Deadpool v Gambit series and Venomverse Reborn. I’ve always enjoyed his art, so I’m happy to see it again in here. Columbus has credits including Savage Circus and Heavy Metal, and the story actually started life as a feature script he wrote for the screen a few years back. Beyruth has also drawn Venom, Carnage, and Ghost Rider, and the publisher, Panick Entertainment, is a newer horror and sci-fi outfit founded by industry veterans from DC Comics and Heavy Metal. The series is pitched as a Nordic thriller that’s equal parts Hitchcock and The Wicker Man.
What Is Black Diamond #1 About?
The story begins with Owen, who is on a ski trip with his son. From the start it’s clear Owen is not winning the father of the year awards anytime soon. His plan is to drop his son off for a ski lesson and then go about his own day. But since he wasn’t paying much attention to instructions, he ends up “stuck” spending the day with him. The boy is glued to the phone talking to his mother, who calls a lot and seems a bit much. While riding the ski lift, his son accidentally drops Owen’s phone onto a black diamond run (the most dangerous kind of slope).
From there, things go downhill fast, no pun intended. They make it to the top, Owen goes by himself to find his phone, and by the time he’s at the bottom, the ski lift is closed. There was no one left at the top of the mountain. His son has disappeared. Panic sets in for a second until Owen gets a call. Someone has his son and promises to return him! Yay! Wait… if Owen brings them a girl in exchange. Turns out the kidnappers are part of a cult that planned to sacrifice a child, but thanks to his son’s shiny jacket, they mistook Owen’s son for a girl.
So now Owen faces an impossible choice: save his son by delivering someone else’s daughter to be killed, or refuse and lose him. It’s the kind of moral knot that makes you stop and think.
Gray Areas and Phones We Should Have Put Away
That’s what hooked me. From the first panel, the characters feel real. You know who they are, and that makes every choice hit harder. I love when a story sits in the gray area instead of just good versus evil. How can I root for Owen to do something so awful? But how can I expect him to let his son die? Also, let’s be honest, none of this would have happened if they’d just put the phone away.
Comics that make you feel something are always the ones you want to keep turning the pages for, and this one had me from start to finish. By the last page, I needed more.
Final Thoughts
The first issue drops on September 3rd, so grab it quickly. No sacrifice required. Depending on your LCS.
More Recent Reviews From Us
If you like this, here are a few more recent reviews. Behemoth is a kaiju survival story in which Sara wakes up inside the monster that swallowed her bus. Gloaming follows a journalist who heads to a creepy small town to find a rock star everyone says never existed. And Heaven is an Afterparty follows a former theme park designer who becomes the world’s most ambitious rave promoter.
FAQ
Is Black Diamond #1 worth reading? Yes, especially if you like horror built on a moral dilemma instead of just jump scares.
Do you need to read anything before Black Diamond? No. Issue #1 is the starting point.
Who is making Black Diamond? Brendan Columbus writes the series, with art by Danilo Beyruth, colors by Lee Loughridge, letters by Saida Temofonte, and a cover by Ben Templesmith.
Is Black Diamond a one-shot, miniseries, or ongoing series? It’s a four-issue miniseries from Panick Entertainment.
What is Black Diamond about? A family ski trip turns into a nightmare when a cult kidnaps a father’s son and gives him an impossible choice: deliver someone else’s child, or lose his own.
