Maxine goes to Louisiana to learn how to be a Black Mask from Louis Boucher, one of the best. But is killing monsters the only thing she needs to know? Find out in Book of Butcher #1 from BOOM! Studios.

BOOK OF BUTCHER #1

Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Werther Dell’Edera
Colorist: Miquel Muerto
Letterer: Andworld Design
Editor: Ramiro Portnoy and Eric Harburn
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $9.99
Release Date: December 27, 2023

Previously in Book of Butcher: The Order of St. George is the most secret of secret organizations. While its origins are in Europe, it spread to the United States where two houses with very different styles arose – Slaughter and Boucher. With Erica exiled, Slaughter has no Black Masks, so Maxine steps up to learn that role, and to learn it she travels to New Orleans.

A RECALCITRANT TEACHER

Book of Butcher #1 is a double sized issue that blends a solid story with an incredible amount of additional world building. We know mere tidbits about the Order of St. George, and it is a delight to find out more, just enough to help us understand some of the Order’s conflicts. When it is done well, as it is here, it enhances the reading experience,

The issue opens in a Louisiana bayou where a bleeding Maxine walks back to the house where Louis Boucher sits on the steps. She sets down her hatchets and grabs a beer. She did not kill the monster. Louis asks if she is giving up. Already we can see that their relationship is prickly. He would just as soon have her leave. Or die. She was sent here to learn from him, and he has not done anything helpful. He, apparently, believes she needs to learn by doing. And he does not think highly of Slaughter.

There is a flashback to Cecilia’s discussion with Maxine about Louis. Cecillia has met him and was not impressed, but he is the only Black Mask in the country who has killed more monsters than Erica. He has some conflict with the Butcher Shop, so he stays out in the swamp. But even the Great House sends people over to learn from him, from time to time.

Another day, Maxine comes back injured. Louis asks if she knows how to stitch herself up. She does, but the angle is awkward on this one. He hands her a book to read. And tells her not to bleed on the pages.

At this point, we learn that there is a Book of Butcher. The original was destroyed in a fire, but a Scarlet Mask had memorized it and rewrote it. This is our transition to that book and its information about monsters. Interspersed with this, Maxine’s story continues. Cecilia meets with her regularly and questions her about Louis and about her progress. She feels she has not made any progress.

Later, Maxine is out in the swamp with Louis and opines that he likes monsters more than he likes people. This turns to a discussion of the monster in the swamp and its motivations. Maxine has observed that all it has done is to defend itself, and figures that it wonders why she wants to kill it. Louis counters by asking her why she does. She says it is because he told her to. And he berates her for following rules blindly. He also makes another comment about reading a book.

Cecilia meets with Maxine again. If she is not learning anything here, the House of Cutter would be glad to take her on. Plus, she could observe them firsthand. Maxine says she has been staying up, doing some reading, and she wants to finish. I love how reading is used as a connecting thread, culminating in a challenge to consider that what one learns from a book is what the writer wanted one to know, and that a Black Mask must be able to read between the lines, which is a heck of a set up for a story arc.

A FIERCELY STUBBORN STUDENT

The art of Book of Butcher #1 is terrific as well. Maxine and Louis are at odds, although not directly antagonistic. They are both stubborn and professional enough in their own ways to try to outlast or wear down the other. Yet even though they get on each other’s nerves, there is a détente that gradually forms between them. As time passes, they keep challenging each other, like fencers looking for an opening, and every now and then a statement hits. In turn, when they make a hit, each of them reacts as though they don’t see the reaction. Living here in the bayou and learning to pay attention to observations is the lesson, not hand-to-hand direct combat with monsters.

For the first time, we are faced with a different facet from the monsters we’ve seen previously. Maxine observes that the monster she has been hunting only defends itself. She has never heard about a monster doing that before. What she knows about monsters has been with her since she was young. The only way to shake that kind of faith is by understanding firsthand that it may not be true. When we finally see the monster, it looks familiar except for the fact that it is not at all aggressive. And this may be enough to shake the foundations of Maxine’s world.

BOTTOM LINE: SECRETS IN THE SWAMP

Book of Butcher #1 gives us yet another new angle on the Order of St. George. We understand how powerful individual members are, and now we get to explore how they handle possible corruption at the core of their organization.

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Book of Butcher #1

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90%

Maxine agrees to train with a Black Mask from the Butcher Shop and learns more than she was expecting.

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