The Blacklist Vol. 1: The Gambler Review

Written by: Nicole Phillips

Art by: Beni Lobel

Publisher: Titan Comics

Espionage is a fantastic thing…at least in fiction. Some great books, movies, and video games have been made about spies and sensitive secrets, and the majority of these properties are stellar. One such program, The Blacklist, has been helping NBC’s ratings, largely due to James Spader’s acting. Spader plays a mysterious spy—Raymond “Red” Reddington—who goes from a top-10 wanted criminal to working with the FBI and a young agent named Elizabeth Keen. Red, and The Blacklist in general, has become an entertaining staple of TV, but so far the show has created more questions than it has answered. This is where Nicole Phillips, Beni Lobel, and Titan Comics come in. Phillips, one of The Blacklist’s writers, has created a comic set during the second season in hopes of showcasing Red’s background while answering some of the more pressing questions. The first five issues of this comic have been compiled into The Blacklist Vol. 1: The Gambler, creating a solid package for fans wanting to quickly become more immersed in this spy universe.

The Blacklist Vol. 1: The Gambler may technically be written about Elizabeth Keen and Red, but they actually make up a smaller portion of the volume. In fact, this five-issue arc is more focused on a mysterious villain known only as “The Gambler”. This dastardly figure spends his time toying with civilians and government entities, causing chaos and using their reactions as a basis for his games. The purpose? Basically, The Gambler bets on how situations will play out, normally to violent results, just to fulfill his fascination with probability.

How does this affect Red and Keen? Well, the main entity that The Gambler is toying with is the FBI, and he is messing with the division in which Keen works. This means that Keen is now on the case—unlike those NZT addicts from Limitless.

Those cubes won’t stop The Gambler…

Unfortunately, Keen isn’t able to fully dedicate her time to The Gambler because she is also dealing with some clerical issues at Quantico. One of the instructors has decided that Keen didn’t technically graduate or pass her physical exams, and he is out to prove that she isn’t an official agent. Red, on the other hand, is trying to figure out how he knows The Gambler and what is the best course of action. This quest takes Red on some entertaining side missions behind the FBI’s back with some surprising results.

The Blacklist Vol. 1: The Gambler is a pretty entertaining representation of the NBC show, and Nicole Phillips does a great job nailing the vibe. The only downside is that you have to imagine James Spader talking instead of actually getting to hear him. Spader does a phenomenal job playing Red, and reading his lines instead of hearing them just isn’t as fun. That being said, Phillips still does a stellar job conveying both Red’s and Keen’s personalities through her writing. Reading these issues is like watching multiple episodes of the show, even down to the constant trickery.

Of course, the writing is also helped by some impressive art by Beni Lobel. The main thing you notice while reading The Blacklist is that Lobel subtly changes the color palettes based on time period and the direness of the situation. Action-packed training moments are brighter while serious conversations are darker and tinged with blue. Lobel even makes sure that The Gambler is always surrounded by darker hues, which beautifully sets the tone.

The other impressive aspect about Lobel’s art is how the characters resemble real actors. Red actually looks like James Spader, and the same can be said for the show’s main actors. Lobel does a solid job recreating so many people with art, and the volume is made much better because of it.

There are so many big volumes of comics that have problems with holding reader’s attention, but The Blacklist Vol. 1: The Gambler is not one of them. Phillip’s story keeps you guessing the entire time, and the multiple villains are quite entertaining. The Gambler is quietly vicious, and Kiklinski is just terrifying and huge. Sadly, one of the best villains of the entire arc, John X, is only present for very few panels. This special assassin has very…unique interactions with multiple characters during the final two issues, and his method of achieving goals is humorous in a slightly dark way.

The Blacklist has been an entertaining show since it first aired, and the comic is a solid companion to it. If you are at all interested, then The Blacklist Vol. 1: The Gambler is a great jumping off point.