History ComicBook / BlackMagick

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: When 13-year old Rowan argues that her executed ancestors only tried to do good, her mother responds "'''Did''' they?", which in-story would seem to indicate that they fell victim to using black magic.

* BikerBabe: Rowan has the classic trappings, equipped with the motorcycle and leather accoutrements.

* AdultFear: in the first arc, Morgan's wife Anna constantly worries about his safety, and with only six weeks left until their first child is born, whether or not she'll be a good mother.

''Black Magick'' is a creator-owned Creator/ImageComics series written by Creator/GregRucka (''ComicBook/{{Lazarus}}'', ''ComicBook/QueenAndCountry'') and illustrated by Nicola Scott (''ComicBook/BirdsOfPrey'', ''ComicBook/TeenTitans''). The first issue was published in October 2015, and Rucka has said there are roughly 30 issues planned out.

* RealityEnsues: After the self-immolation at the end of the first issue, Rowan spends the following issues being questioned by Internal Affairs due to her involvements in a "police involved fatality". Even without suspecting the use of magic, she has to be formally cleared of wrongdoing after being involved in the death of a suspect. She later has to be interviewed by them ''again'' after killing a suspect who was firing his gun recklessly. [[spoiler:They pop up again later, this time theorizing that Rowan killed a rapist and murderer who walked even though she and Morgan knew he was guilty.]]

* SadisticChoice: The White Demon inflicts one on Rowan in issue #16. [[spoiler:Her new lover Nichole is being overcome by smoke inhalation from a house fire, while her oldest friend Alex is about to be [[FinalDeath killed by Stepan]]. The White Demon intentionally causes Rowan to be seriously injured so that she has to choose between dying or saving their lives by using her powers to warp reality. Ultimately, Rowan can't bear to lose either of them, so she chooses the second option, which of course was what The White Demon wanted all along: for Rowan to tempt herself with that kind of power.]]

* AdultFear: Being married to a cop, Morgan's wife Anna constantly worries about his safety, and with only six weeks left until their first child is born, whether or not she'll be a good mother.

** Backmatter in the first issue contains a journal entry from a sixteenth century member of Aira describing the first witch burning he attended as a child. [[DeconstructedTrope His witch-hunter father and grandfather took him to see the burning because they knew that the victim was]] ''[[DeconstructedTrope not]]'' [[DeconstructedTrope a witch, and they wanted to drive home the importance of not making mistakes or letting their duties be overcome by fear or paranoia.]] In Issue #11, Laurent tells Alex that Aira has ''never'' burned any of the witches they execute, saying that to do so would be inhumane.

* {{Expy}}: Scott has admitted that Rowan's look is based on Joan Jett's early-1980's style.
* {{Familiar}}: In #15, it's finally made clear that Rowan's cat Hawthorne is in fact a low-level demon, or a least a denizen of a demonic realm.

* GrievousBottleyHarm: In #8, J.P. Brandt is fleeing from Rowan and Morgan when he throws a bottle at Morgan that hits him in the head.

** The hostage-taker's mention of Rowan's 'truename' in Issue #1 is what first tells Rowan that he has some real connection to witchcraft and is not just insane.
** [[spoiler:Alex & Laurent's research manages to unearth the truename of a member of the council of demons, and Alex manages to banish her with it.]]

* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: Stepan, a German member of Aira, seems to have been traumatized by something that he witnessed earlier in his career. Several times, he has to be warned by his superior not to assume the worst about whatever might be happening in Portsmouth. [[spoiler:In issue #13 he not only locks up Aira's librarian Anne-Marie, but steals a certain book from their collection before leaving.]]

* MarriedToTheJob: Rowan at 33 is single and aside from her coven, hasn't been shown to have any interests outside police work. Her partner Morgan, presumably around the same age, is married with a kid on the way.

* MistakenForGay: In #8, Morgan is in a huff with Rowan because he thinks that Rowan and Alex are an item and that Rowan hasn't told him yet. This causes Rowan to burst out laughing. [[spoiler:Given that she later goes to bed with a woman, this may be more related to just not having any romantic or sexual interest in ''Alex''.]]

* MundaneFantastic: The series opens with a Wiccan ceremony --which we later learn has real and direct magical importance-- [[InconvenientSummons being interrupted by a cell phone call.]] The leaders of the circle in turn grumble about how much of a hassle it will be to redo all of the rituals and set-up before Rowan is called away for duty.

* NudeNatureDance: Rowan's coven performs their rituals skyclad save for a hooded cloak. In #1, a ritual is interrupted by her mobile phone going off.
* OfficeRomance: [[spoiler:Rowan and her new partner Nichole, at least as of Issue #15.]]

* ReusableLighterToss: In #1, the man who tries to [[BurnTheWitch set fire to Rowan]] does so by tossing his Zippo into a pool of gasoline he spread on the floor.

** [[spoiler:Rowan and Nichole are in one by the time of issue #15, or at least in the beginning stages, and would obviously be seperated if it was found out, so they agree to keep it quiet.]]

* StoryboardingTheApocalypse: [[spoiler: Done by the White Demon to Rowan in Issue #11. Among the other things it shows her are her and Morgan having sex (after it taunted Rowan by saying it knew she loves him) and Rowan murdering the Aira investigator Laurent.]]

* TearsOfBlood: One of the demonic council has these when she's lamenting in Issue #15 that Ardat Lili was disincorporated by Alex.

* [[WhamEpisode Wham Issue]]: Remember the book [[spoiler:Stepan stole from the Aira archive in Issue #13? Anne-Marie reveals in Issue #15 that it's the key to killing a witch and erasing their reincarnation cycle forever. Laurent scoffs that if Stepan tries to do that to Rowan he's as good as dead. Anne-Marie breaks it to him as gently as she can.]]

* AmbiguouslyBi: [[spoiler:The White Demon tempts Rowan with a vision of her and Morgan having sex, but in issue #13, she goes to bed with her new partner, who is a woman.]]

* IKnowYourTrueName: The hostage-taker's mention of Rowan's 'truename' is what first tells Rowan that he has some real connection to witchcraft and is not just insane.

* MistakenForGay: In #8, Morgan is in a huff with Rowan because he thinks that Rowan and Alex are an item and that Rowan hasn't told him yet. This causes Rowan to burst out laughing.

* RealityEnsues: After the self-immolation at the end of the first issue, Rowan spends the following issues being questioned by Internal Affairs due to her involvements in a "police involved fatality". Even without suspecting the use of magic, she has to be formally cleared of wrongdoing after being involved in the death of a suspect. She later has to be interviewed by them ''again'' after killing a suspect who was firing his gun recklessly.

* SecretRelationship: [[spoiler:Alex and Laurent are in one by the time of issue #12, and they're both keeping it quiet for obvious reasons (she's a witch, he's a high-ranking member of Aira).]]

* AmbiguouslyBi: [[spoiler:The White Demon tempts Rowan with a vision of her and Morgan having sex, but in issue #13, she goes to be with her new partner, who is a woman.]]

* CatapultNightmare: In #10, Rowan is asleep in Alex's bed when she gets a psychic flash that a member of Aira has broken into her house. This causes her to sit bolt upright with a cry; waking Alex in the process.

* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: Stepan, a German member of Aira, seems to have been traumatized by something that he witnessed earlier in his career. Several times, he has to be warned by his superior not to assume the worst about whatever might be happening in Portsmouth.

* MaleFrontalNudity: One of the men in the coven is shown standing with his robe open like all the others, exposing his genitals. Stepan, an Aira member investigating the Portsmouth case, is shown getting out of the shower in his hotel room.

* SlowlySlippingIntoEvil: Backmatter in the series includes a discussion on the change of a normal magic user into a BlackMagic user, with Aira believing that they must be killed as soon as they start on the journey. When questioning whether or not there is some hope for redemption for those who have not yet turned ''very'' evil, the witch-hunter does research on all the cases of black magic they have from history and comes to a realization: Not all those who use magic fall into BlackMagic, but '''all''' those who commit even the smallest of infractions do descend into villainy eventually.

* KarmaHoudini: 13-year old Rowan felt this way about the people who persecuted and murdered her ancestors. Her mother bluntly told her that just because Rowan didn't ''know'' they were punished in no way meant they ''weren't''.

* FirstEpisodeSpoiler: It is not until the climax of the first issue that Rowan is revealed to have actual magical powers.

* DeliberatelyMonochrome: The series is painted primarily in gray wash, [[SplashOfColor except for isolated scenes of particular importance]].

* GratuitousFrench: Back in the 1600's, Rowan's family name was "du Noir", which means "of the black". [[spoiler: 13-year old Rowan refers to her family by this name at her awakening ceremony.]]

-->'''Morgan:''' But seriously, Rowan, you've been acting ''weird'' since the Rowan White thing happened.
-->'''Rowan:''' Specifically, when I watched a man ''immolate'' himself. Hmmm, wonder ''why'' that might ''throw'' me. How you got from ''that'' to me and Alex rubbing ''bits'', I ''don't'' know.
* MonochromePast: Rowan's mother invokes this as a way to explain how Rowan will see the world differently once she has awakened as a full witch.

** Backmatter in the first issue contains a journal entry from a sixteenth century member of Aira describing the first witch burning he attended as a child. [[DeconstructedTrope His witch-hunter father and grandfather took him to see the burning because they knew that the victim was]] ''[[DeconstructedTrope not]]'' [[DeconstructedTrope a witch, and they wanted to drive home the importance of not making mistakes or letting their duties be overcome by fear or paranoia.]]

* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulu: [[spoiler: In issue #11, Rowan's anger allows her to tap into enough power (presumably for the first time) that she's able to banish a demon without a spell or enchanted weapon. The demon's lack of surprise suggests it expected this.]]

* BigBadEnsemble: The end of issue #5 shows what seems to be [[spoiler: a council of demons plotting something having to do with Rowan.]]

* CurbStompBattle: When Alex tries to use magic to learn who enspelled Rowan White, she is attacked in the spell by a reflection of herself. Her attempts to fight it off barely slow it down, and only a [[BigDamnHeroes last-minute intervention by Rowan]] saves her life.

* DownerEnding: Issue #6. [[spoiler: Rowan's awakening has left her depressed and constantly angry, and her mother dies in a car crash that was caused by a demon playing a long game.]]

* NudeNatureDance: The heroine's coven performs their rituals skyclad save for a hooded cloak. In #1, a ritual is interrupted by Rowan's mobile phone going off.
* PreAssKickingOneLiner: When she realizes that the hostage taker in the first issue is going to try to burn her to death, Rowan casts a spell of protection on herself, looking quite angry about what he's forcing her to do(kill him to save her own life).

* RealityEnsues: After the self-immolation at the end of the first issue, Rowan spends the following issues being questioned by Internal Affairs due to her involvements in a "police involved fatality". Even without suspecting the use of magic, she has to be formally cleared of wrongdoing after being involved in the death of a suspect.

* ShownTheirWork: Rucka being Rucka, he did a great deal of research on traditional(Gardnerian) Wicca and lore pertaining to "witchcraft", and of course he's [[{{ComicBook/GothamCentral}} written stories about cops]] [[{{ComicBook/ThePunisher}} a few times before]]. Scott did a lot of research herself into Celtic rites and symbology, and designed Rowan's tattoos herself.

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Aira is a [[TheWitchHunter witch hunting organization]] that executes witches on their own authority, but they acknowledge that magic is not inherently evil and explicitly only target ''[[BlackMagic black]]'' [[BlackMagic magic users]].

* CatapultNightmare: In #10, Rowan is asleep in Alex's bed when she gets a psychic flash that a member of the Hammer has broken into her house. This causes her to sit bolt upright with a cry; waking Alex in the process.

On March 26, 2016, Rucka and Scott announced that having reached the end of the first arc, the book is going on hiatus to allow them to collaborate on the new series ''Wonder Woman: Year One'' for DC Comics. On December 17, Rucka stated that he and Scott had pushed the resumption of ''Black Magick'' to June 2017 instead of April, so that the new arc can run monthly. This was further clarified in the letters page of issue #6 that the next arc will begin in August and run monthly through winter.