Infinity #1

This is one book I’ve been looking forward to since it was first announced. I made sure to make room in my budget for it, because I was just so excited. This series has my favourite villain of all time (and in my top 3 comic characters), and also I felt like this was finally going to be a good event because it’s 6 issues, and how many issues are most events? 10, 12? Also out of Avengers vs X-men I think Hickman did the best he seems so suit events really well.

The Plot

The Builders and there army of Alephs are destroying a distant planet, but even after some resistance they eradicate all life on it, also disintegrating Captain Universe, the Avengers respond to this universal threat. Thanos begins to search for something on Earth, and sends outriders to Attilan.

Review

I would give this a 5, but I have one issue with it, and that is how it isn’t the most new reader friendly book, new readers could pick up most of it, but the bit at the beginning would bewilder new readers. Yet I truly loved this issue this is so much better than I expected, and I expected it to be really good, but maybe it shocked me even more because I think it’s an event done right. I still am I a little skeptical with one or two aspects of what Hickman has planned, such as the split story with part on Earth, and part in space if there’s four issues between now, and the climax that’s 40 pages for each part I don’t think that’s enough. I do however think that’s where New Avengers, and Avengers come in showing more detail, of each part, but even that bit has problems, as parts crucial to the story may just be glossed over, and expanded in more detail in the two Avengers books, yet that may work as well.

The Good

• · That cover is just creepy, yet fantastic it works really well, and the dark blues make the image seem scary, and make Thanos look menacing.
• · So this issue is $4.99, but it is 54 pages 10 or so are from free comic book day, so they it’s double sized, and only a dollar extra, now that is value for money.
• · The first two pages are a recap of a bit from New Avengers, and to me being someone who has read the series (a friend lets me read them) it was a great little recap even though some people won’t understand it, and I’m not sure how it factures into the story just yet.
• · One of the most interesting aspects of this issue is how it’s split into different chapters, I think for this issue it worked really well and some of the titles of the issue sound pretty mysterious, and make the upcoming story dramatic.
• · The Free comic book day issue is reprinted here and it makes a lot more sense than it did when it was initially released, but it now worked really well to create an interesting scene which added mystery to the story, but the later chapters helped to make this scene make more sense, also it’s the first bit with Thanos in and he really makes an entrance.
• · The Builders have been a theme in Hickman’s main Avengers series hints have been dropped, but they have never been properly seen, and I think the scene they appear in is possibly my favourite of the issue because it reveals a lot about the Builders if you think about it, but it makes a lot of what they are capable of pretty obvious. I originally thought that the Builders were one race of people who created the Alephs, and Gardeners, but there is a lot more going on and there are a lot of different types of them, which was quite interesting. Also this scene had the return of the Spaceknights, and while I am not familiar with them I think what one person on this planet thought of them was quite inspirational even though it may sound like this for a lot of superheroes. Also the name “constructing apocalypse” made me laugh.
• · One of the less grand in scope moments of this issue is a cool sort of Avengers/Sword skrull hunt it’s a short scene, but it packs an neat action scene, and it’s quite funny compared to some fairly grim moments earlier on, and the Skrull pretending to be a cat is funny as well as offering Hawkeye, and Cap a slice of Pizza.
• · Most things from Avengers is covered so it makes sense, and I think new readers will pick that bit up, and most things are explained like the problems with the Inhumans, and who the builders are.
• · The Inhumans section maybe my favourite because I’ve always liked the Inhumans (Blackbolt especially), and to see them feature in this was great, and I think the way Hickman handled how they get involved in the series was great, and not forced while making sense. Also this bit proves why I like Blackbolt so much he’s just Bad@ass.
• · The avengers going out into space scene is a great mixture of humour, and foreshadowing of what is to come.
• · The final scene introduces the Black Order, and reveals what Thanos’s motive is. The Black order are particularly interesting, and how they will factor into this event, and what they will do remains to be seen, but I’m sure it will be interesting, and I look forward to what Black Dwarf will do.
• · The Final page look familiar? Any well-known Thanos scenes at the end of a highly profitable film? Because it looks very similar.
• · I was incredibly happy to hear Jim Cheung was going to draw this book as his art is just glorious in the detail, and emotion, and Cheung is about the best fit to this book imaginable. The art just looks epic in scale, and the aliens have great designs, and the Black order looks menacing in their own individual ways. Cheung also did a great job on Thanos making him look menacing, but not creepy. Cheung is did a great job with the Avengers, and Captain America looked impressive, and his interpretation of Captain Marvel looks really good as well, not sure why, but something about how he drew her just worked.

The bad

• · Like I said parts are explained, but the first few moments of the book may lose some people, and you don’t yet know what the relevance of the incursion seen in New Avengers is, but I think that bit of mystery helped the story.

The Verdict

Marvel are you listening? This is how you write an event add story, and mystery, and have a good pace throughout, and make things feel epic, and also add a more human side to it. I loved this issue I can’t give it a 5 as I have to be fair, and not just give it a perfect score due to how much I enjoyed it, but it’s really close and I recommend this to anyone. (also the bonus infinite comic is really good as well)

4 stars (4.5 if that were allowed)