The Good
The idea of new Inhumans being transformed as a result of the Terrigen Mists being released upon the world is a fascinating idea. There is the opportunity for several newly powered characters to surface without much thought being given into how they got their powers. We are introduced to some new candidates but the question remains, will this be enough to hold our interest?
Despite the threads of this story coming out of a previous Marvel event, it’s set up that you don’t have to really worry about what happened before. Attilan has fallen, the Mists have been unleashed, and Black Bolt is missing. That’s really all you need to know. Having Medusa pop in and out of the story is a great chance for the character to get some time in the spotlight and show how cool of a character she can be. While she is on a mission to find her husband, Black Bolt, there is another story brewing as well. The birth or transformation of new Inhumans won’t be as pleasant or easy as you might think.
There is a new threat to the Inhumans. It’s not a simple attack against them as it involves some twists and opens the door to investigating the history of the Inhumans and Black Bolt’s reign. How this will affect or run in the rest of the Marvel Universe will be interesting.
Joe Madureira’s art shines with Marte Gracia’s art added. With the variety in the character designs for different Inhumans, Madureira’s designs are really fitting and he has the opportunity to cut loose a little.
The Bad
There’s a few different layers to the story. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but, for a first issue, it’s not really clear who we should care about or who the series will follow. One character introduced is immediately taken out of the story. This adds a surprise but also made you wonder why time was spent on this character, aside from possible shock value.
Joe Mad’s art is always a welcomed sight but there were a lot of shadows on characters throughout the issue. Gracia’s colors made it work, for the most part, but a few times it didn’t look quite right.
I do like Medusa and I’m curious about the fate of Black Bolt and some of the other Inhumans. I haven’t become invested in the new characters just yet and that could be a deciding factor in this series for me.
The Verdict
The Inhumans have remained delegated to the shadows of the Marvel Universe for too long. It’s interesting to see them stepping forward in such a big way. With the Terrigen Mists released upon the world, we should be seeing many many new characters pop up. For a first issue, you can see the potential in what this series will be. There is a mix of new characters and threats along with the familiar face of Medusa, searching for Black Bolt. It’s the new characters that will need to grab your attention to keep you invested in the series. Joe Madureira’s art and Marte Gracia’s colors are nice to see but it’s a little difficult to really put your finger on where this series will go. Perhaps with some of the delay or restructuring of the series before it launched, we’ll have to wait for the next issue to really get a feel for what’s coming up.