A sparse week as far as All New Marvel Now! debuts are concerned, but we do have the long awaited, and long delayed, Inhuman to cover, so away we go!
Inhuman #1. Writer: Charles Soule. Artist: Joe Madureira. This one was supposed to be written by Matt Fraction, he of the critically acclaimed Hawkeye and Sex Criminals, but Fraction backed out and the book was pushed back to a spring debut. Taking over from Fraction is Charles Soule who is seemingly writing every title in comics, and writing them very well I might add. There has been a ton of speculation of the nature of this series and of just how the enhanced exposure of the Inhumans in the Marvel Universe would be handled in this new title. Lots of questions remain open, but Soule and Madureira deliver a solid opening chapter that makes me eager for more.
It’s only appropriate that the only traditional Inhuman appearing in the premiere issue is Medusa who was the first Inhuman character to appear, way back in Fantastic Four #36 (1965). Soule writes a very regal Medusa as she rules Attilan alone in search of her husband and son. Most of the action takes place on Earth as the Terrigen cloud is still transforming once average humans into Inhumans. A new wrinkle is added with the introduction of Lash, an Inhuman from a rival off-shoot tribe that hates the Inhumans led by Black Bolt. An intertribal war with newly emerged Inhumans as pawns sounds intriguing and very Game of Thrones-like.
I’m in, particularly with Joe Madureira at the top of his game like this. Hopefully, the artist has enough issues in the can where there won’t be a delay, because this is a war I want to follow.
This is some epic fantasy stuff by Marvel that at times suffers from some clunky exposition but still shines through imaginative world-building and characterization of Inhumans both new and old.
Grade B+
