The Good
Immediately, readers get a quick recap of everything that's happened so far, and we get the sense that this story we saw in the first three issues is far from over, but that Hickman is saving more for later. The writer then launches the book into the next story arc which takes members of the Avengers team to The Savage Land. This next story line is broken up by the brief backstory of Hyperion and the way his world ended. Hickman illustrates a beautiful story, one set in the present while simultaneously telling the story of Hyperion and all that he lost. The writer delves into this character's identity and relays his powers to readers in a very eloquent way.
If there is anyone capable of beautifully illustrating a superhero book it is Adam Kubert. Each panel is more stunning than the next and compliments the story Hickman is telling here absolutely perfectly. This is by far one of the most impressive depictions of superhero characters in art. Kubert captures emotion, action, tone and a ton of detail in this comic that is sure to keep you interested in this story.
There are some definite moments that will leave you scratching your head a little bit, but all of this is simply part of the allure of this story. The narrative in this issue that digs deep into Hyperion, his psyche and his identity is incredibly well written. Make no mistake, there is a lot that happens here, and a lot of it is set up, but all of it is interesting.
The Bad
Nothing bad here. This is a fantastic book and a start to a new and very interesting story.
The Verdict
It is great to see sci-fi integrated fluidly and effortlessly into the superhero genre, and if there is anyone that can pull that off without skipping a beat, it is Jonathan Hickman. Once again, Hickman proves to us that he is capable of combining these two genres together to create a really well written, fascinating story. Aside from the set up of this new and interesting story, we also have a neat introduction to Hyperion's character, his history and his power set. Adam Kubert illustrates and does a fantastic job. This is definitely gearing up to be an interesting series. If you missed the first three issues, you can definitely follow along starting here.