Secret Wars 2099 #1

Avatar image for undeadpool
undeadpool

726

Forum Posts

704

Wiki Points

76152

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

Edited By undeadpool

The Good

The same creative team bringing SPIDER-MAN 2099 out every month now tackles the much larger, yet somehow smaller, Battleworld sector that seems stuck in the future. Right off the bat Peter David does a fantastic job of establishing that, while this is the ultra-neon world of 2099 ripped straight from comics of the 90s, there’s been plenty of progress made in terms of characters and storytelling. David introduces the team rapid-fire, giving at least a decent idea of who everyone is and what their role is, as well as showcasing their unique personalities and powers, but Hercules and Captain America get most of the focus of this issue with Black Widow clocking in at a close second, and right off the bat, David masterfully sets up conflicts both internally and externally involving all of them. This is a far, far more character driven book than might have been expected, and that’s a very good thing as it’s easily one of Peter David’s strongest suits.

Will Sliney provides the linework, making Nueva York look as sleek and shiny as ever with some very subtle, very thin actual lines. But making the character outlines thin helps reinforce the notion that everything in this land is slick and fluid, a city that never stands still for a second and a future that never closes its eyes. The colors, from the duo of Antonio Fabela and Andres Mossa help with that feeling immensely, making everything neon and bright, while not overwhelming the sense too much or ever having it be too chaotic and discordant.

The Bad

There’s no one thing that sticks out in this issue as a negative, but there are a few smaller things that add up to stop it from being perfect. For starters, the Hawkeye of the team is less than an afterthought this go-around as he fails at his one specific task and also reveals that it’s a task he was redundant for in the first place. It’s clear that not everyone gets to have the spotlight every time in a team book, but David actually does a great job juggling EVERYone else and giving them all moments, that this really stands out.

There’s also a very moving scene between Hercules and the CEO of Alchemax that ends about as abruptly as it possibly could. It felt like the team realized they wouldn’t have enough space and just leapt to the next scene.

There are also one or two panels where the art looks off. While it’s tough to tell where one colorist starts and another ends, there are times when the linework looks awkward or characters look just “off.”

The Verdict

While the above complaints might take up a lot of room in this review, but it’s because they require specificity, not because they’re that big of a problem. This is a good, meaty first outing that establishes stakes and introduces characters seamlessly while allowing the reader to connect with, and even care about, them right off the bat, and with how long it took the INHUMAN series to pull that off, it’s really impressive that this issue manages to make it work so well and so fast. There are also a couple of moments that are genuinely novel and should make for some immersive, fascinating story beats.

Avatar image for currentthor2015
CurrentThor2015

687

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

#1  Edited By CurrentThor2015
No Caption Provided

Pretty good issue, will be getting the rest.

Avatar image for bigman1227
BigMan1227

141

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 0

This was a really fun issue. As I have said before, I just wish Convergence was this good. New 52 fanboys, please don't get pissed off. Convergence tie-ins were stellar, but the actual book was good for about 2 issues (6 and 7). The rest was all wasted on setting up the new Earth 2 status quo, and basically telling us that everything before the New 52 isn't coming back in those splash pages. What the hell was the point of this event if it was all just confirming what many (before this event was announced) thought was true? Really? I'm not a New 52 hater, I just think many things could have been done better. Green Arrow was bad until Lemire (who's run was cool) turned it into a younger version of the Arrow TV show. Then, after his great run was done, the third run WAS the Arrow TV show.....the problem? Season 3 of Arrow was the shows worst. Now the Fourth Run is basically Lemire's run all over again (from the looks of things). I don't like the fact that every run is ignoring what happened before it in A LOT of DC books. DC is just SO DAMN INCONSISTENT! Convergence is proof of that.

Avatar image for titanbreaker
Titanbreaker

1349

Forum Posts

47

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

I don't like the fact that every run is ignoring what happened before it in A LOT of DC books. DC is just SO DAMN INCONSISTENT!

No Caption Provided

Sadly so right.

Avatar image for lordryus
LordRyus

178

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#4  Edited By LordRyus

A few nice little twists (nothing major though). It just didn't tie-in too much to the rest of Secret Wars (not that that's a good or bad thing), I'm just confused how 2099 will go on post Secret Wars with the multiverse destroyed (a 2099 city or characters who lost their universe perhaps). I guess I was just hoping for more hints, still I think I like this 2099 female captain america. Hercules and the CEO where fun too, not sure any of the rest sold me though. For a tie-in 4 stars that this article gave it sounds about right.

No major villain yet, though that was set up for next issue. Guess I'll pick up the next one before I choose which Secret wars tie-ins to stick with or Marvel Unlimited wait.

Avatar image for donmeca2020
donmeca2020

1420

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Ill give this a read tonight...

Avatar image for jhazzroucher
jhazzroucher

25150

Forum Posts

395

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 9

Did Storm show up?

Avatar image for eamon542000
eamon542000

336

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 0

Love the character designs and feel of this book, just needs a little more meat to it

Avatar image for OkRaider88
OkRaider88

785

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

@bigman1227 said:

I don't like the fact that every run is ignoring what happened before it in A LOT of DC books. DC is just SO DAMN INCONSISTENT!

No Caption Provided

Sadly so right.

Everything @bigman1227 said was 10000000% correct. And I had high hopes for the New 52. It was the first time I avidly read DC books on a regular basis. And then it all went poop. Secret Wars' tie-ins are at least entertaining in explaining the different worlds. I wonder WHICH of them will survive when Dr. Strange and Co. betray Dr. Doom and use the Beyonder powers to set this right again.

Oops! I gave away the OBVIOUS plot!

Avatar image for phocracker
phocracker

229

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 0

@dogsoldier88: Batman has been a must-read consistently since the beginning of the 52, Flash has been a fun ride but nothing impressive, Superman's only good arc (Romita) is nice and all, Green Lantern still hasn't pulled off anything "good", Green Arrow's Lemire run has been nice so here's to the light of his newest run, Justice League died off post-Darkseid but has come back since the Amazo Virus but seriously DC, if you're going to restart, at least make sure the stories are nice and not just a reset with the same basis of an occasional good story -_-.

Avatar image for OkRaider88
OkRaider88

785

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#10  Edited By OkRaider88

@phocracker: If only I was a Batman fan the New 52 would have stayed enjoyable. I've come to grips with the fact that I see Batman the same way that I see all those characters from Watchmen. In fact, I can't read Batman without thinking of Watchmen. It's ironic that, in Marvel, my favorite character has historically been the Punisher (another guy with no powers) -- but the Punisher to me was always an adult's take on a psychotic break-turned-war on crime, whereas Batman was a modern coat of paint on a 1940's era children's story (of a psychotic break-turned-war on crime).

I'm not interested in Iron-Bat-Gordon (the mechanized Bat-thing coming up). I have tried to watch the show "Gotham", and just... stopped. I barely got 20 minutes into Batman: Arkham Origins (though I plowed through the main story in Arkham City).

DC owns excellent properties (the Wildstorm and Milestone Universes) and yet Convergence centered on 15 versions of 5 characters (Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern, and Aquaman) from different universes. Would've loved (LOVED) to see Wildstorm's Stormwatch vs. Milestone's Blood Syndicate vs. the Justice League... but whatever. It's done.

Secret Wars at least has some promise.

Avatar image for phocracker
phocracker

229

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 0

@dogsoldier88: Ah, you're interested in the out-there characters. Must be hard for you to find great issues haha, but yeah, Secret Wars must be a great event for you. For me it's amazing but new, so it's not absolutely amazing, aside from Doom himself.

Avatar image for teerack
Teerack

10703

Forum Posts

1614

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 64

I loved this. I really wish this was just a real 2099 book and not a secret wars tie in.