This 70 page anthology introduces the key characters in the launch of the Advent Comics Universe. There are seven small, stand alone stories (counting the prologue and epilogue which are mini stories within themselves) which introduce the readers to both the characters and Advent's group of artists. From the outset, you can see that this ambitious and grand tale aims for the fences with a very provocative and beautifully drawn prologue. The second story is set in the deepest reaches of the Andromeda Galaxy as Rann Darklight (aka The Star Commander) and his rag-tag group of freedom fighters wage a campaign to free the galaxy from the clutches of the evil Regent and The Regime. The art on this story strikes one as a clear homage to early George Perez (ala The Avengers). From here on out, the stories take an obvious "dark" turn in tone. The next story is a crime noir thriller that introduces Lazarus - a hard-broiled detective from Jupiter City who is on the trail of a relentlessly precise serial killer on a gruesome mission. The fourth story introduces The Untouchables, a young group of heroes out to protect their city but they first have to get pass the totally ruthless Brawl and The Alliance of Evil. The story of Savior (who after reading his origin in this story reminds me of an all-powerful version of Peter Parker) focuses on the cosmic hero born to save the universe from the coming of evil incarnate. Next up is a slightly different take on a team of assassins known as The Hit Squad. This team consists of the Advent Universe's most dangerous assassins who are led by the mysterious Mistress Sinn. And finally, we are introduced to Titan the Ultra Man - Advent's strongest hero! Titan shows a lot of promise as he is clearly a flawed character who struggles to deal with not only being a superhero but more importantly being a man. Titan's story (and the epilogue) ties everything together and advances the underlining story to its conclusion in Advent's upcoming CHAMPIONS OF HOPE book.
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