The Good
Most people seem to have similar feelings towards events in comics. Regardless, they do sell and people do read them. Marvel knows this and the very first page makes it clear this is "A Marvel Comics Event." With this issue featuring Jonathan Hickman, Jim Cheung and Thanos on the cover, I dare you to resist checking it out.
The great thing is, this isn't your typical event. If you've been checking out Hickman's AVENGERS and NEW AVENGERS, this almost feels like a natural progression rather than a sudden event that brings all the characters together. This is something that Marvel has been leading up to. That's one thing that makes this feel different from past events. There's also the fact that this is a more galactic story and even though AvX involved the Phoenix Force, it's almost as if you can't compare these two events.
This massive comic begins with the INFINITY Free Comic Book Day issue for those that might have missed it. Also drawn by Jim Cheung, it seamlessly flows right into the main story. Speaking of Cheung's art, it has to be mentioned that he knows how to draw fearsome alien races. Often in comics, alien species appear too artificial and sometimes comical. The look can also be attributed to Justin Ponsor's colors and Mark Morales' inks in the opening section.
If you haven't been keeping up with the AVENGERS titles, there is a convenient scorecard informing you who the main players are and what affiliation they have. This is helpful with the different alien races and the fact that there are a lot of characters that will be involved here.
Other events try to have a big feel to them. INFINITY simply is big. You can feel an epic story in the making. We just need to sit back and watch it unfold.
The Bad
New readers can make their way through this issue but there will be a slight sense of confusion if you haven't been reading Hickman's AVENGERS titles. Parts of the issue are divided into separate sections and you almost feel like you're being thrown around from scene to scene, trying to figure out what is going on. You barely get a chance to see what's going on but you will have a sense of awe at the same time which does lessen the confusion. But some readers might feel as if they walked into a movie theater, having missed the first couple minutes. It almost feels like too much is being set up here.
We also see the return of the Builders, first introduced in Hickman's AVENGERS. They weren't characters I was too crazy about as we've seen so many different characters and species that were determined to evolve other species.
It may be unfair to this 'event' but knowing there's already another brewing after this makes it a tiny bit hard to swallow.
The Verdict
Whether you love events or are trying to avoid them, there's no denying the grand scope Marvel, Jonathan Hickman and Jim Cheung have established with the very first issue of INFINITY. Hickman has been building this story in recent issues of AVENGERS and NEW AVENGERS and this is where it all bubbles to the surface. Reading those are not crucial but will help a good deal.
For those in fear of "another event," the good news is this makes it feel worthy. There is a lot going on. Perhaps too much but you will feel satisfied after laying out your dollars for this comic. There's some huge things coming to the heroes in the Marvel Universe. With a battle on different fronts, it's going to be fun seeing the Avengers fight one threat while a certain other individual takes advantage of their absence. If we have to have events, this is how I want it to play out. There is a grand feel to the story and you'll feel yourself staring at each page in awe over what transpires. Too often comic book events are hyped up and fizzle out but INFINITY delivers in the first issue. You'll definitely want to come on board for INFINITY. It's going to be a crazy and thrilling ride.
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