The Good
The next big Marvel event is here. We hear many complain about event after event but the reality is, people buy them. Big things happen. Usually. The Watcher getting shot is a pretty big thing. Through the different teasers and press releases, we know the deal. Someone shoots the Watcher and takes his eyes. The big question is who did it and what secrets will they have?
Jason Aaron covers a lot in this first issue. (Yes, there was a zero issue but that isn't fully part of this story). What's really nice is we don't just come into the story after the event has already happened. We see Uatu at his home before. You have to wonder, how could this happen to him? Was there any way he could know before? Etc, etc.
Another nice touch is seeing the calm before the storm. Aaron lets us peek in on a group of characters enjoying time with each other before they all get pulled into the investigation. It's a nice way to show the human side of them as it's all about to hit the fan for them. As the story progresses, there are other players and interesting pairings that will be looking into this crime as well. This sets the stage for the rest of the story and raises some questions for the reader to keep them hungry for more.
I'm always happy to see Mike Deodato's art. There are some big scenes for him to draw and seeing him draw the numerous different characters here is a treat. Frank Martin's colors helps set the tone as well. This isn't meant to be a happy and upbeat story. There's a nice air of mystery and suspense hanging over everything thanks to the art and colors.
The Bad
There's a lot going on here. We see a lot of different characters. Newer readers might wonder who everyone is, even though the first page does at least show everyone's name. We're not supposed to have all the answers at once, obviously, but other teams of heroes are assembled to look into things but it's unclear who is behind this. We also get a glimpse of some characters at the end but their identities are left hidden as well. We can guess who they might look like but it's hard to tell.
With so many characters, there is the fear of this getting too convoluted. Something this big, in the Marvel Universe, should involved a lot of the big players. But with the way it appears the different teams are being assembled, it's just unclear what connection each group has with each other or if they're all working based off separate motivations. If the other teams are being put together by a mystery (for now) character, will the main team be aware? It doesn't seem like something that would be kept a secret.
The Verdict
Who doesn't like a good mystery? Jason Aaron is giving us a pretty big one. The Watcher has played an important role behind the scenes in the Marvel Universe. The idea of him being gone is hard but the idea that his death may unlock deep dark mysteries is pretty fascinating. Aaron assembles an army of characters. Actually we have several different groups being brought together. There is some confusion as to why and who is doing all the arranging but that's just something that will be clear in the coming issues. Mike Deodato's art is always fun to see. His detail and style adds a certain level of elegance to the characters and he has no problem drawing a multitude of different ones. There's bound to be huge repercussions over this. This event won't directly force you to read every single other Marvel title but it's going to be fun to see how the unleashed secrets affects everyone. We're off to a great start.