The Good
When Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming do a comic together, you have an idea what to expect. When it was announced they had a new Icon title being released, I didn't even bother reading what it was about. That made the reading just a little more sweeter.
In this new world we're introduced to, the mob basically controls a big chunk of the United States. We see Valetine Gallo finally graduate up in the ranks, just as his father and father's father did before him. Throughout the ceremony and his first task, we slowly learn more and more about the world. We meet other characters that will play a role in the series and it's a fascinating trip. You can tell Brian Bendis has the details of this world laid out and seeing everything unfold with Oeming's art is a trip. Oeming's panel layouts keeps the story going at a nice brisk pace and you almost feel like you're there in the middle of the action.
I think what I really enjoy is how we're just thrown into this world. You get a sense that this world is vast and you slowly start to wonder what else is going on outside the scenes on the pages in this nice oversized first issue. A second character, Jagger Rose, immediately becomes a likable character. I can't wait to see more.
The Bad
This was a great surprise. We may not know all the details of this world or the characters but that's part of the fun--getting to find out as we go along.
The Verdict
Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming are back together with a new series. I went into this issue without knowing a single detail as to what it was about. The reality is, you don't need to. You're probably familiar with the work from these two and that pretty much tells you all you need to know. Seeing a world with the mob having a big influence in the United States makes an interesting backdrop and we're getting to see a lot of cool new characters. With details being revealed and a great twist at the end, I am definitely onboard this series. You'll want to make sure you jump on this series now rather than try to catch up later.