The Infinite #1

"Infinite" is a new series from Image Comics created by the team of Robert Kirkman and Rob Liefeld. That alone was enough to grab my attention. In a nutshell "Infinite" is a story of Bowen, a soldier from a war ravaged future who travels back in time to try and stop the evil group known as The Infinite before they rise to power. The basic concept isn't all that knew but Kirkman adds an interesting dynamic. After traveling back in time, Bowen seeks out and teams up with his present day younger self to stop the future's threat. It sets the table for some potentially interesting storylines. 

Perhaps the coolest thing about the issue is that it looks and feels like an early to mid 90s comic book. Everything from Kirkman's writing to the overall tone of the book took me back to that time. Kirkman starts the issue at what seems to be the end of the story as Bowen and fellow soldier Case are confronting  Imperius, the leader of The Infinite. It's an interesting but risky way to tell the story but in terms of this issue it seems to work. Much like the older books there's a lot of expository dialogue that takes place in the middle of huge action sequences. In fact there's one scene where we are shown why you should carry on conversations after a battle. I'm not sure if the scene was intentional, but it certainly got a chuckle out of me. 

But the story isn't without flaws. The jump back in time and meeting between the two Bowens was incredibly tidy and convenient. Also some of the dialogue comes across as lame and simplistic. But more importantly, I never connected with any of the present day characters including young Bowen. Kirkman's attempt to give them personality felt forced and artificial. They just aren't that interesting. 

Much like the story, the art look's like a flashback to Liefeld's earlier work. He shines in the action filled first half of the book. The large panel action shots and well framed fight sequences are right in his comfort zone. But while The Infinite soldiers and Imperius look great, the human characters generally look the same. Throughout the issue they offer almost no visual range of emotions. While the issue is bright, colorful, and nostalgic, It fell short in some areas particularly in the second half of the issue. 

While the concept isn't all that creative, there's still some fun to be found in this first issue. It's cool early 90s look was fun and while the story stumbles in a few areas there's plenty of potential for a good series. Just not sure if there's enough to keep me buying.