Currently, Marvel is giving a huge push to the Inhumans with their current appearance in the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. show and a potential movie in the works. Right now, there are several new Inhuman comics and this is their newest one, All-New Inhumans from Charles Soule.
Is it good?
All-New Inhumans #1 (Marvel Comics)
The Lowdown
Here’s the basic summation of the story from the solicits:
As the Terrigen Clouds move around the world they leave in their wake the wrecked lives of the Inhumanized. Crystal and her team are tasked to help as many of these NuHumans as possible, but it’s not going to be easy. Not only are views of these new super-powered people varied (from fear to anger to amazement) but even those who get the powers aren’t always glad to get them. Add to that the nineteen mysterious Skyspears that recently crashed into the Earth, and the Inhuman world just got a lot more complicated.
The Yays
All-New Inhumans #1 is written well. All things considered, the pacing and story structure of the comic are fine. It’s easy to follow, the story flows naturally and there are no awkward transitions. The characterization isn’t too bad and the backup story does a solid job of introducing the idea of what Inhumans are out to do by showcasing them helping several different countries affected by the Terrigen Mists. The dialogue isn’t too bad when it isn’t all about the exposition and the ending is intriguing… if you know exactly what any of it means. Honestly, there is little to nitpick with this premiere issue.
While I’m not usually a huge fan of Stefano Caselli’s artwork, when combined with Andress Mossa’s coloring skills, the two put together a marvelous looking issue. The energy and movement is intense, the layouts flow well, the characters all sport striking designs and the amount of detail in general really helps bring this world and its surroundings to life. Nico Leon who draws the backup (Mossa also provides colors) does a great job as well and I love some the pages in therein, like the double page spread showing the ship in its entirety. It’s a nice looking book overall as long as Caselli stays partnered with Mossa — I’m really excited to see more of their work together.
The Nays
While the writing and artwork are solid, All-New Inhumans #1 feels lacking in a few areas. The exposition prevalent in the dialogue isn’t very engaging to read, since it drags the pacing down and there’s quite a bit of “as you know” statements going on throughout. The comic isn’t particularly good at introducing some of the Inhumans to new readers, just glossing over some backstories or acting as if you already know who they are. There’s also little context for why any of these problems are happening (admittedly, that’s sort of happening with most of the Marvel books), so the audience could be lost on some of the details or finer points. These problems kind of hurt the overall experience, but could easily be fixed as time goes on and more of the story is revealed.
Is It Good?
All-New Inhumans #1 is a fine comic that sports decent writing, a clear goal for what it wants to do, and lovely looking artwork. Its biggest problems lie in the awkward exposition and the fact that it’s not accessible for readers new to the Inhumans. It’s not a bad comic by any stretch, but it’s not the strongest debut of the new Marvel titles. If you like the Inhumans, give it a shot.
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