Uncanny Inhumans #1
Writer: Charles Soule
Penciler: Steve McNiven
Inker: Jay Leisten
Colorist: Sunny Gho
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Time travel is a tricky mistress in the Marvel Universe, it always has been. No one knows that better than Kang the Conqueror. Black Bolt, (In brand new armored duds!), Triton, and Reader travel to Attilan only to learn that this version of the city exists thirteen thousand years ago. Black Bolt is hush-hush on what exactly the team is doing there when Kang ruins the fun with the revelation Bolt made with him in Uncanny Inhumans #0. He was fearful of the entire world ending because of the looming Secret Wars, so he let Kang take his son through time to keep him safe. But now that the world is in great shape Bolt wants to renege and get him back, and thus ensues the conflict of the series
We then cut to Medusa and the NuHumans in new York battling Chitauri in Central Park. The art team shines throughout the entire book and rightly so because the last time Steve McNiven and company got together…Wolverine died, and they bring that style of energy and importance to this premiere issue. All the characters have a unique sense of life and vibrancy to register as them distinct characters. Inferno, who could be written off as generic Human Torch has-been, stands out with his orange color hue and the fact we don’t see him “flame on!” when he fights. Iso works with her icy powers and always looks calm and collected. Flint is a cross between Terra and Colossus using his rock based power to slam the aliens into the ground, and the newest addition Grid (seen in Uncanny Inhumans #0) has the brightest and most visual power using his vibrations to push them back. It could be the fact that both “Uncanny” titles focus on how regular civilians view the Terrigen powered crew, but seeing Medusa, the figurehead of the Inhuman population, state “Your world is our world. We will always fight to keep it safe.” is hard to swallow given how the X-Men have been trying to do that for the public for years now and get sidelined and killed.
Speaking of mutants, the cover shows Hank McCoy joining the Inhuman bunch and his reasons for doing so are explained clearly. Hank working with Medusa adds fuel to the apparent feud the X-Men and Inhumans had in the eight month time-skip, and time is running out for both of the groups.
Back in 1961, Black Bolt, Triton, and Reader are fighting for their lives against British Soldiers and two Dinosaurs all the while trying to get back before the “largest Hydrogen Bomb ever built” drops on them. It’s a ferocious battle filled with energy blasts, and you can feel the urgency of it because McNiven owns every blast and cut and doesn’t shy away from the blood. They escape with a momentary scare and land in a location that could be seen as either a coincidence or a reference to Secret Wars. It’s a testament to Charles Soule to be able to capture each and every voice at play in the book and still have a handle on the plot points running through the over-sized first issue. Black Bolt doesn’t speak at any point in the book, but it’s easy to understand what he wants. The grim looks adds to the feel the once Silent King is deadly enough to try anything. The opening chapter ends on a surprising note with Medusa and her new “flame” Johnny Storm meeting and being interrupted by Black Bolt, and the Queen standing firm with her new relationship.
In the backup story drawn by Brandon Peterson (Age of Ultron), there’s a surprise adventure recruitment/rescue mission with the team of Frank, Flint, and Naja flying to Morocco to see reports of what’s to be revealed the most visual appealing Inhuman seen thus far.
If Uncanny Inhumans is the flagship title to lead the charge of the wave of books concerning our Inhuman friends, then with the help of Charles Soule, Steve McNiven, and the rest of the art team, it’ll be a welcome change of pace for the Marvel Universe.