Infinity Wars is here! The cosmic crossover story that Gerry Duggan has been building towards begins with our new Infinity Watch assembling.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
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Doctor Strange calls all the holders of the Infinity Stones together to form the new Infinity Watch in Central Park. Loki and an Asgardian librarian investigate what’s beyond the God Quarry. Requiem’s identity is revealed (already?) as she strikes down our beloved Peter Quill.
A lot happens in this first installment, almost too much. Writer Gerry Duggan must have some major revelations down the road, he showed a lot of the cards already that we assumed he would onto for a while. No matter, Duggan is a smart writer and the misdirection of Requiem’s identity being important means we know way less about what’s in store.
There is somewhat of a deflated feeling within the reveal of Requiem being Gamora in that it wasn’t all that surprising. This was a moment where Mike Deodato Jr. should’ve made a bigger impact. Reveals and unmaskings are a huge part of comic book stories and this one had no emotion on either side of it. It wasn’t so much as who was under the mask as it was that nobody really seemed to care within the panels.
Infinity Wars #1 was full of other fun and entertaining moments. This reluctant meeting of the new Infinity Watch brought a great cast together to try and sort out a cosmic mess. Turk squading up for the meet was a wise choice and made for a much more enjoyable scene. Bullseye was an effective comedic relief throughout.
One thing that does bug me about this story so far is that it’s opening number took place on Earth, talking about how they shouldn’t be there. It’s annoying how often the Guardians have been on Earth in recent years, here they are again (despite how much Rocket despises it). Duggan has been injecting so much life back into the cosmic sector of the 616, I’d like to see him keep away from this planet and keep building among the stars.
Outside of the big Gamora moment, Deodato and Frank Martin bring it once again. There aren’t a lot of landscapes to play with, but the character work sees plenty of detail. That first giant page of Gamora is fantastic. Sometimes Deodato uses too bulky of a frame for certain heroes, but he’s had such a better handle on it recently–that continues here.
The art being delivered is begging to be launched into space, give these guys more to play with! Deodato and Martin are both at their best when working with big, hulking creatures and machinery. Infinity Wars will hopefully leave Earth behind after this issue.
Loki’s adventure elsewhere seems to be what this story will be more about. What lies beyond the God Quarry is only the beginning of our end. Worthy Infinity Loki is the first we get to see of these mulitversal mash-ups we know are coming. With Gamora already being revealed as Requiem, I suspect what Loki is onto will take the lead soon after intersecting with Gamora and her stones.
Infinity Wars #1 isn’t exactly the cosmic explosion some of us were looking for, but it’s still a pretty great issue. Gerry Duggan has proven time and again that he’s got the goods, nothing he does is by accident. The end of this issue leaves readers with way more excitement within the mystery than confusion or disappointment–what more could you really ask for from a Marvel crossover?
