Back in January I went on a rather large “buy and read” binge with a lot of comics – specifically, all of Jonathan Hickman’s pre-Marvel work (to which I wrote a collective review post for). At the end of the page, I lamented that I couldn’t review Red Mass For Mars in total due to it not being finished, and I further noted that when it was going to come out in trade that I’d write my review for the finished product. Even when conversing with Hickman at NYCC, he noted that he believed the book would read much better in trade, and I would agree with him.
So the day has come. Red Mass For Mars comes out tomorrow. Click behind the cut to find out why you should buy it.
With Red Mass For Mars, Hickman introduces us to a dystopian future somewhat akin to where Pax Romana leaves off. The world is faced with an imminent threat that for all intents and purposes will destroy it, and there is only one hero (the eponymous Mars) can save the day. Unfortunately, he could care less about the human race and our plight anymore, having left Earth some time ago, and it’s up to the remaining heroes to try and convince him to come and save us.
Red Mass works on two levels. On the first, it is a story about humans appealing to God to save them, which is more often than not a futile attempt. If you were an all powerful being scorned by the human race, what care would you have if their doom was coming? This is the first question that Red Mass attempts to ask, and the response is somewhat frightening. Even beyond that, though, if Mars should so choose to interfere with what some might see as humanity’s destiny, what price will be paid on him and the few that he cares for?
On the second level, Mars is the ever so familiar Superman-archetype that so many writers have taken and modified under their own terms. Most similarly, Mars is comparable to the Plutonian (of Irredeemable) in that he was once a hero looked up to by many who has since turned his back on the world. While Mars does not go out of his way to hurt us, he certainly doesn’t want anything to do with us anymore after centuries of being among us and protecting us, even to the point of having a family. Working with the Superman-archetype is often an exercise writers undertake in order to create a familiar enough character who we don’t have to spend decades with to connect to, and that works well for Mars, whose story – from initial landing on Earth to his leaving – is told to us in the span of four issues.
Hickman’s pre-Marvel work is some of his best, with Nightly News being one of the greatest comics I’ve ever read. I would go so far as to put Red Mass For Mars right under it in Hickman’s creator owned library, because while I certainly enjoy all of his work, Red Mass’ connection to the readers due to it’s inherent familiarity creates an instant click of recognition for us as readers. Hickman often inserts philosophical questions into his work, and this book asks the reader what we think should be the power alotted to the super being. Furthermore, in some respects this book is comparable to Robert Kirkman’s Invincible (also on Image), which asks similar questions in a much lighter guise. Hickman suceeds in this book specifically because, unlike Transhuman, the story is much more straightforward. We aren’t looking for twists and turns, but rather following along the life of the titular hero Mars as we and he question “What is worth saving?”
Ryan Bodenheim, Hickman’s collaborater for the book, creates some astounding visuals for the book. In fact, the last issue alone is akin to the first trade or two worth of issues of Secret Warriors (also by Hickman on Marvel) and the Viltrumite War currently happening in the aforementioned Invincible, and at times his figures even seem to channel the power and presence put forth by artists like Frank Quitely. This work is different than Hickman’s work in that it is a slow build to a truly explosive finale, and Bodenheim’s art shines through the entire work. The book uses specific color palettes in different issues that truly accentuate the the emotionof the story, as well as allowing us to differentiate between different timelines and places (Mars, for example, is often seen in reds and browns, as seen in the previous picture attached to this post). In addition, Bodenheim uses unique panel structures to display the action of the book as seen in the other Hickman Pronea books. Often times you feel like characters are moving through panels, which allows for a much more visual experience within the story and gives the book a cinematic feel. By the time you finish reading, you’ll probably be asking yourself why Bodenheim hasn’t been snatched up by one of the big two yet, as it’s certainly a very legitimate question to ask.
In short, Red Mass For Mars further proves exactly why Hickman is one of the most talented “new” writers in the business. Fans have certainly praised his work in Secret Warriors, SHIELD, and Fantastic Four, but I believe more attention should be paid attention to his work. For those of you who are fans of his Image work, now is the time to fully treat yourself with a copy of Red Mass For Mars. It is by far one of the better philosophical science fiction/super hero stories you’ll be able to read this week.
