One of the strangest editions of Reboot Nation, perhaps not coincidentally, focuses on one of the strangest characters even seen in Marvel’s canon: Omega the Unknown. Debuting in his own self-titled series in 1976, the character’s journey lasted for 10 issues before his death and cancellation. That is, until 2007 when renowned novelist Jonathan Lethem made his comic book debut reintroducing the character, which remained a beloved childhood favorite of his, to the comic world at large. However, much like the nature of the character and his 12 year-old snarky companion is bizarre, so too is the nature of the relationship between the first debut of the character and the second.
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The two debuts of Omega the Unknown are distinct from the other comics we’ve looked at with this column in two ways. First, it just so happens that Omega has ONLY had two debuts and both runs lasted only ten issues a piece (intentionally the second time) and second, the stories contained within their respective first issues are nearly identical. As I read through the two consecutively, the similarities were hard to ignore. Not only were the situations contained within the comic identical (with 2007 containing one distinctly unique addition), but the character & location design, panel placement and design and even dialogue in some cases is virtually identical. Which makes comparing and contrasting the two as I normally do both easier than normal and exceedingly difficult.
Easy in the sense that I have a very distinct commonality to draw from and difficult in the sense that it shifts the tables almost unfairly into the hands of 1976 based almost entirely on the fact that it told the story first. But that does not mean that there is nothing to discuss here since despite telling the same story, these are NOT the same comic by any means. On a base, surface level, the primary character gets a name change (although the first issue does not seem to indicate why) from James-Michael Starling in 1976 to Titus Alexander Island in 2007. There are a few more subtle changes that create massive affect throughout 2007, however.
The opening scene in both books, Omega silently fighting his way though a small horde of menacing looking robots, is seemingly set in the woods just beyond Alexander’s house in 2007, as opposed to a mysterious alien planet in 1976. There is also the inclusion of the character of The Mink in 2007 and a few “between the cracks” moments of the story showing various robots up to no good, but other than that the two issues are 96% identical. The revelations about the boy’s parents, the scenario as to how these revelations are revealed, the caring hand that helps him and the overbearing one that counters it are all the same. Even the final scene in both books, which begins to build the connection between Omega and our nubile young hero, which is almost panel for panel, line by line identical, including the cliffhanger.
Given all that, this match-up becomes not “which told the better story” and instead becomes “which tells the story better“. Unfortunately for me (as a Lethem fan), the answer to that is pretty clear cut. While it is clear that Lethem and artist Farel Darymple were attempting to create a more surreal, hyper intricate and intentionally bizarre version of the original, some of the choices they use to do so fall entirely flat. The one attribute that absolutely kills the book though, is the stocky, overly detailed and immensely wordy and unrealistic dialogue. The characters speak like something out of a mid-1600s play than an early 2000s comic book, and that drags it down only because it becomes genuinely taxing to read the book at points. This becomes especially difficult to accept given that 1976 uses much more common language and thus has better flow to its narrative. Given that it managed to do that without the last 30 years of creative progression in the medium says a lot. Even though the additions of The Mink and additional robot curiosities are legitimately intriguing, the prospect of 9 more issues of that dialogue just leaves me cold.
Continued belowOn the art end, as much as I adore Darymple’s simplistic, almost childlike but still intricate work, Jim Moony’s crisp line work and Golden Age flair just appeals so much more to me. Admittedly, this is an entirely personal preference based decision, and while I also feel that the art in each issue fits the way the story is being told, I feel that the visual storytelling is just stronger in 1976 based on the chances it doesn’t take. By aiming for the center of the field, 1976 succeeds far more than it fails, whereas 2007 takes a lot of chances and, while some work, some to do not. Taking preferences out of the mix entirely, simply put 1976 just fails less.
I’m currently in the process of reading though both of these runs in their entirety and am legitimately excited to see in what other ways they intersect and diverge on the whole of the story. But for now, looking strictly at the first issues, the answer to which reigns supreme could not be more clear.
Final Showdown: Omega the Unknown #1 (1976) > Omega the Unknown #1 (2007)
