Much has been made about Jonathan Hickman’s new series exploring the cosmic side of Marvel, particularly because he loves to remix and expand the Marvel Universe. All one has to do is take a look at any X-Men title from 2019 to 2021 to see the Hickman imprint of boundary breaking storytelling telling that simultaneously solves one mystery while opening up several more. It translated well to Marvel’s Merry Mutants – but does it work with Cosmic Marvel?
Cover by Mateus ManhaniniWritten by Jonathan Hickman
Illustrated by Valerio Schiti
Colored by Marte Gracia
Lettered by VC’s Joe CaramagnaJONATHAN HICKMAN RE-INVENTS THE COSMOLOGY OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE! WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE-POWERS-THAT-BE MEET THE-NATURAL-ORDER-OF-THINGS? The infinite détente between THE-NATURAL-ORDER-OF-THINGS and THE-POWERS-THAT-BE nears an end. Old acquaintances are reunited during a Babylon Event. The Lion of Wolves throws the worst parties. Don’t look under the table. There’s a John Wilkes Booth penny on the ground. This ENORMOUS EXTRA-SIZED first issue features DOCTOR STRANGE, who, while not boring at all, is easily the most boring person in the book.
It’s certainly a bold statement to call the Sorcerer Supreme the most boring person in any Marvel comic. There’s few that can get away with it, but if you’re Jonathan Hickman introducing Ser Reddwyn, Lord of the Highlands, Root of the World Tree, Salt of the Earth, Avatar of The-Powers-That-Be, a man with just as much mystery (and perhaps baggage) as Stephen Strange, a name longer than that of the Mother of Dragons, and flow on his hair that makes early 2000 surfer teen movie heroes stand up and take notice . . . well, you can certainly get away with it.
And with that, let the mysteries of the architect of Krakoa run wild and free in the world of Marvel magic.
There hasn’t been much that’s come out about just what this series will be about outside of the focus on the cosmic world, with Ser Reddwyn (“Wyn” for short, and definitely for his Starbucks orders), part of a war between forces ancient and eternal, forces that can rip apart the fabric of creation. There has been a Babylon Event that sets this destruction in motion, and there’s only a select few that can save the world.
And after 64 pages of this debut issue, you might just leave more confused than ever. To try and provide any kind of linear summary of “G.O.D.S.” at this point is futile. It is cliche to say, but this is a book to be experienced directly rather than just read a review of it.
There’s a massive amount of characters, concepts, and terminology thrown at the reader, and even with the larger page count, it still feels overstuffed. Your head might be spinning but don’t worry, that’s just the Hickman way. All will be revealed at the right time and the right place. For the moment, we know the stakes and the players, particularly Wyn’s history, romantic and otherwise . . . and the fact that he also looks like a younger version of our Sorcerer Supreme does make you stand up and take notice. It seems just too easy for this series to explore the idea of blood being thicker than water, or magic . . . but perhaps the Babylon Event that will rip apart the universe isn’t as high concept as we may have been conditioned to think once we saw this creative team.
The influences of “The Wicked + The Divine” are all over this series, from the choice of characterization of gods as fallible beings to the sexy design of the cast to everyone’s favorite layout for getting up close and personal, the nine panel grid. Art design is clean, modern, and sexy with just the right amount of grit. Our cast has the sheen of perfection with just enough darkness underneath that pokes through the sheen. It complements and enhances Hickman’s script, and does just what that aforementioned series about gods did well: making the most mystical and infallible of beings surprisingly fallible and relatable.
This isn’t all about the high concept drama and philosophical truths as foundation. There’s certainly quite a few superbly designed action scenes, notable particularly in Marte Gracia’s colors that turn up the intensity of the main color palette. In particular, note the use of greens, blues, and purples to set up the cosmic moments – – all cool colors but saturated and brightened to bring out power and passion. There is also a striking attention to detail throughout Valerio Schiti’s artwork that is European in style but not overwhelming with everything else taking place. It actually does well to ground the avant-garde throughout the issue.
Continued belowIf I had to venture a guess as to what this series will explore, it will be the concepts of free will versus destiny, the idea of fixed points in time and space that cannot be changed – – and the moral dilemmas that those who have the power to make those changes face. I’m reminded of a quote I once heard from the late Irna Phillips, creator of classic American soap operas As the World Turns and Guiding Light about her approach to character development, which sounds surprisingly similar to that old Marvel adage of relatable superheroes, the world right outside your window:
As far as I am concerned, as a writer, there’s isn’t a black or a white or a square or a Bad Joe. People are people. They’re motivated. We’re all greys. None of us are either white or black or bad or good. And I think, either they’re writers or they’ve lost perspective, I don’t know. But as far as I am concerned, that’s the way I construct a show.
But figuring these things out is for another day. For now, we can revel in the mystery. We can certainly ask our own questions, but for now, let’s just sit back and let those questions wash over us and prepare for what looks to be one epic series that will touch Marvel in unprecedented ways.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – You may think you know Cosmic Marvel, but you really don’t.
