Writer Derek Landy has been building towards Infinity Watch #1 for some time. If you account for the Infinity Stones getting human hosts, this story is years in the making. The concept of the stones getting human personas is an intriguing one, and based on the cliffhanger of The Infinity Watch, a rather compelling new super-team has an epic mission to save the universe.
Infinity Watch #1 is an interesting comic in that most characters will be foreign to general audiences, yet their impact and importance in the Marvel Universe are huge. Overall, this issue does a good job of establishing the characters for new readers while carrying forward the story arcs that have gotten us here.
The team comprises seven members: one for each Infinity Stone and Phil Coulson, who has recently become the Death Stone incarnate. Landy does a good job of giving each character a personality through dialogue while establishing that this isn’t just another Avengers team. Most of these characters are quite human and even immoral, which gives the book a fresher feel compared to other team books.
The art by Ruairi Coleman is good, although it has a simplistic Greg Land sort of feel to it. When the action kicks into gear, Coleman’s pencils, along with Scott Hanna’s inks and Brian Reber and Erick Arciniega’s colors, add a lot of zip. There are energy effects galore and a general cool look to all the varying powers. The design of the villains is also quite good and reminiscent of the Black Order in some ways. They’re formidable and have the look of a supervillain team.
Cool powers these folks have, eh?
Credit: Marvel
Landy sets up a rather compelling main conflict outside of action and character work. The Infinity Watch is severely weakened by the end, and they have quite a high-stakes situation. High stakes is the game’s name in superhero comics, and it’s a slight twist on the “everything will die” concept. There’s also a forefront concept of these characters basically being gods, and while they can fight baddies together, they may also be able to create life. Landy is taking the idea of this team and bringing it to places no other super team could go.
The biggest downside to this book is that it lacks a mainline figure to engage casual readers. As someone who has only dabbled with these characters, including Star, I also found it took awhile to really get invested in the story. That said, by the end, I was hooked.
Infinity Watch #1 successfully builds on years of Marvel lore to deliver a unique and exciting team story that pushes the boundaries of cosmic superhero storytelling. While the lack of recognizable characters may initially deter casual fans, the issue’s strong character work, thrilling conflict, and stunning art make it a rewarding read for those who stick with it.
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