Though eclipsed by Marvel's much more hyped and more ambitious event, Civil War, Beyond is the publisher's other event book. Some have argued that while DC has turned to 1980s nostalgia for its most recent crossover event while Marvel's has focused on more relevant, modern issues, Beyond demonstrates Marvel has definitely seen the sales value in resurrecting a 1980s, cosmic concept as well. I didn't think this title was going to be all that surprising or interesting, serving only to force a collection of characters into mindless physical conflict. But writer Dwayne McDuffie surprised me a couple of times. As far as how the book looks, it's illustrated by Scott Kolins, so that's all I need to know about the strength of the visuals.
Years ago, a group of the most powerful heroes and villains were spirited away from Earth across the cosmos to a jigsaw world to do battle for the entertainment of an omnipotent creature known as the Beyonder. Today, another group of costumed champions and criminals find themselves subjected to the same fate, but this time, there are a number of rookies among those selected. As Spider-Man and the Wasp -- who were among the first group transported across the universe -- explain what's going on to the others, while the rogues plot against them.
Kolins delivers some truly unique interpretations of some classic and not-so-classic characters. I love the thin, exotic look he brings to Firebird, for example, and the slick, cool-as-ice attitude he imbues in the Son of Kraven. Though the characterization of Hank Pym and his new look are not in keeping with what we've seen in other titles lately, I like this frumpy, chubby take. Paul Mounts's colors really pop, and that's important, given the energetic tone of the story.
McDuffie wisely narrows his character focus early on in this opening issue to Gravity. Not only does this give him the opportunity to introduce the character to readers who missed out on the Sean McKeever/Mike Norton limited series, but it demonstrates that this cosmic crossover is going to have a personal impact on the players. The prologue scene brings some real drama to the story as well.
With so many third-tier characters playing a part in this book, it's easy to expect some casualties among the heroes and villains. I didn't expect any deaths until later in the series, as this introductory issue is all about the setup. But there's a surprising cliffhanger that sees one of the abductees struck down, and it's none of those I would have expected. While the reader knows the dead hero won't stay dead, it's a scene that grabs one's attention and lets the audience know that while this may just be an entertaining super-hero rumble, there could be some lasting consequences as well. 7/10
