PARADISE X: HERALDS #1
"Chapter One"
Recommended (8/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writers: Jim Krueger & Alex Ross
Artist: Steve Pugh
Colors: Nick Bell
Letters: Todd Klein
Editor: Mike Marts
Price: $3.50 US/$5.25 CAN |
Earth X and Universe X were ambitious storytelling projects... a little too ambitious, truth be told. Their complexities and inaccessible nature kept them from clicking for me. I expected the same from Heralds, a prelude mini-series to the third installment of the Jim Krueger/Alex Ross vision of the future of the Marvel Universe. Imagine my surprise to find a fun story, mature in tone, with an interesting mix of characters, along with some of the strongest art I've seen from Steve Pugh.
X-51, the new Watcher, recruits a team of seven heroes from various alternate realities to help him warn Reed Richards, in various other timelines, of a threat gestating in the Earth's core. X-51 and his seven chosen champions -- an aged Wolverine, Spider-Girl, Bloodstorm, Iron Man 2020, Deathlok, Killraven and Hyperion -- split up to pass along the warning, but first they must deal with counterparts of some familiar Marvel Universe figures.
When I heard Steve Pugh would serve as the artist on this limited series, I was a bit surprised. His style didn't strike me as one suited for the more cosmic tone of the stories Krueger and Ross have crafted before. I shouldn't have doubted him, though, as he offers up some detailed, moody art that captures both the darkly cosmic yet human tone of the book nicely.
The first issue of Heralds was far more accessible in tone than previous stories in this vein. One need not be a die-hard Marvel fan to pick up on all the key bits of continuity information, nor does one need to be up on Earth X or Universe X to follow the story either. Longtime fans will delight in the chance to get reacquainted with alternate verisons of favorite characters, while new readers get a taste of the richness of Marvel history and personalities.
Seeing this eclectic mix of heroes split up into teams of two reminded me of Justice League of America comics of yesteryear. Krueger achieves a nice balance between that kind of light super-hero fun and a much darker, more mature and challenging tone in the storytelling. I look forward to the second issue.
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