Imperial #1 – Murder, Suspicion, and The Threat of War!

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Imperial #1

Writer – Jonathan Hickman

Artists – Iban Coello & Federico Vincentini

Colorist – Federico Blee

Letter – Travis Lanham

Cover – Marco Checchetto & Marte Gracia

The Story:

A murder mystery pushes the Marvel Cosmic Universe towards war! When galactic leaders start to turn up dead from the same unknown poison, suspicion runs rampant among the different factions in the galaxy. Star-Lord is tasked with finding out who is responsible and recruits his old friend and teammate, Nova! Meanwhile, Hulk and Brawn are drawn into the conflict while investigating his son’s murder.

The Writing:

It goes without saying that Jonathan Hickman is one of the most talented writers in the industry today. From Fantastic Four to Avengers, from Secret Wars to the Ultimate Universe, seeing the name “Hickman” on the cover of a comic bumps up the hype levels immediately! On a personal note, I was already excited to read this from the jump but knowing that it was going to be expertly crafted put my excitement through the roof. So the million dollar question is… did this first issue live up to the hype? Absolutely it did! This issue is told in four parts with each setting up the conflict and the players. Each part moved the story forward with perfect breaks to make this book feel cinematic, it was as if I was watching a movie and the four parts were scene breaks. What is so impressive about the writing is that I was not familiar with state of the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe. I have been so far removed from that setting for so long that I needed to have smart exposition and an easy to follow narrative and this issue had both. At no point did I feel confused or lost in any way. What Hickman has done with this first issue is what he has done so many times before, got me hooked early and ramped up my excitement ten fold.

The Art:

While Jonathan Hickman’s writing was amazing as always, the artwork in this issue made the story rise to new heights. From the incredibly imposing Worldbreaker Hulk to a gloriously bearded Nova, the characters in this book looked fantastic! The line work and colors melded together throughout this book to give a wonderful vibrancy even when the tone was dark and dreary. The action was brutal, the moments of silent reflection were expertly crafted, and one of my favorite characters in the Marvel Universe got an incredible hero shot towards the end of this issue. I have to call out Marco Checchetto and Marte Gracia for a haunting and intriguing cover that really set the tone for this issue.

Overall Grade: 10/10

If I could give this book a higher score than 10 I would. Since I can’t do that I’ll just say that this issue is, in a word, perfect! The creative team is top notch and the story looks to launch the cosmic side of Marvel into a brand new world of storytelling. I cannot wait to see where this story goes!

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