“EXILED AND LEFT FOR DEAD IN THE DARKNESS OF SPACE AFTER A FAILED ATTEMPT AT CONQUERING THE GALAXY, DRACULA HAS BEEN FOUND BY AN EVEN GREATER EVIL THAN HIMSELF. NOW, REFORGED AND FASHIONED INTO A HARBINGER OF DOOM FOR ONE WHOSE HUNGER FOR DESTRUCTION AND CHAOS KNOWS NO BOUNDS, DRACULA HERALDS…”-Marvel Comics
Creative Team: Steve Orlando (WRITER), Ibraim Roberson (ARTIST), Andrew Dalhouse (COLORS), VC’s Joe Caramagna (LETTERS), and Dave Marquez and Jay David Ramos (COVER).
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
The Story:
Wow, Steve brings the heat in this opening issue as he combines Knull and Galactus to become something truly terrifying called Abyssus. I’m not familiar with a lot of these characters, and Steve does a great job making this reader-friendly as a jumping point. The desperation of what’s at stake shows Silver Surfer aligning with Mephisto, and we are treated to characters not normally seen in other books as well. Something that truly stands out about this issue is how we are going to war with two sides. Abyssus and Mephisto have each called upon their respective champions, and this feels like a video game I would play as a kid. I cannot wait to see how this story unfolds.
The Art and Letters:
To hammer home the true scale and what’s at stake for the universe, you need to present the awe-inspiring power that our champions would face. This is something that Ibraim and Andrew do well in this issue, as Abyssus is a perfect blend of Knull and Galactus. They detail him in such a manner that you can feel his power leap from the panels. There are many splash pages of him destroying worlds with sharp teeth baring, as there is a fiery explosion of yellows and oranges glowing off of his dark demeanor. When we meet our two sides, there are splash pages that are gorgeously done, with each variation of the sides ready to do battle. The art brings out the child in me, and I cannot wait for more.
Final Thoughts:
The End 2099 #1 is the perfect telling of the enemy of my enemy is my friend. The team pulls out the child-like spirit of picking your favorite teams to fight against one another for the fate of the galaxy in an epic opening issue. As someone who was cautious diving into this, it is friendly to those who may not have a lot of knowledge of these characters and a perfect gateway into more.
Overall Grade: 9.3/10
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