Thursday, February 8, 2018

Infinity Countdown: Adam Warlock #1

   With the Infinity Stones (and the Infinity Gauntlet) at the heart of the new Avengers movie being released later this year, it only makes sense for Marvel to create an event around those same stones - and it also gives them a good excuse to bring back the singular hero known as Adam Warlock.

   That last part was all I needed to get me to pick up this comic.

   I was there at the start. I picked up the original issues of Fantastic Four about a super science organization that tried to create the ultimate being - only to be destroyed by their creation, who was known only as Him!

   Him returned to fight Thor (you can see why they changed his name), was soundly beaten, and then turned up again in his own series, this one set on Counter-Earth, a duplicate of our planet orbiting on the far side of the sun.

    He was given a new name - Adam Warlock - and after some messianic adventures, he set off to deep space under the guidance of writer / artist Jim Starlin, and became the most cosmic hero of all, facing down despots and madness and Thanos - and the tragic knowledge that the gem on his forehead stole the souls of his opponents. (Later it was revealed to be one of the Infinity Stones.)

   His adventures have been a bit erratic since then, and the character spent a long time being... well, dead. But he got better.

   This issue of Infinity Countdown manages two things: it brings Adam into the action as someone - or something - is seeking out the stones and threatening to destroy reality; and it also gives new readers a recap of his origin, covering a lot of (often confusing) ground with a fast and clever story by Gerry Duggan, with powerful art by Mike Allred (and colors by Laura Allred).

   It's all about setting up the coming conflict and introducing some key players in the event to come. So far, it's very promising - and I'm all for anything that brings Warlock back into play.

   He's a great character, loaded with depth and mystery and potential - and he deserves better than years on the sidelines.

   Hopefully this story wraps up with the announcement that he's getting his own comic (and I'm all for backing up a truckload of money to Jim Starlin's door and seeing what new stories he has for one of his greatest creations).

Grade: A-

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