All-New Marvel Now Point One #1

Writers: Al Ewing, Dan Slott, James Robinson, Nathan Edmondson, G. Willow Wilson, and Nick Spencer

 

Artists: Lee Garbett, Michael Allred. Steve Pugh, Phil Noto, Adrian Alphona, and Rags Morales

 

Introduction

 

Those excited for All-New Marvel NOW! should be eagerly anticipating this Point One collection from the company. To review this anthology style comic book, I will break down each story in the one shot looking at each creators contribution, and what they had to offer to the book as a whole.

 

Before The Truth Has Its Pants On

 

Al Ewing proves that he has a great grasp of Loki in the framing story. This book is filled with such an immense quality that proves this will be one of the break-out hits for All-New Marvel NOW! Narration, the different sense of place, and all the new locations, make for one of the best stories within the collection. Lee Garbett has moves over from Valiant with a vengeance, as his clean pages and storytelling guarantee good comics.

 

Girl On Board

 

The first entry into the Silver Surfer ongoing story is filled with charm. Everything works here, from the lovely character interaction, down to the wonderful Michael Allred art. Dan Slott pens a script that is filled with more organic wonder than I thought possible to be on the printed page. This entry into the full book justifies the prices alone, as I would take anyone of these panels and frame it. The mission statement featured at the end is endearing plea to read the new title.

 

To Tame The Very Gods Themselves

 

Steve Pugh and James Robinson kick off an interesting look into the Invaders series that is very engrossing. It is not very substantial thus far, and only offers a peek at the three main characters, but it is intriguing enough so that I want to see what happens next. Pugh really has stepped up his game when comparing this to his recent Animal Man series, the pencils are quite easy on the eyes.

 

Predator

 

Black Widow tells a nice story that has a really clean script by Marvel newcomer Nathan Edmondson. He tells a tale based around one idea that unravels extremely well over the course of this issue. Natasha’s mission statement that she declares for her series is unclear at this moment, but after a full issue, Edmondson should have something better established. Phil Noto’s pencils work extremely well for a grounded story like this.

 

Garden State Of Mind

 

The single most important part of this issue may be the introduction to Kamala Khan. After being skeptical from the initial preview art, it seems I was wrong to hold any reservations. This story plays up the Parker luck almost perfectly, and gives us someone relatable, that is completely different from you or I. The foreign aspects of this this first short story are handled with the utmost respect, and by someone who is actually informed of the culture. Adrian Alphona and G. Willow Wilson are really onto something special if they can continue the immense quality produced here.

 

Short Term Fixes

 

Rags Morales and Nick Spencer both have an Avengers tale that seems slightly inconsequential. The story is meant to set the upcoming Avengers World title into place, but fails to differentiate itself as anything other than the young brother of Hickman’s Avengers titles. All the rest of the stories in this compilation have a clear voice and sense of direction that this story is just lacking.

Conclusion

This anthology book is great for those who are looking to take a peek into Loki’s treachery, Kamala Khan’s debut, and the Silver Surfer’s new friend. There is a lot to offer fans of Marvel contained in the title.