Journey Into Unknown Worlds #1 Review

Bones of the Earth

Writer: Cullen Bunn

Artist: Guillermo Sanna

Chrysalis

Writer: Clay McLeod Chapman

Artist: Francesco Manna

Colorist: Lee Loughridge

Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham

Published by: Marvel Comics

Journey Into Unknown Worlds continues Marvel’s look back at their history with a couple of stories revolving this time on their science fiction roots. Bones of the Earth by Bunn and Sanna takes a look at what would happen if a species arrives on Earth and can’t help but be a plague of sorts and Chrysalis by McLeod Chapman and Manna is a take on the body-snatching genre. Both, however, bleed into the horror genre, but who says Sci-Fi can’t be scarry?

Both stories found within this collection do what sci-fi does best and that is explore “What ifs” in the universe of our imaginations. Bunn starts off Bones of the Earth as a typical “science team exploring unknown phenomenon that turns horribly wrong”. What I liked about what he did as the story progressed however, is blend in another type of sci-fi genre, that of the unwilling conqueror from space. He has a great line in the second to last panel that sums up the story quite nicely.

On the other hand, McLeod Chapman grounds his story, to a certain degree, by having it be in the woods, with a group of boy scout types who unfortunately come upon a predator that they can’t fight. The use of foreshadowing is used to great effect and as a vigilant reader, the ending is pretty satisfying.

On the art front, Manna’s work on Chrysalis was my favorite of the two as it was a lot cleaner and visually more appealing to my tastes. Sanna was good as well but one artistic choice he made really bugged me: hazmat suits are not tailored and not form-fitting. Doing so for the one female science team member just screamed: look! It’s a woman! Maybe a small gripe, but a gripe nonetheless.

I think my truly favorite part of the issue was the backmatter as it gave a quick, succinct history of Marvel’s foray into Science-Fiction and how this history molded what Marvel would become. Fun addition!