Writer: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (DnA)
Artist: Paul Pelletier, Bong Dazo, Brandon Peterson (cover)
Ink: Rick Maygar, Joe Pimentel
Letters: Joe Caramagna
Colors: Wil Quintana, Mike Kelleher
Publisher: Marvel
Secret Invasion: War of Kings has arrived! Following hard on the heels of the Secret Invasion event - particularly the Secret Invasion: Inhumans limited series - this storyline may just be the Marvel Comics event of 2009. We'll have to see how the ongoing Dark Reign storyline unfolds, of course, but it is hard to imagine it having the kind of universe- shaking impact that War of Kings is already foreshadowing.
This one-shot is a lead-in to this March's War of Kings #1, and is written by the same duo responsible for penning that event: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (also known as DnA by their fans). Anyone who has read the 2007-2008 Annihilation Conquest event or the current Nova series knows what to expect from this writing team: crisp dialogue, spot-on characterizations, and storylines that span galaxies. SI: War of Kings proves to be no exception.
The plot is fairly straightforward. After Black Bolt's imprisonment and torture at the hands of the Skrulls during Secret Invasion, he returns to his people with a new outlook on the Inhuman's security needs and their future on Earth. In short, he is mad as hell and is not going to take it anymore. To keep his people safe, and to secure their future, Black Bolt makes the momentous decision that his people can no longer hide from outside threats. With that one decision, the Inhumans take their leave of Earth and its moon, and embark on the next stage of the journey toward their communal destiny. The Inhumans' initial steps into this brave new future are far from the careful, measured responses we are accustomed to seeing from King Black Bolt - this is Black Bolt unleashed in all his royal splendor.
The artwork by Pelletier and Dazo is solid. They do a wonderful job of portraying Black Bolt's emotions (a necessity for any Inhumans tale, given that he rarely utters a sound), and the action is well-rendered and easy to follow. The book opens with a beautifully-rendered scene of a fleeing Skrull fleet, and there are other flashes of artistic brilliance scattered throughout the book's pages. The visuals consistently capture the grandeur one would expect from a tale of this magnitude, and do a more than competent job of conveying the momentous events that unfold throughout the story.
For those who pick up this book expecting or hoping to see a typical portrayal of the Inhumans, you will be surprised. DnA are breaking new ground for these characters - taking them from their sheltered existence in their hidden city of Attilan, and thrusting them firmly into the heart of interstellar power-politics. Anyone with more than a passing familiarity with the Inhumans will recognize that this is a natural evolution of the characters, given that the Kree had designed the Inhuman race to be warriors. Some will cry foul, arguing that the charm of the Inhumans lies in their seclusion from the rest of the Marvel Universe, that Black Bolt's voice must never be heard in strong measure. Others will applaud the new use of these characters, and feel their hearts stir with excitement and anticipation as Black Bolt and his fellow Inhumans finally step out of the shadows and take their first thunderous steps toward their Kree-intended destiny. Count me among the latter group.
This one-shot is a lead-in to this March's War of Kings #1, and is written by the same duo responsible for penning that event: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (also known as DnA by their fans). Anyone who has read the 2007-2008 Annihilation Conquest event or the current Nova series knows what to expect from this writing team: crisp dialogue, spot-on characterizations, and storylines that span galaxies. SI: War of Kings proves to be no exception.
The plot is fairly straightforward. After Black Bolt's imprisonment and torture at the hands of the Skrulls during Secret Invasion, he returns to his people with a new outlook on the Inhuman's security needs and their future on Earth. In short, he is mad as hell and is not going to take it anymore. To keep his people safe, and to secure their future, Black Bolt makes the momentous decision that his people can no longer hide from outside threats. With that one decision, the Inhumans take their leave of Earth and its moon, and embark on the next stage of the journey toward their communal destiny. The Inhumans' initial steps into this brave new future are far from the careful, measured responses we are accustomed to seeing from King Black Bolt - this is Black Bolt unleashed in all his royal splendor.
The artwork by Pelletier and Dazo is solid. They do a wonderful job of portraying Black Bolt's emotions (a necessity for any Inhumans tale, given that he rarely utters a sound), and the action is well-rendered and easy to follow. The book opens with a beautifully-rendered scene of a fleeing Skrull fleet, and there are other flashes of artistic brilliance scattered throughout the book's pages. The visuals consistently capture the grandeur one would expect from a tale of this magnitude, and do a more than competent job of conveying the momentous events that unfold throughout the story.
For those who pick up this book expecting or hoping to see a typical portrayal of the Inhumans, you will be surprised. DnA are breaking new ground for these characters - taking them from their sheltered existence in their hidden city of Attilan, and thrusting them firmly into the heart of interstellar power-politics. Anyone with more than a passing familiarity with the Inhumans will recognize that this is a natural evolution of the characters, given that the Kree had designed the Inhuman race to be warriors. Some will cry foul, arguing that the charm of the Inhumans lies in their seclusion from the rest of the Marvel Universe, that Black Bolt's voice must never be heard in strong measure. Others will applaud the new use of these characters, and feel their hearts stir with excitement and anticipation as Black Bolt and his fellow Inhumans finally step out of the shadows and take their first thunderous steps toward their Kree-intended destiny. Count me among the latter group.
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