Previously…
In the past, I have reviewed titles from Advent comics, all of them have been very enjoyable reads and add another brick in the source wall of the indie goliath that is the Advent Universe. This week I was lucky enough to read a team book starting one of my favorite Advent residents Titan the Ultraman. So without further ado, let’s do it….but first….
Situation
Our story begins sometime after the cataclysmic events of Pandemonium and the fallout in Champions of Hope the world of Advent comics is in a bit of disarray. We are introduced to The Cauldron a group of demonic magical entities led by the wizard Merlin, they plan to capture the Book of Magick, no not that one, in order to bring about a new age on earth where they rule all. The issue they face is that the Most-High left in the hands of The Mystic, kind of the Sorcerer Supreme of Advent if the job entailed hiding magick from everyone. The Cauldron beat The Mystic to the ground but are unsuccessful in retrieving the book so they drag him along for some unknown purpose. As they do he releases seven orbs of light. From there we are taken to the American government building housing the superhero team Project: Homeland. Here the All-American, super soldier archetype attempts to argue a case for his alien companion Jezebelle who helped them save the United States and the world during the demon invasion in Pandemonium, his superior, homeland security secretary Kendricks, is having none of it. All-American leaves with Jezebelle in tow and his associate Magnum is fired for good measure as they all go to sort out their next move. Meanwhile, the immortal warriors Hannibal and the Spartan discuss their ages-old conflict. And the developer of a revolutionary new military battle armor discovers that his paymasters have rather sinister plans for the newly minted suit of armor. Lastly, we are given a glimpse of a day in the life of our favorite Ultraman, Titan putting away a dude who clearly wants his spot as the coldest to do it. These heroes are whisked away by The Mystic’s orbs and assembled for the purpose of putting a stop to The Cauldron once and for all.
Story
I love the feel of the Advent universe. The notion that everything is connected and larger than the individual stories, but the individual stories still have their own weight. This first issue was fairly dense though and if you didn’t read the books preceding this, you might be a little bit lost, but not enough from enjoying the story. It starts a bit slower than the previous Advent comics, which may throw readers off since it seems that the stories from this universe start off fairly quickly. It’s a decent first issue but light on the action, which isn’t to say that this issue isn’t enjoyable but there are some long strings of exposition, which in this case is necessary considering the previous events, but are none the less plodding. I also think the issue should have started with characters who are already established like Titan to kick the team assembly off and then went into the other characters. It’s not a bad issue by any means but it wasn’t as exciting as the other Advent Comics series.
Pictures
The art for this book gives me an old school vibe, like Vertigo’s books of Magick or the Chronicles of Elric adaptations. Greg LaRocque and Rachel Lachance do a good job of bringing these characters to life and while it isn’t the stellar art from Titan the Ultraman # 2, it’s not by any means bad. The colors aren’t too over the top but have subdued vibrancy that helps set a great tone for the book, we know things are not back to what they once were but they’re getting there, still, there is a grim specter hanging overhead. This is
of course all my own interpretation.
The Real
This book is a welcome addition to the Advent comic reading list, I’d recommend any fan of the verse or someone looking for a new team book to read should start here.
PURCHASE
This review was written by Ra'Chaun Rogers on behalf of Concept Moon Studios. If you enjoy his comic reviews click here or more
