newuniversal #1
Published by: Marvel Comics
Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Salvador Larroca
Colorist: Jason Keith
Letterer: Rus Wooton
Assistant Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Editor: Axel Alonso

24 pages
Rated T+

3 out of 5

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Premise: Three individuals in an alternate Earth timeline find that there’s something special about themselves after the “White Event.”

Synopsis:

Three different people in three different locations in the U.S. awaken with new abilities after a “White Event” visible around the world.

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Review:

I have not read word one of any of the old New Universe stuff from Marvel. So, I have neither any background on the story nor any bias in the way it is being retold.

This issue is basically building the premise. We see a world-wide “White Event” has some repercussions, especially for the three individuals we see will become our protagonists. Due to this premise-building, there is very little character development, so we don’t really know who these people are - really. We get snippets of them, but only enough to know them as stock characters. But, if I know Warren Ellis, things will pick up here fairly quickly.

There are occasional panels were the proportions don’t look quite right, but for the most part, the art is fantastic. Everything is rendered clearly and with a beautiful watercolor feel. Larocca has a great way of capturing realistic faces within the comic book form. These aren’t the ultra-realistic renderings of Alex Ross, but you feel like you’ve seen these people before.

All in all, I can’t give this a great rating, because it’s all prelude. Wake me up when we start getting into characters and scenarios, and I’ll show up with something higher. I can almost guarantee it.