CREDIT: Marvel
Rating: 4/5 – Worth Reading, Explores a Side of Marvel We’ve Not Seen Before.
by ComicSpectrum reviewer Shawn Hoklas.
The last issue of Original Sin came out a month ago, yet here we are with an Annual that ties directly into that event. It’s unfortunate that this book came out so late as it’s really an enjoyable stand alone story that delivers, and delivers in some ways where the Original Sin event did not. The Original Sin Annual follows the adventures of Woodrow McCord who was the “Man on the Wall” before that job fell to Nick Fury.
Writer Jason Latour walks us through some of the bigger events in McCord’s life starting when he was just a boy growing up in the Marvel Universe of 1931, and his meeting of the man on the wall before him, an even more interesting character named Stafford. Latour does a great job of creating a legacy for the characters that have protected the Marvel Universe for years better than what was done in the pages of the main Original Sin series. As McCord narrates the events, you’ll be wishing there was a series devoted to these characters and this idea. Although the villains of the story never feel like a great enough threat, Latour still entertains with the introduction of two new characters that will hopefully have a place in the Marvel Universe post Original Sin.
Enis Cisic’s art is wonderful throughout and it’s a pleasure to see his first mainstream work. He uses a thick and sparse line that gives his characters a nice sense of scale on the page. He’s able to show his range throughout this book as he covers aliens, 1940 diners and clothing styles, and heavily sci-fi influenced settings and backgrounds. The colors by Chris Chuckry add to the science fiction feel with a muted color palette that fits the tone and time of the story so well.
Since Original Sin has ended this may not make it into the hands of a lot of readers. If you were a fan of the Original Sin event or even if you weren’t and just want a good story that explores a side of the Marvel Universe we haven’t seen before, then don’t commit the sin of not picking this up. This is a comic that’s definitely worth reading by Marvel fans and many may skip it.
Reviewed by: Shawn Hoklas
(shawn@comicspectrum.com)
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