Broken Frontier

The mystery surrounding the white event continues to have greater implications for a select few individuals, all on the cusp of discovering the extent of their powers.

I will admit to being an old fart, since I was around during the publication of Marvel’s original launch of the New Universe. Now back in the day, this concept centered on several books all showcasing the hook of keeping things very realistic. I guess the closest comparison would be to a TV show like Heroes, but yet the New Universe came first, so we know who’s copying who here. If anything, it made sense for Marvel to revamp the concept given how often it has been duplicated via other sources.

So in order to overhaul the concept, the very talented Warren Ellis was tapped to handle the writing chores and so far the man has woven an intriguing tapestry. Last issue he introduced readers to the likes of John Tensen, Ken Connell, and Izanami Randall. This time around he introduces Dr Jennifer Swann who’s working feverishly on Project Spitfire. She’s been told by her superiors that the troubleshooters will be put into field once word got out about Ken Connell’s outburst in an Oklahoma prison. Beyond that, Izanami Randall learns the true origins behind the white event and the big reveal is quite an explosive one.

Now this is only the tip of the iceberg here. Warren Ellis has lathered on heaping amounts of plot threads that reverberate greatly throughout this issue. His use of tight plotting truly helps to endow all the characters appearing here, and this will be an important aspect as the series progresses forward. I am also enjoying the high tension and dramatic purposes he’s empowered all he characters with, and for my money this makes for a much more intriguing read. The original series was totally ahead of its time, ultimately leading to a decline in sales once the stories failed to impress comic fans. This time around though, everything appears bang-on and Ellis definitely has a unique enough vision to fine tune the concept for a second go around.

Joining Mr. Ellis on this startling adventure is artist Salvador Larroca. Now this is one artist who has continued to grow and mature over the years and the work he is doing here is a far cry better from the stuff he churned out years before on Ghost Rider. The one thing that I disliked about his earlier work was the lack of drawing skills on human faces. You can tell that Salvador has certainly fine tuned his drawing to the point of picture perfect and every aspect of human anatomy starting with the face and going down from there is magnificent. He handles action scenes splendidly and I just love the way he has been able to capture human emotions and render them into a truly satisfying product from start to finish.

Ultimately, this series is shaping up to become the surprise hit of the year at Marvel. There’s more than enough intrigue generated from the white event to propel story beats into the next millennium. Of course I am slightly exaggerating here with that last comment, but let’s just say Ellis and co. have given us enough to work with. I like the way the original New Universe has been revamped and reinterpreted for readers of today, and it’s fantastic to see this cool concept get that proverbial second chance. Maybe now we’ll all see the light with this one.