Review: A-FORCE #1
|Writers: Marguerite Bennett & G. Willow Wilson
Penciler: Jorge Molina
Inkers: Jorge Molina & Craig Yeung
Colorists: Laura Martin & Matt Milla
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Publisher: Marvel Comics
One of the first promoted Secret Wars titles from Marvel was A-Force. An Avengers-level squad, comprised entirely of women superheroes. They are tasked with defending their Battleworld domain, Arcadia.
When a threat surfaces, it rocks the core of the team.
What I Liked
There is a lot to love with this comic. Co-writers Marguerite Bennett & G. Willow Wilson take the opening pages to introduce the cast. We have heavyweights like She-Hulk and Captain Marvel, along with younger heroes Nico Minoru and Ms. America.
Everything from the heroes to the landscape of Arcadia is illustrated tremendously by Jorge Molina, Craig Yeung, Laura Martin, and Matt Milla. I am not sure if it is the inking or coloring, but Molina’s art reminded me a lot of Olivier Coipel. The energy in his line work and choices of poses hammered this point home for me.
Another thing to like is the story. The team is given something to fight, and in doing so, provides an opportunity to drop in details concerning the inner-workings of Battleworld.
I enjoyed the spotlight being shined on underutilized characters like Ms. America and Nico. They have many fans, and this is a chance for newer fans to fall in love with them also. The smart choice was made to pick heroes from different corners of the Marvel Universe (Captain Marvel from the Avengers, She-Hulk from the Fantastic Four, Medusa from the Inhumans, Dazzler from the X-Men, Nico and Ms. America representing the teens). Every subset is equally represented.
What I Didn’t Like
As far as this comics goes, I cannot find one thing to nitpick. Overall, the greater question is how A-Force ties into the event Secret Wars. Characters that appear here (ex: Captain Marvel) will also be starring in other books. Are these different versions of the same person, or not?
This review is written in partnership with Pop Culture Network. They can be found at their website http://www.popculturenetwork.com/