We’re halfway through Original Sin, and more questions just keep popping up while Rocket Raccoon makes yet ANOTHER appearance in a Marvel title! Nova’s discovered his friend is dead, and the Avengers are doing something…else.
Original Sin #4
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Mike Deodato
We’re finally at the mid point in Original Sin, and Aaron decides to shake things up with some of the best dialogue in the series so far! Most of it takes place during the meeting of those oddly chosen teams as they’re trying to feel each other out and make sense out of everything. There is a high level of mistrust amongst them that Aaron clearly lays out, but at times it doesn’t seem to fit. Maybe it’s just this particular situation that has everyone on edge, but it does make you wonder if some of these characters ever trusted each other in the first place. Punisher, Emma Frost, and Winter Soldier aside, I’m just not understanding how easy it is for the heroes to start beating on each other. Deodato’s visuals are still keeping Original Sin one of the better looking events from Marvel. The opening sequence is one intense set of panels, and he keeps that tone going throughout the issue.
This event is still strong, and most of it is because we get to see a new (though offbeat) cast of characters take the spotlight in this event and spearhead the investigation. Now, some others may say that the last page was the shock and awe moment of the issue, but for anyone who read Battle Scars you would have seen it coming a mile away. – IM
Rating: 4/5
Am I the only one getting mad while reading ORIGINAL SIN? I am not mad because it sucks. This book is the absolute furthest thing from suck. I am mad because the issue came to an end. I want more. Now. I can’t tell you enough that this is the best event Marvel has had in years! So good. I haven’t been this in love with a Jason Aaron book since SCALPED. I am starting to forget all his books that I didn’t like. And Mike Deodato is perfect for this book.
Enough gushing. The three mysteriously-assembled exploration teams are now all in one place, and from this meeting comes yet another WTF?! cliffhanger ending! -AF
Rating: 5/5
Nova #18
Writer: Gerry Duggan
Artist: David Baldeon
Wow. This issue made me laugh my head off. This issue made me sad. Nova rides through the stars. This issue made me ride through the emotions. Gerry Duggan is a GOOD writer. The second good writer that reading ORIGINAL SIN has exposed me to. I really like Duggan’s sense of humor. The art from David Baldeon is just as enjoyable. And I have never even heard of these guys before. (And Duggan is a co-writer on Deadpool? That horrible, horrible DEADPOOL? This baffles me and makes my head hurt!)
As we saw in ORIGINAL SIN #0, Sam and Uatu are friends. Sam unknowingly witnesses the murder from a distance. His friend was murdered. Sam has powers. He does what you would do if your friend was murdered and you had powers. Hits stuff. When the eye-bomb goes off…he also learns a truth. We’re getting ready to explore that. I will DEFINITELY be back next issue. I love this book! – AF
Rating: 5/5
These events take place during the first two issues of Original Sin as Nova discovers Uatu’s body and the Mindless Ones are attacking the city. I have to say that this issue had more of an emotional punch than I anticipated, but Duggan also manages to add a bit of humor in this story. Most of it due to Sam’s inexperience as a hero and fighting with a team as he’s trying to help out and bring his friend’s killer to justice. As nice as the issue was, it seemed as if Nova was just a guest star in his own title until we get to see what Uatu’s eye showed him when it released that energy wave. That little bit of information is going to make things rather difficult for Sam, but hopefully we get some good stories out of it.
As far as the visuals are concerned, they were pretty fun to look at as Baldeon took us through this action heavy story. This is one of the much better tie-ins to the event that actually feels connected to what’s going on. So if you weren’t reading Nova before this issue, it won’t be a waste of time to add this to your Original Sin reading experience. – IM
Rating: 3.5/5
Avengers #31
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Leinil Francis Yu
Since the last reading of this title almost exploded Aron Fist’s brain, he vowed never to touch it again. So, I’ll be taking on the full brunt of Hickman’s Avengers as somehow these issues seem to fit into Original Sin.
Being that I’ve been a fan of this series since Hickman started, I was very excited to see that it would fall into Marvel’s latest event. Well, I’m still waiting on the actions taking place here to fall into Original Sin. The Time Gem is still taking the team further into the future, and things take a really dark turn when they reach Planet Ultron. Here is also where Hickman throws in some plot points that will have an effect later down the line, but also connect some of the things set up with the Adaptoids earlier in the series. There’s also plenty of foreshadowing of very dark days to come for the team.
There’s something about a tie-in to an event that needs to actually tie INTO what is going on in the core title. The only connection this issue has is that Captain America is in it and he remembers being mind wiped by his friends in the Illuminati. Other than that we’ve got a good story that can stand on its own without that Original Sin banner on the cover. Hickman has been building towards something, and it seems as if it just may be darker and larger than this event that it’s loosely tied to right now. Yu’s artwork wraps everything up quite well and delivers some very nice visual sequences.
As a title that is supposed to be a tie-in to Original Sin I’m waiting to see when that will happen. As just an Avengers title on its own it’s still enjoyable, especially if you’ve been reading for an extended period of time. Maybe Aron Fist will be right in his prediction that this won’t actually sync up with the event until later issues. So if you’re looking at this just for a tie-in you might want to pass, because it’s not a comfortable jumping in point if you’ve been away from the series. – IM
Rating: 3/5
That wraps it up for this installment, so let us know what you think of Original Sin so far, and for more Infinite Man & Aron Fist click here!
Aron White
aron@comicattack.net
Infinite Speech
infinitespeech@comicattack.net
