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Dark Ages #1
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Tom Taylor
Art: Iban Coello
Colors: Brian Reber
Letters: Joe Sabino
Cover: Iban Coello & Frank D’Armata

It’s not hard to notice that Tom Taylor has been on fire for quite some time as he’s consistently delivering some of the best stories in comics across several different publishers. Now teamed with Iban Coello, Brian Reber, and Joe Sabino we get an alternate reality tale in Dark Ages.

Now before we get into the review I’ll just say that if you’re one of those die-hard continuity readers where everything has to fit into a certain timeline then you might want to skip this. However, if you’re here to have fun and just enjoy a great comic story and see how things play out then sit down and see what this creative team has to offer.

Taylor begins Dark Ages on a pretty wholesome vibe as superheroes are just hanging out with their families eating pizza and a play date for their kids. Yet, if you know Taylor, expect things to go full tilt crazy at some point and when Uatu the Watcher shows up that’s when all the wholesomeness flies right out the window. The stakes are raised pretty fast with this world ending threat and some surprising deaths as several heroes race to save the day. This pace serves the story well and keeps you off balance for those “wow” moments made better by Coello and Reber’s art, but we’ll get to more of that in a bit. A nice touch was having the story narrated by Peter Parker because he just nails the heart of all this and lets you believe that there may be some light at the end of the tunnel. Even if that light is a particular blue mutant who seems to be taking advantage of what this new world has to offer and how it might further his belief that only the strongest survive.

As far as the visuals are concerned the team of Coello and Reber deliver eye candy panel after panel. With dynamic panel layouts that enhance the art and takes the narrative to the next level. The moment where the danger begins and the various Spider characters’ senses went into overdrive, we get panels that convey the pain ripping through each of them. From here, the action escalates and the art team hits every emotional point with some serious impact. One death scene in particular was quick, violent, and unexpected, only to turn around and give us a triumphant hero save that hits the spot.

Dark Ages #1 is off to a great start and with things ending the way they do, the second issue can’t come soon enough. So come for the unexpected twists and the fact that everyone is in danger of not making it to the end. Also here for Tom Taylor reminding a certain group of comic fans that the smartest person in the MCU is a little Black girl who rides a giant dinosaur into the fight!

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