The Infinite #1 (of 6). Story by Robert Kirkman, Art & Cover by Rob Liefeld and Published by Image Comics. Retail Price $2.99
Review by Shaun Daniels and Edited by Sharon Wong
Who doesn’t love a good time travel story? Throw in Robert Kirkman and Rob Liefeld, and you’ve peaked our interest. Nothing is new in the way of stories but Kirkman is a solid writer and Liefeld is no slouch so there is a lot of potential. The story comes up a little short in the single issue department but has hope in the long game.
The premise is simple; somewhere in the future, things go to shit after crazy, evil “villain” Imperious and his army the Infinite take over the world. Of course in any good world domination story, there has to be a resistance. The Infinite starts at the beginning of the end of the resistance as they make the final push to end the war. The main characters, Bo and his lifelong friend Case, spring a trap set for them but Bo turns the table and steals a time travel device to return to the past (our present). Bo fixes a few problems with his own life, meets his past self and past Case, and starts to wage war against the Infinite in the past/present.
This is not a strong Kirkman issue nor a strong first issue. As first issues go, it does the job and sets the table for the series. The setup of future Bo meeting past Bo comes across as forced since past Bo just goes along with future Bo. We can imagine Kirkman’s response to our critique of the forced setup with him throwing up his arms and saying “Hey, it’s a comic book” and yes, it is. There is also the manner of the hidden base in the past which was a forgotten military complex. [Insert Kirkman’s response] But there are interesting points to the book. The first point is the relatable villain who thinks he’s saving his present (our future) from something from the future (our future future, his future). Although the threat from the future is not revealed, it makes for an interesting plot thread when a villain thinks he or she is doing the right thing. Another interesting point is the true identity of the villain Imperious, leading us to believe that it’s really a future future version of Bo. “Hey, it’s a time travel comic.”
Putting aside your opinions of Liefeld, he is what attracted us to the book. In various interviews, he has stated that this is a departure for him. There is an inconsistency in the art that jumps back and forth from traditional Liefeldian with his stylized faces but there are a few people, specifically a woman from Bo’s past that looks nothing like his work. We hope that Liefeld keeps up with this new style and that the characters come with 25% less pockets.
If you are a person who needs things to be explained in a believable manner, pass on this book. If you are a person who just wants a comic book, give this a try and hopefully, issue two will have more action for you.
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Feedback is always welcomed at shaun@horrorhaven.com and sharon@horrorhaven.com
