By Don M. Ventura
The Infinite #1
Image Comics
«½
I’m going to start off by saying that I’m not a fan of Rob Liefeld. However, I am a fan of Robert Kirkman, and I—like many—believe that Invincible is one of the best superhero comic books being published today. I figured, even if I don’t care for the artwork, there would be something to enjoy with this time travel yarn.
This wasn’t the case. The story felt as passionless as Kirkman’s previous creator-owned title, Super Dinosaur. The setup of the story is simple, to a fault, and there’s little energy to compel the reader to continue following. Once the book had reached its conclusion, I didn’t feel as though the story had veered into unfamiliar territory. In fact, I’m sorry to say, it felt all to safe and by-the-numbers.
The Infinite begins 18 years in the future with Bowen, a soldier with the resistance who realizes that his present is lost to the villain Imperius and a group of beings (from ever further into the future) called the Infinite. Bowen travels to the present to recruit his younger self (what an egomaniac) to help him fight the good fight. As the story closes, Imperius and the Infinite also travel back to the present as Bowen assures his younger self that he will win this battle.
And there we are. None of Kirkman’s trademark wit, clever dialogue, or sense of fun is here. It all feels as though it taken just a few degrees too seriously, and Bowen and Bo lack the charisma you would expect at the heart of a Kirkman story.
While I admittedly do not care for Liefeld’s work, it becomes a handicap because the artist seems incapable of conveying the expressions of the characters in the story. Everyone is scowling or staring intensely in this book, which does not help to illustrate what Kirkman was going for in his script.
Rating Scale:
Excellent ««««
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