I give this due to its transparency. It was intended to assist in the launch of the game by giving it a credible story to attract people. The story is far from credible and the series is an obvious vessel. One might advise Marvel and EA to look to City of Heroes for advice on how to run a game and comic series competently. Is their version perfect? No, but its better than this.

However, I cant in good conscience give it more than as I dont think the issue itself is that great. Im not a fan of the genre and at times the art looks decidedly sub-par. The story doesnt give enough to make the issue itself that interesting. Having said that, I will admit there is enough here to make me want to get the next issue and the idea is quite engaging, just needs a little bit more pizzazz next time around.

As for this team feeling more like the JLA? Well, I dont think that is such a bad thing. Marvel has always needed a team of this calibre, a team composed of the already established characters that sport their own series. It also needed The Sentry, and I am thrilled at his inclusion. The inclusion of Wolverine (now running the risk of being featured in everything Marvel publishes) and Spider-Man(whose loner status likens him to Daredevil) may smack of shameless cash-in but I, at least, will give Bendis the benefit of the doubt.

Overall this was a solid issue, with plenty to keep the reader interested and lots to look forward to. The final panel leaves me looking forward to the next issue, though when that will come out is anyones guess, given the scheduling shambles with this issue. BMB hasnt completely sold this new series to me, but I am surreptitiously checking that I have my wallet should he push me over the edge.

So my final words on this issue have to be that I give it because I couldnt find enough redeeming qualities to give it more, and couldnt find enough about the issue that I hated to give it less. It forwards the story barely one iota, so its scarcely worth what I paid.

So, for decent artwork and a cadre of popular heroes. The story is dodgy and boring as a date with my missus. There is far too much talking and too little action, and Im not desperate to buy the next issue. I probably will but my patience is fast running out.

So, for a good idea, some solid story telling and a comfortable pace. If you want to read a story that wont rock your world but reads well and gives a different spin on a superhero story, give it a try. I did, and now look at me.

Now, I intended to give this , but I amended it to as the issue does have a few redeeming qualities. The strongest being that I understand and see what Jenkins was trying to do here. He was trying to show the distance the Sentry has from all those around him due to his mental issues and the threat of the void. The idea of a hero having to cost millions in ecological damage as the best course of action is a solid one, though not focused on enough here. Really we have an issue all about the Sentrys timetable and while not good, its not terrible either. His conversations with the Void and his therapist are revealing, though hardly informative or overly interesting. The two things that give the issue the solid instead of the shakey are: the art is exciting, lots of energy and colour thrown around to keep the eyes happy even as your wallet cries out at more money spent on brightly coloured paper. The other is the idea of the Sentry himself. Yes, claims that he is a Superman clo

So basically, while the story might be clumsy at points, and rife with parallels, I have high hopes. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I want more. This has all over it, not enough to write home about, but more than enough to leave you satisfied.

Now, the reason this issue only earned : To be honest, I think the writers take it as a given that the reader is familiar with the game. If you dont play the game, you will probably find yourself rather lost. The stories are shorter than normal to accommodate the "Paragon Times" at the end, which isn't really necessary as the site carries a similar thing. Does it belong there? No probably not. Just a bit of creative licence that I could live without. The stories are also not of a very high standard. I mean they are alright, a tad linear with few shocks (though issue #2 and #3 provided a big one) and a slight lack of creativity. Essentially, the book is outstanding for players of the game and marginally better than average for everyone else.

The art is what makes this a worthy read. Its pretty beautiful stuff, but beautiful in a very simple way. The children all have delicate features and big, manga-esque eyes and there are always looking up in that Oliver sort of way. Even better than the children are the women, obviously Tortosas favourite forms. I want to live in this city as there is not a single ugly woman to be seen. This is also where the issue falls down a bit. If youre going to have simple stories you need other things to keep it all afloat. In this issue's case the character development does this and the artwork assists but not sufficiently to make the issue a dazzling read. There is a pretty obvious lack of attention on the male characters and villains. It looks almost lazy at times, an afterthought. This might not stand out to everyone but it stood out to me as my eye was drawn to the vibrant colours and attractive women, then disappointed every few panels by an ugly or lazy looking character. Als

Now this review may seem rather short and the reason for that is we actually discover very little about the characters themselves in this issue, and this detracts from the overall experience. I have no idea of the little aliens name. We never get a real introduction to the major players and powers are pretty poorly defined. Basically, the story is riding on the novel artwork (which does have it weaknesses), hilarious dialogue and strong story while sacrificing certain other aspects that would polish up the overall effect. Does this ruin it? Not at all. There is still plenty here to get excited about, and the series has plenty of potential. I defy anyone to buy the issue and not want more.

If you are to take anything from this review, let it be my strong recommendation to go out and enjoy the rest of the summer. If, however, youd be willing to listen to another, then it would be to buy this issue and reserve the next. I have a great feeling about this one, lets enjoy it together.

The Art has its good points and bad points. Ant looks satisfyingly odd with her antennae whipping around. Black and red are used to great effect to emphasize emotion and keep her looking decidedly alien. Jessica Mime looks attractive and proves women dont need to be poking my eyes out with massively erect nipples to do it, which I am grateful for. Arachnid lookspretty awful to be honest. Imagine what Cher looks like without make-up on and you will probably have a decent idea. The contrast between Ant and Arachnid is used to great effect and makes the battle more interesting. The fight scenes are filled with action, and there is plenty to keep the eye interested and this detracts from the issue at points. The large panels look great while the smaller ones seem over crowded and lose some of their impact. While this issue doesnt match up to the first, there is still loads to keep me interested. Ill be buying the next one, and so should you.

This series has bags of potential and I would hope to see it fully realised in future issues. Having said that, I think the number of landmines (in time continuity), packaged explosives (from rabid, angry fans at what could appear to be another cash in) and possible bad stories standing in Y.A.'s way could prove too insurmountable to overcome. As it stands I am quietly optimistic, but wont be betting the house on its success.

So, for some great character work while managing to make it look decidedly casual. Interesting stories that dont simply examine one member of the team at a time but the entire group tackling issues of real importance. The Vision is also an interesting idea, and Im anxious to see how it plays out, though the similarities to Red Tornado are worrying. The only thing spoiling it is the inclusion of Captain America (A chameleon of epic proportions given his changing behaviour from one title to the next) and his bizarre and hackneyed behaviour. Go on Marvel!

The art is interesting. Some of the imagery is outstanding; visually stunning full page spreads of all manner of creatures from hell. The contrast between the flames of Ghost Rider compared with the black and red of hell is striking. Malachi and Daniel actually look like computer generated characters, as do some other characters as times. This is an interesting choice; hideous, but I want to see how it plays out. Even though they look odd, their wings and armour are glorious when compared to the dull and under developed backgrounds. I am dying to see what happens in the next issue. Most certainly a series to watch, if not for the story, then for the art.