The story of a mute, reluctant superhero from another planet, and the earthly teenager with whom he shares a strange destiny -- and the legion of robots and nanoviruses that have been sent from afar to hunt the two of them down. Created in 1975 by Steve Gerber and Mary Skrenes, the original Omega The Unknown lasted only ten issues but was a legend to those who recall it -- an ahead-of-its-time tale of an anti-hero, inflected with brilliant ambiguity. One of Omega's teenage fans was award-winning novelist Jonathan Lethem, who has used the original as a springboard for a superbly strange, funny, and moving graphic novel in ten chapters.
It's impossible to project where the new comic will go in its next nine issues and it's almost futile to guess. This first issue is a fascinating parallel to the original series, but will each of the ten issues also parallel the Gerber/Skrenes/Mooney run? Will we get the Hulk in issue 2, El Gato in issue 4, and the Wrench in issue 6? Or will Lethem go a different direction and make this series more his own? I know that I'm intrigued and actually kind of touched by the obvious reverence that Lethem has for the original series. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who loves Gerber's strangest creation. We'll see where this new series leads, but I can't help but stay with Lethem and Dalrymple's take on Omega the Unknown. Read Full Review
The art style also suits this light-hearted tone well. Farel Dalrymple isn't a name you usually see on a Marvel comic. This is a very indie comic in every manner of presentation. More importantly, it's a very entertaining read. Because this series acts as a fresh start, you don't need to know a single thing about Omega: The Unknown to hop right in and be carried away. All told, this is a pretty lousy week for Marvel books, so there's no good reason you shouldn't give it a shot. Read Full Review
The greatest strength of the script is how the writers manage to humanize characters that aren't human. The stilted, cold personalities of Alexander and his "parents" make it difficult to relate to them on any level at first. However, Alexander's innocence is what wins the reader over. The same can be said of the timid Edie, who quickly comes to feel a motherly attachment to the weird kid. Edie's complete lack of confidence makes her seem one-dimensional at first, but against the backdrop of everyone else's disinterest in Alexander's plight, her kindness and caring grant her greater depth and make her much more likeable. Read Full Review
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