For more than 30 years, Omega Red has been a rather mysterious character in Marvel Comics. Only ever getting teases of his background -- mostly by characters with their own dubious motives or by people who only ever saw him as a villain -- there was much about Omega Red that readers just didn't know. In the start of this story arc, the curtain is peeled back a bit and for the first time, we get to see the story from Omega Red’s point of view, getting to read his own actual thoughts and seeing him in a normal situation and setting. He's going home.

Alex Paknadel does a very good job of capturing Arkady’s voice and inner thoughts as we see him make his journey back to his native village. We see how Arkady interacts with people in a more normal setting where he isn't acting as an antagonist and the story really does a great job of humanizing Arkady and showing that side of him that readers never really got to see before now. Arkady is written as his own person with his own thoughts, feelings and ways of interacting with others and dealing with the various conflicts and changes that come in his life. The flashbacks also help with this, giving us a real look at how Omega Red views himself and the death-like powers he was born with.

I strongly recommend this story arc for anyone who has ever wanted to get to know Omega Red as a character in his own right. It's the start of an amazing story that fleshes out a character who has been in desperate need of some deeper exploration of who he is and what his place in the world is. For anyone who wants to know more about Omega Red or is a fan of the character, this story is for you. It is easily one of the best stories ever written about him. more