How to make friends and alienate people.
By Jeff Lake
Of the many, many tie-ins spun out of Secret Wars last year, A-Force was definitely a title that stood apart. Its pitch perfect cast of characters and self-contained premise lead to all manner of adventures, making the team’s transition over to the new Marvel Universe proper an exciting proposition. At last that update is here, and while the return of creators G. Willow Wilson and Jorge Molina again provides a certain amount of magic, the second look at Marvel’s premiere heroines doesn’t entirely go the distance.
One of the best things about the original A-Force was just how little it was beholden to the Secret Wars events at large. The connections were there, sure, but overall the book was primarily focused on its characters and how they worked together. Perhaps on some level, this new #1 is out to do the same. Writer Wilson has a tough task in ensuring that the connections made in the original series carry over into the new one, and rather than try and reinvent the wheel she instead decides to reshape it. She does so by putting Singularity, the childlike powerhouse new to Secret Wars, front and center, as she looks to reconnect with the friends lost in the calamity that followed. Find them she does, but much like every other character not possessing of grander knowledge of the events previously transpired, her friends haven’t a clue who she is, or whether they’re truly friends at all.
In some ways, said structure works decently well, as Singularity’s search allows Wilson to reform the core group in a way that better fits the new universe at large. Unfortunately, Singularity herself doesn’t exactly prove the most engaging horse to ride through this bit of setup, as the character lacks any real depth beyond the yearning to find those she lost. While she does possess a sort of naive sweetness that supports the order in which the book’s events unfold, her usage and characterization is so sporadic that it’s any wonder she made it past her first attempt at reconnection at all. Couple that with a strange, as of yet aimless adversary and you get a debut that brings everyone together without really forcing you to ask why.
The issue’s saving grace proves to be artist Molina, who along with colorist Laura Martin turns in some truly excellent pages. Melina’s character designs are wonderful in their uniqueness, as everyone from the book’s core leads to its amusing background players stand out. That detail extends itself to the book’s physical action as well, Molina’s action set pieces dynamic and well choreographed. Martin provides the clincher, her color work simple but effective. The finale features a number of well timed blasts of color, and she utilizes the constantly shifting hues of Singularity and the villainous Antimatter to great effect.
Overall, A-Force #1 is a solid, if unspectacular debut. It’s great to see this cast together again, especially in the hands of Wilson, Molina and Martin, but as of now this new direction feels hamstrung by its need to square peg its way into a round hole. With more time and a clearer direction this book can certainly turn it around, but as of now the series’ original fire has yet to be rekindled.
A-Force had one of the tougher transitions to make from its Secret Wars beginnings, and that difficulty shows in this first issue. G. Willow Wilson has a clear handle on her cast, but by making Singularity the narrative glue, the rest of the read doesn’t have a whole lot of room to breathe. The art by Jorge Molina and Laura Martin does its part, but we’re definitely hoping for a more pronounced return to form come next issue.
