Written by: Dustin Weaver & Gerry Duggan
Art by: Dustin Weaver
Publisher: Marvel
Even though it shares the same name with the popular Marvel event, the only connection between this new series and the event are the Infinity Gems and a certain mad Titan, at least for this first issue. “Secret Wars” has allowed creators to come up with stories based almost purely on the title of past events, and while maybe not everything will be successful, “Infinity Gauntlet #1” is.
From the very beginning, Weaver and Duggan introduce us to a world that’s been ravaged by giant insects, “Starship Troopers”-style. It’s in this world that we meet the Bakian family. The family is composed of Menzin, his two daughters, Fayne and Anwen, their dog Zigzag and Menzin’s father-in-law. In this first issue alone, we see the family bond, laugh and show fear, anger and courage. The dynamic between them shows not only through warm dialogue, but through their actions. The Bakians feel like a living, breathing family in more ways than one, whether it’s our lead, Anwen, showing tremendous displays of courage for her family, or the two older men of the clan fighting in regards to the girls missing mother.
A lot of this praise for the family wouldn’t be possible without the help of Weaver’s cinematic art. The one glorious action scene in the book manages to balance the emotional weight the script carries along with the thrills that Weaver is capable of drawing. The way the characters attempt to escape from an all-out assault shows that this family has been in danger for a long time in this apocalypse.
As you’ve probably noticed, there’s very little talk of Thanos in this review and that’s because he was a background presence for this issue. It’s obvious that the upcoming issues are going to involve him a great deal, but for now the Bakian’s are the main focus. (It also should be noted that this book is barely tied into the overall “Secret Wars” event.) In the end, you can almost completely forgive this issue for the lack of Thanos because what there is is strong. Most importantly though, this is now my most anticipated series out of all the tie-ins.
