Inhumans: Prime #1 Review

Inhumans vs. X-Men is over. Now, it’s time for ResurrXion to take effect, with Inhumans: Prime #1 poised to be the catalyst that kicks-off the Royal Family’s future adventures. It’s a monumental task as this one-shot’s meant to lay the groundwork for Royals, Secret Warriors and Black Bolt, as well as introduce newcomers to the characters. The question is, does it achieve all of its goals?

From a storyline perspective, this issue takes the easy road, touching briefly on the events of Inhumans vs. X-Men before setting up a clash between Maximus and his peeps and the Inhumans at the Grand Canyon. Each side demonstrates their special skills, but it’s the good guys who come out on top (as expected). Undoubtedly, this clash stands out as the main highlight of the book, as the rest of the issue spends its time being an extended epilogue for the spinoffs. I mean, the whole “what did Maximus tell his brother, Black Bolt, that shocked him so much?” shtick sounds like a plot pulled directly from Days of Our Lives.

That said, Al Ewing’s story does exactly what it sets out to do in terms of priming us for the forthcoming titles. It’s a safe – if not all-too-generic – story that introduces a couple of intriguing tangents for us to follow. For example: what’s up with Karnak and why he isn’t a part of the Royals? While nothing about this issue is likely to win an Eisner Award for anything, it does at least make us curious to see what happens next.

Marvel editor Wil Moss stated that this one-shot is supposed to act as an introduction for the people who aren’t familiar with the characters and a hook for the fans. Well, it fails as the former. If you had no idea who these superhumans were before the Inhumans vs. X-Men event, you still won’t. Sure, all the main characters receive enough coverage here, but I certainly wouldn’t recommend this book as a starting point for new fans. Quite frankly, I think it was silly for Moss to even suggest something like this in the first place. These characters may not be the most popular in the Marvel universe, but they still possess such a rich and complex history that it would be impossible to cover everything in one issue.

In the art department, pencilers Ryan Sook and Chris Allen etch a gorgeous-looking issue. Instead of seeing two different styles clash, their art is consistent and strong throughout, treating us to a visual feast. Sook and Allen have an undeniable synergy, and worked well together in bringing Ewing’s vision to life. It’s a superb team effort.

Overall, Inhumans: Prime #1 does what it’s meant to do: setup the Inhumans-verse. The TV series is on its way, and Marvel will naturally try to capitalize on this, so this is definitely a smart move on their part. However, I still do question whether this “introduction” actually introduces the characters at all. If I were picking up this book for the first time, I’d wonder if they weren’t just regular mutants.