Sins of Sinister: Dominion #1
- Writer:
- Kieron Gillen
- Artist:
- Paco Medina, Lucas Werneck
- Letterer:
- VC's Clayton Cowles
- Cover Artist:
- Leinil Francis Yu, Jesus Aburtov
- Publisher:
- Marvel
- Price:
- $3.99
- Release Date:
- 2023-04-26
- Colorist:
- Bryan Valenza
The Sinister Era has reached its unnatural conclusion. A thousand years and seven trillion deadly sins later, Sinister is ready to pull the plug on this botched timeline. After battling across the universe for over a thousand years, Sinister and the remaining key players in this timeline converge on the location of the Moira Engine. At this point, everyone knows the importance of the Moira Engine, and each character has slightly different plans for it. Sins of Sinister: Dominion #1, written by Kieron Gillen with art by Paco Medina and Lucas Werneck, colors by Bryan Valenza, letters by Clayton Cowles, and design by Tom Muller and Jay Bowen, brings the sprawling Sins of Sinister epic to a close in immensely satisfying fashion.
This issue is both incredibly straightforward and ridiculously complex. It's oversized -- clocking in at 52 pages -- and utilizes every bit of that space to the fullest. Roughly the first half of the issue is dedicated to the final showdown in the Sinister timeline, while the back half deals with the fallout. Gillen expertly weaves all the existing plot threads into a climax that delivers bombast and surprise. The revelations emerge organically from the story; every narrative decision feels like the only decision that could've been made.
Medina and Werneck split artistic duties for this issue, with the former tackling the Sinister timeline while the latter covers the present day. Both artists absolutely crush it. Medina delivers the ludicrous, end-of-the-universe, top-tier spectacle that Sins of Sinister has embraced from the beginning. Pulse-pounding action and intense stakes are rendered with incredible detail as the story hurtles toward its conclusion. When Werneck steps in, it feels almost like a return to normalcy -- the artist regularly accompanying Gillen for Immortal X-Men hammers that feeling home - but things are far from normal for the mutants of Krakoa. Werneck presents some simply stunning pages to wrap up the book as the full impact of the event settles in.
Valenza's vibrant colors bring Medina and Werneck's work to life. The Sinister timeline is shrouded in hues of red and orange. Everything is burning, and the heat is palpable. The intensity is cranked all the way up, and the colors practically erupt from the page. The consistent color application helps bridge the gap between the two artists. The colors in the back half are just as rich and vivid but highlight an entirely different spectrum, visually and emotionally.
Cowles' lettering is exceptional, as usual. Sinister is known for a monologue or two, and each is broken up into carefully placed bubbles and boxes across the pages. Cowles delivers creative sound effects in key action moments and balances the heavy exposition that comes with a finale in a visually pleasing way. Muller and Bowen once again handle the design for this book and maintain consistent visual language while presenting key information. The data pages have become a useful staple of the X-line in this era for good reason.
This issue brings the Sins of Sinister event to an epic end. Plot threads years in the making have massive payoffs, one jaw-dropping moment hits after another, and it marks a character-defining moment for Sinister. The way everything comes together is mind-blowing, and it sets a thrilling precedent for future stories. With Sins of Sinister: Dominion #1, Gillen and the rest of the creative team deliver an all-time great comic.