Warlock: Rebirth #1
- Writer:
- Ron Marz
- Artist:
- Ron Lim
- Letterer:
- Joe Caramagna
- Cover Artist:
- Ron Lim
- Publisher:
- Marvel
- Price:
- $3.99
- Release Date:
- 2023-04-19
- Colorist:
- Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Genis-Vell, aka Legacy, has big shoes to fill. His father, Mar-Vell, was once a grand hero and a big player among the Marvel Comics roster. Too bad he didn't know him very well. He knows someone who does -- Adam Warlock. Long ago, Adam was created to be the ultimate being -- until he rebelled and became a hero, slaying Thanos and protecting the Infinity Gauntlet on Monster Isle with the help of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Genis travels to Earth to find Adam and just ask him a few questions, but his timing couldn't have been worse. Adam is about to be unseated as the universe's perfect specimen -- Eve Warlock has arrived, and she's stronger in every way. Written by Ron Marz, with pencils by Ron Lim, inks by Don Ho, colors by Romulo Fajardo Jr. and letters by VC's Joe Sabino, Warlock: Rebirth #1, "Better Half," forcibly puts Genis's lineage-searching on hold as he teams up with Gamora and Pip the Troll to defeat this new enemy and save Adam's life before it's too late.
Even though his issue chronologically takes place in the middle of the current Marvel run, steeped up to the chest with layers of lore, Warlock: Rebirth #1 feels and reads like a fresh start. It's a surprisingly entry-friendly issue, with just enough exposition for newcomers to catch up on the most rudimentary lore needed to enjoy the story. Genis is a pleasant protagonist, being sarcastic without being cynical, a sort of extroverted and affable everyman. He plays dual roles as bombastic Marvel hero and audience surrogate, the perfect lens with which to explore this unfolding tale of intrigue, mystery, drama and action. It also helps that Warlock: Rebirth #1 starts off with a simple cast and premise, clearly laying out the story before twisting it just enough into a bigger story.
There is something appealingly vintage about the layout, writing and style of this issue, from its dialogue, captions, font and visuals. Much of the appeal is thanks to the combination of Ron Marz's writing style and Joe Sabino's lettering. Marz balances witty repartee with pleasantly concise and coherent use of exposition, utilized so deftly that it reads as easy and natural. The contemporary and blasé speech patterns of the "modern" heroes -- Genis, Gamora and even Pip -- contrast nicely with the old-school, bombastic and flamboyantly dramatic speech of both Adam and Eve.
Sabino's lettering hearkens back to this sort of old-school drama and layout, channeling older Golden and Silver Age comics in its narration style, captions, sound effects and even the paneling. It's the right balance between the outgoing postmodernism of the 90s onward, and the incoming neoclassical touches increasingly being adopted in current comic runs, a tribute to the medium's roots. The result is a comic that feels familiar yet fresh, with high enough stakes to keep the reader's interest and the pages turning, but not so heavy that the narrative is crushed under its own weight.
Ron Lim's artwork throughout Warlock: Reborn #1, in addition to the inks by Don Ho and coloring by Romulo Fajardo Jr. further add to the issue's retro appeal. Lim and Ho similarly channel older comics for this issue's art style, while still incorporating slicker, more contemporary, digital elements. The characters are realistically and heroically rendered, with hair, skin, muscles, tendons, metals and clothing given great detail and emphasis, firmly placing the world of this comic in the realm of 3D. The near-fantastical, prehistoric setting of Monster Isle is similarly brought to life with loose bricks, raw earth, excess foliage and rough, bumpy dinosaur skin. Colorist Fajardo brings this throwback art style together with a similarly traditional palette of bright, saturated colors with red, yellow, gold and orange being the standout shades against the warm but earthy tones of jungle green, dungeon blue and smoky earth.
Warlock: Rebirth #1 is as good an introduction to a new series as possible, being endearingly retro while still grounded firmly in the present, with a likable protagonist, a good cast of characters, a good premise and plenty of promise.