REVIEW: ‘Imperial’ Issue 1

Imperial Issue 1 is published by Marvel Comics, written by Jonathan Hickman, with art by Iban Coello and Federico Vicentini, colors by Federico Blee, and letters by Cory Petit.

As heads of state are murdered, members of the Galactic Council are brought together on the eve of war.

This first chapter of Imperial Issue 1 is fresh, but has echoes of nostalgia. It’s the start of a new cosmic epic, in the same vein as Annihilation and the Thanos Imperative. However, this story has Hickman at the helm, and the cosmic Marvel Universe has changed. The structure and pacing are calm and slow, drawing all the pieces into play. The Hulk, She-Hulk, and Brawn have been drawn back to Sakaar. Star-Lord is with his father, the ruler of the Spartax Empire. And those are just two parties. There are many more involved.

There is tension from the start across the galaxy. The fall of many figures has already created a power vacuum, but power is available to fill it. This issue is vast and expansive, marking the beginning of something enormous. There are flickers of violence and action throughout. But when it does erupt, all hell breaks loose in Imperial Issue 1. It’s a chaotic explosion of violence, where everyone is at risk, and any semblance of diplomacy collapses.

Since the last major cosmic event, the whole universe has evolved. Imperial Issue 1 features both classic alien characters and some newcomers, too. The traditional races of the Skulls and the Kree are now combined, ruled by Hulkling with help from Wiccan. The Shi’ar is still held together by Gladiator’s Imperial guard, with Deathbird in the mix. There is the Spartax Empire, ruled by Star-Lord’s father. The Wakandans are in space. Throw in Hulk and Nova, and a host of volatile figures could turn the stars into a bloodbath.

Hickman’s dialogue in Imperial Issue 1 is rich with personality and meaning. While his other worlds can feel scientific and cold, this issue has more venom and hidden anger. Behind all of the empires and their leaders is imperialism and a constant feeling that they’re always right. There is respect and relative calm in this early stage of the series. But their status does not make them immune to harm, which could be devastating.

The artists capture the majesty of the first issue. Imperial Issue 1 features multiple worlds, spaceships, and races. They’re all recognizable, appearing across decades of history. The details that Coello and Vicentini provide for every panel are extraordinary. The opening character is The Hulk, who isn’t usually present in these cosmic storylines. But with his immense size and stature, he truly belongs. He also gets to don his Worldbreaker armor once again, which always looks imposing and phenomenal. Brawn and She-Hulk also get armor of their own, fitting in with the war-torn streets of Sakaar.

Many heroes have aged and matured, especially figures like Hulkling. What they’ve been through can be seen in their faces; they all have a place at that intergalactic table. The traditional Marvel heroes resemble kings and warriors more than superheroes. Others, like Nova, have their uniforms hidden, occluding symbols that are remnants of once-great organizations and races. The spectacle is enormous, with Council meetings filled with extraterrestrial faces. So many are represented, from unknown to the most famous. The ships and cities look lived in, created by the artists to be more than just decoration.

When the chaos kicks in, it’s intentionally confusing. Bodies fly everywhere, and it becomes difficult to know who is dead or alive. But even in the most drastic of situations, there is an intricacy to facial expressions that can convey desperation, fury, and other emotions.

The colors are phenomenal in Imperial Issue 1. With so many alien species, there is a smorgasbord of vibrant tones, light, and color. It’s easy to see everything happening and inventory characters via their color schemes. Space itself looks beautiful, with splashes of red, blue, and green dashed across the stars. The lettering for the caption boxes used to provide encyclopedic information on the places and planets is tiny and quite hard to read. But the other caption boxes and word balloons are fine.

Imperial Issue 1 spreads the story across the stars. This first issue only had the first flickers of a cosmic epic, and already it makes the hair on the back of the neck stand up. It has the legacy of Keith Giffen, Andy Lanning, and Dan Abnett, with their famous cookies stories resurfacing. Hickman is the perfect successor to that dynasty, already proven with the Infinity event.

He understands and can control the enormous scale of the story while still focusing on individuals. The art enhances the spectacle. But the landscape and those involved have changed. There are new and old faces. They have made the cosmos their home, living in relative harmony. But now people are being framed and killed, and that makes the universe fertile ground for war.

Imperial Issue 1 is available now wherever comics are sold.