REVIEW: ‘Battleworld’ Issue 1

Battleworld Issue 1 is published by Marvel Comics and written by Christos Gage, art by Marcus To, colors by Rachelle Rosenberg, and letters by Travis Lanham.

A new patchwork battlefield has been created, with a selection of heroes brought together from various timelines with a sinister objective.

This issue is a spiritual sequel to many stories. Avengers Forever, all editions of Secret Wars, Contest of Champions, and many others have pieces of influence seen within these pages. It’s a strong start, illustrating the idea quickly and gathering the heroes in Central Park. It’s noisy and chaotic, as the team isn’t allowed to stand still for long before action erupts and enemies appear.

The frantic nature makes Battleworld Issue 1 exciting, and that’s before a grenade is thrown in the middle of the two. There are multiple villains, all with their own agendas, and something even more dangerous lurking around the corner. The details of the story can be difficult to follow at times, which also affects the characters. The ending is another callback to a series that Gage had a hand in, which signals very dark and murderous times ahead.

The cast of Battleworld Issue 1 is much larger than expected. There are figures from across time. Young characters and old, with dubious morals. A fresh-faced Spider-Man, an older Hank Pym, a Carol Danvers who’s still Warbird. There are also more powerful figures, such as Storm from Days of Future Past, King Thor, and Maestro.

Luckily, the voices aren’t overlapping, making it easier to understand who the characters are. They appear, and the others around them will comment on the differences that the character has from the mainstream ones. Many have just been through trauma, and seeing someone who died sends them into shock.

Despite the huge cast, Gage brilliantly established personalities and connections. At the heart of the comic is the older Hank Pym, and a Wasp who lost her version of Hank years ago. It’s an intriguing conduit to see two partners at very different stages of their lives.

One of the most startling and interesting characters is Spider-Man, who appears. This Peter Parker is a kid, only wearing the mask for a few months at most. And when things start getting crazy, he panics, hiding and stressing. In a place that is so brutal and potentially fatal, fear will either keep him alive or get him or someone else killed.

The art is fantastic, merging homages into one big, glorious place. The characters all look terrific, with old costumes resurfacing that are spectacularly designed by To. Every panel is just filled with bodies and intriguing things to look at. There are early showings of connections and resentments. When the battle erupts, there are powers and heroes everywhere, trying to make an impact.

The matchups are fun and enthralling. Battleworld Issue 1 takes place almost exclusively in Central Park, which is the best place to have a large group of figures. But although the location is normal, the abnormal elements come to them. Everything looks souped up and dangerous. Maestro is a dominating character on the page, bigger than anyone and able to smash anything in his way.

The colors are terrific as Rosenberg brings out the brightness in the time-displaced heroes. These are the most colorful uniforms, featuring prominent tones of red, green, and yellow. And yet the shades aren’t overbearing or clashing with each other in the panels. When Sentinels start firing and lightning starts crackling, the colors are very intense and instantly captivating. The lettering makes large chunks of dialogue easy to process.

Battleworld Issue 1 is a fresh take on a classic concept. This genre of comics is underrated and is always exciting to explore. A random selection of characters from across time or the multiverse and thrown together in an adventure. Gage is a terrific choice of writer for the idea, because he’s such an encyclopedia of characters and stories. Gage has an immediate idea of how this ragtag team will react to each other, not daunted in the slightest by the volume of voices.

The comic is filled with homages, references, and callbacks to what has come before, and is unapologetic about being a sequel. Because it’s using those old elements to tread new ground and be perhaps more deadly than the previous editions.

Battleworld Issue 1 is available where comics are sold.