REVIEW: ‘Wild Cards: Drawing of Cards,’ Issue #1

Wild Cards: Drawing of Cards #1 is written by Paul Cornell, penciled by Mike Hawthorne, inked by Adriano di Benedetto, colored by Ruth Redmond, and lettered by VC’s Cory Petit.  It’s published by Marvel Comics and based on the novels of the same name edited by George R.R. Martin. In the wake of World War II, ace pilot Robert Tomlin returns to his hometown of New Jersey and struggles to fit in. Little does he know that his life, and that of the entire world, is about to change thanks to an alien visitor.

Though he’s best known for his work on the Game of Thrones books, I’ve always felt that Martin deserved some major credit for Wild Cards. The anthology featured a unique take on the superhero genre and numerous writers including X-Men legend Chris Claremont have contributed to its numerous installments. It even led to the creation of The Sandman! Ironically, this isn’t even the first time Marvel has published a Wild Cards comic; the publisher previously launched a pair of miniseries under its Epic imprint. I was definitely excited to read the first issue of Drawing of Cards.

However, that excitement fizzled out as this entire issue more or less serves as the prelude to how many of the characters get their powers. There’s a difference between “character establishment” and “table setting” and sadly, this falls into the latter. It’s surprising given that Cornell, who’s written for other properties including Doctor Who, is able to jump right into the thick of the action and deliver a compelling story. And I don’t know if this was his choice, or Martin’s, or if Marvel editors had a list of things the comics had to tackle, but I hope future issues get into the meat of a superpowered society.

That being said, the best parts of the issue concern Doctor Tachyon, the mysterious alien being who travels to Earth to save mankind. Upon cracking open the book, fans will more than likely be reminded of the Doctor—both for the way that Hawthorne and di Benedetto draw his ensemble and the wide array of colors that Redmond brings to the table. In fact, the art team happens to be the major draw of the issue. Hawthorne, di Benedetto, and Redmond appear to have a blast depicting how horrific gaining superpowers could be. Flesh melts and stretches,  a woman literally crumbles into pieces, and a man grows four faces. And that’s not even getting into the bombastic space battles, with starships of all shapes and sizes diving through the sky.

Wild Cards: Drawing of Cards #1 is little more than a prelude to the major events of the series—albeit a prelude with some gorgeous art. Fans will probably either pick up or stay with the book due to Martin’s name being attached. However, I’d definitely recommend picking up the novels as well—not only are they a breath of fresh air in the superhero genre, but they’re very well written.

Wild Cards: Drawing of Cards #1 is available wherever comics are sold.