TITLE: Marvel Legacy Issue #1
YEAR: September 2017
COMPANY: Marvel Comics
Written by Jason Aaron
Artists: Esad Ribic with Steve McNiven
Color Artist: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Editor: Tom Brevoort
A lot has changed in Marvel Comics these past few years.
Bruce Banner, the Incredible Hulk, was killed in “Civil War II” but now there are multiple Hulks on Earth; Tony Stark as Iron Man fought against Captain Marvel and lost and slipped into a coma but was replaced by prodigy Riri Williams who became known as Ironheart; Wolverine was killed due to suffocation after being covered in adamantium and Old Man Logan from another world has come to the present; Steve Rogers is trying to build his reputation after being gone and an evil version of himself led to HYDRA taking over America in “Secret Empire”; the Fantastic Four disbanded after “Battleworld” as the Richards family worked to rebuild reality, while Ben Grimm (The Thing) traveled with the Guardians of the Galaxy and Johnny Storm became members of the Avengers Unity Squad and ambassador to the Inhumans; and Thor Odinson, lost his ability to pick up his hammer, Mjolnir and Jane Foster was able to pick up Mjolnir and become the new Thor.
So many changes and many wondered if the original superheroes we grew up with would ever return or is this a new direction for Marvel for a new generation of comic book readers?
In April 2017, it was revealed by Marvel Comics that the Legacy initiative would bring a focus to Marvel’s core of superheroes and embracing their roots with the creation of a new comic book line and the relaunch would reintroduce iconic characters.
The one-shot Legacy issue will kick things off but 53 series would make up the Legacy initiative, long running comic books would return to its original numbering and six canceled titles (“Darkhawk”, “Dazzler”, “Master of Kung Fu”, “Not Brand Echh”, “Power Pack” and “Silver Sable and the Wild Pack”) will come back as one shots.
The story kicks off with one narrating about “Legacy” and revealing an Avengers team back in the Stone Age (over a million years ago) featuring Odin, Phoenix and others fighting a behemoth.
Roberto Reyes (the new Ghost Rider) is in a battle against Starbrand (from the old Marvel “New Universe” comics), meanwhile Thor, Falcon, Ironheart take on Frost Giants who are after something mysterious.
Back at Stark Facility, Mary Jane finds out that Tony Stark’s body is missing, the Fantastic Four’s Human Torch and Thing are back and shoot a Fantastic Four flare into the sky. Steve Rogers is at a diner, trying to move on with his life and start anew as Captain America. And a Final Host has been summoned (which is supposedly the mysterious antagonist).
And one of the Frost Giants fighting against Thor, Falcon and Ironheart escapes with a mysterious case and is run over by a semi and the person inside the semi is… Snikt (hint!).
Overall, I have opinions on various aspects of “Legacy” and strong opinions.
First, what I don’t like or didn’t care for. An establishing storyline about an Avengers team during prehistoric times. “Generations” tried to show how Odin and Phoenix (pre-Jean Grey) knew each other and seriously, while I was cool with “Generations”, an Avengers team during a time of cavemen, I couldn’t care less about that.
I wasn’t familiar with this new Ghost Rider and I’m sure there could have been any hero brought back but Starbrand? And as for Ghost Rider, I was just thinking we would see the return of Johnny Blaze.
As for the missing Tony Stark, that was fine but seriously, I am still waiting for Mary Jane and Peter to reunite and I bought his variant cover thinking, what if Peter and Mary Jane recovered their memory of being a married couple? Oh, that would be so awesome! But I know Quesada is not a fan of that, so I’m not going to expect much from that. Yet, I’m still not going to support MJ and Tony Stark together… No way! But I do look forward to seeing Stark back as Iron Man.
And now…what I liked!
Seeing Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm together was great (which would lead into a new “Marvel Two-in-One” series, but really…Human Torch and The Thing…that was more “Strange Tales” for me, unless the plan is more superhero pairings with the Thing for M2i1).
And of course, seeing (hint: snikt!) back again…that was cool!
But other than that, Legacy #1 offers tidbits of characters to watch out for in upcoming series, but it was OK storyline. But I do wish Marvel Comics the best in the return to basics, because we saw how DC Comics capitalized with the direction they made with “DC Universe Rebirth”. I just don’t know what direction Marvel Legacy will take with their superheroes. I felt there was too many drastic changes, some good, some bad.
But we’ll see how things go from here on in!