After setting the stage in the fantastic Infinity Countdown: Adam Warlock #1 (Read our Review of that issue HERE), Gerry Duggan returns with another issue of epic cosmic proportions spanning the entire Marvel Universe with Infinity Countdown Prime #1, which continues to develop this intriguing cosmic epic. After some fantastic and breathtaking art from Michael Allred in the Adam Warlock issue, Duggan teams with artist Mike Deodato Jr and Color artist Frank Martin for this more intense, less fantastical and more high stakes issue of Infinity Countdown. While the previous issue had more of a focus on Adam Warlock, Infinity Countdown Prime updates readers on the current status of the Infinity Stones, as well as showing who is currently in possession of each infinity stone.

 

After being teased for the past few months since the release of Marvel Legacy #1, we finally have some light shed on Wolverine’s current situation, now that he is alive after being killed off in 2014’s Death of Wolverine comic event, and it is certainly not disappointing. Seeing Logan make a return to form and being in possession of the space stone is a pleasure to watch, and thanks to Deodato and Martin’s almost cinematic art the opening action sequence of the comic is one of the best parts of the issue. The art in this issue overall is another solid entry in the Infinity Countdown series, making each issue it’s own thing and different and special from each-other.  Making an appearance in this issue as well is Loki, God of Mischief, who has been taking an interest in the Infinity Stones since the pages of Legacy #1.

His brief interaction with Logan shows his already vast knowledge of who is in possession of which stones, and his race to get them all increases the number of power players going after them and makes it an even more interesting race. On top of this stellar intro, we have a mysterious narrator (who I will not reveal) who is listing off where all the stones are to an even more mysterious and surprising individual, which adds a whole new layer of intrigue to the issue, something Gerry Duggan is astoundingly good at in his writing.

A complaint that can be found with this issue would be the brief and rushed acknowledgment of the situation Adam Warlock was put in in the previous issue, as only a few panels are devoted to it and the story moves on a little too quickly from it, in my opinion. All things considered, Duggan is doing his absolute best, juggling around so many different characters and plot threads and still managing to create an engaging story. The issue, while starting on Earth, ends in space with a surprising and unexpected cameo from a classic Avengers villain in possession of an Infinity Stone. While I won’t go into details, this new player in Infinity Countdown does not bode well for The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, or Adam Warlock.

As the pieces continue to fall into place, Infinity Countdown Prime #1 is another exciting installment in this new Marvel Comic event, and It has been obvious since All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #1 that Gerry Duggan aims to tell a cohesive and engaging story with compelling and interesting characters, with some great comedic moments and action-packed set pieces as well. However, there are bound to be some rushed storylines along the way, though that is a small price to pay for another Infinity epic with this kind of cast of characters and a story of this scale. – Ernesto Valenzuela

GRADE – 8.5/10