Bane of Kings takes a look at the first issue of a new Marvel event mini-series as the TFF Friday Comics Reviews finally get a name branding!

“A wonderful opener that almost makes up for the failure of Age of Ultron in its own way, kick-starting the mini-series in a way that not only continues on from AoU, but also allows itself to be accessible to newcomers who have avoided Marvel’s latest event.” ~Bane of Kings, The Founding Fields

Art: Leonard Kirk, Jesus Aburtov, VC’s Cory Petit | Cover: Adi Granov

• The fallout from AGE OF ULTRON rips open a dangerous rift in the universe!

• Prepare for a hunger so strong, that no universe is safe.

• Is this the beginning of the end?

So, I think we’ve all established by now that Age of Ultron was pretty much a disappointment. My only hope was that somehow, its aftermath could be handled differently, right? Particularly as they were from different writers and all?

As it turns out, Hunger #1 is a pretty damn fine comic and a great start to the mini-series, even if it was not quite as expected. I was torn between picking this up or What if? AvX #3 and I’m glad I went with this – it’s a very strong start to this four issue storyline with some great visuals to back up Joshua Hale Fialkov’s impressive writing ability.

Going into Hunger #1, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. How would Fialkov approach this? What characters would feature? From the issue itself, I’m not that really familiar with the main villain presented here, nor with the main character – the teenage boy Rick Jones, who lives in a nearby parallel universe, where he was chosen by the pan-dimensional beings known as the Watchers to harness the power cosmic, thus serving as the champion of all creation. All this is detailed in the opening ‘recap’ – Jones’ origin is effectively explained off screen. It sounds intriguing though – and I have to wonder, is the character new to the Hunger series, or an already established one? However, I certainly enjoyed reading his adventures over the course of the book – particularly as it opens with an interesting, amusing and light-hearted start that you’d expect to be found in a Young Avengers book and not in the aftermath of Marvel’s attempt at a grimdark setting, Age of Ultron.

Despite the fact that Hunger may be billed as the aftermath of Age of Ultron, I was surprised at how easy Fialkov made this accessible to new readers, as despite the fact that I’ve read the entire event, new readers can jump on board without having read previous issues. Yet, something about this issue feels like it’s only designed to bridge the gap – acting as the second part of a trilogy if you will – in-between the opener, Age of Ultron, and the event that’s coming next to the Marvel Universe.

The series itself sees the walls of reality that fill the Marvel Universes being broken down following the conclusion of Age of Ultron – allowing Galactus, another character who I’m unfamiliar with, to make an entrance. His presence is hinted at in the cover, but it’s surprising as to a how little role that he actually plays physically inside this issue. But the cover art is pretty cool though, and the interior artwork is solid and awesome.

In conclusion, Hunger #1 is something that you should check out. If you’ve been let down by Age of Ultron, then this is good enough to keep you coming back for more. Awesome stuff, even if it may be a little flawed in places.

Rating: 4/5