True Believers: Annihilation - Omega the Unknown #1 (re:view)

Another dollar for your comic! Ummm... I literally know nothing about or I could say that the character is "unknown" to me (ay? ay?? I'll see myself out). Anyway, the comic follows Omega the Unknown against a band of steel armoured/skinned (not sure which!) aliens as well as a connection he may have to a young person named James-Michael Starling.

It opens with some good ol' beat-em-up with Omega as he knocks and shoots beams from his Omega-symbolled hands which are different... So far so good. Of course, it's not all going to last and he's shut from the behind but the next bit gets interesting (and beautifully done I should say with the colours, expressions and effects). It transitions from him screaming into the young person I was mentioning earlier.

Okay, in terms of Marvel fighting weirdly shaped cycloptic steel assassins, I'd say that's the norm... but the next bit gets a bit trippy (hear me out). It transitions to James-Michael who also seemingly feels the connected pain of being shut from the behind. The parents are quickly killed off and revealed to be robots that self-destruct (umm... okay). It kind of becomes a psychological thriller (without the thriller) wherein by James-Michael confused by the statement is let into psychedelic vertigo where reality and fantasy seem to blur (beautifully done yet again with the effects for show).

More confusion ensues as a fight suddenly erupts in James-Michael's room between one of the alien-beings and Omega with James-Michael seemingly developing the same powers as Omega. So many questions! There's so much mystery that's been tantalised from the start that it left me with so many questions that wanted answers like how is Omega connected to James-Michael, who is James-Michael and why are his parent's robots???

Subscribe? Yes!

I mean there are so many questions that needed answering and the issue has done enough to fully invest in getting those answers. The issue is beautifully illustrated with colours with offerings of shadowing and psychedelia. Another thing to note is the use of description of the actions which was an interesting take as so often I usually assume the movements but of course, the actions don't usually move on pages but it's spelt out for you which I found adds another level storytelling to the issue. I also love the slight insinuation that this might all be happening in James-Michael's mind which makes it more for an even more exciting read.

True Believers: Annihilation - Omega the Unknown #1 (originally published as Omega the Unknown #1)
Steve Gerber & Mary Skrenes - writer
Jim Mooney - illustrator
John Constanza - letterer
Petra Goldberg - colourist
Mary Wolfman - editor