(Cover of A-Force #1)
Marvel's hotly anticipated new title A-Force brings together old school heroines with some newer ones in this thrill-ride first issue. Although many well-known ladies in the Marvel universe make a cameo, the core team is whittled down to She-Hulk who is the baroness of Battleworld and leader of the A-Force team. I can't think of a better character to head this book too, and it is great to see Marvel give She-Hulk a true return to form with this series, as her recent self-titled series suffered from some lack-luster art. Here she is strong, stylish and the formidable leader that will be interesting to follow. Medusa, Sister Grimm, Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel and disco era Dazzler, who now has the power of flight, round out the cast with a new character who is a pocket universe called Singularity.
(The new character Singularity)
Most first issues take the time to introduce the inciting incident and this issue does so by showcases the ladies patrolling the borders of Battleworld only to discover an ancient creature from the sea surfacing and wreaking havoc upon the citizens of Battleworld. The outcome of the battle has devastating effects as their team roster is already altered.
Battleworld itself is under the control of Doctor Doom, where policy about border control must be strictly obeyed. This is the main catalyst for a lot of the emotion and character development we are introduced to, which also leads to my first concern. The writer's Marguerite Bennett and G. Willow Wilson go for the jugular by showcasing a world with harsh political judgment. Although, we have yet to see where the story is going, I didn't feel quite as emotionally connected to the characters yet to fully grasp their sorrow over what happens. Tears seem to be shed a bit too early, as I'm not very familiar with some of the characters that appear here, namely the new Ms. Marvel. However, I also have a feeling that it is a set-up for something bigger. I'm trusting in the writers to deliver on that.
(The team in action)
With that being said, a cast this big can't have the drawn out attention that they all deserve, but Bennett and Wilson do a good job of setting up a frame work up for each characters position in the series. Tensions already seem to be mounting between She-Hulk and Medusa over leadership duties. It isn't stated implicitly what political or royal status Medusa holds in this world, but it will be juicy to see these two come to blows. It's a good move by the writers to showcase that even though they are a team, not everyone gets along.
The variety of power sets with each character is a nice touch. We basically have an Avenger strong woman (She-Hulk), an Inhuman dictator with cool pre-hensile hair (Medusa), magic is represented by Sister Grimm, mutant fun with Dazzler and something new with Singularity who doesn't do much in this issue but holds some promise.
(A-Force #1 Varient)
Sister Grimm and Dazzler provide the fun with this first issue as their powers are always cool and made cooler by the great artwork of Jorge Molina. I'm not sure of how functional roller skates are in battle, but they do look great on Dazzler, and her return in general as a superhero is very much welcomed. It will be exciting to see where her character will go.
With cameos by Dr. Strange, a female Loki, a new police unit of Thors and Namor, there isn't too much that fans will be left wanting. A-Forceshowcasing some great character dynamics and hits you with a mighty color palate from the first page. I highly recommended that you pick it up now!
(A-Force #1 Variant)
