So there I was, standing in the comic shop, holding this issue in my hand.  I recalled a post I did earlier on iFanboy.com.  It stated that “I wouldn’t be buying this book because the art is not by Hickman, and I LOVE his design choices and art.”  But there I was, holding it in my hands, perusing through it’s fine pages.  And lo and behold, the pacing and paneling were unique and the art didn’t look too shabby.  “Ok,” I told myself, “let’s give it a whirl.”

To be honest, I was a little disappointed in this “whirl.”  It’s not that the story was bad, per se, but it just seemed a little bit…out there?  See, I’m having the hardest time putting into words the way I feel about the book.  The concept seems like it’s going to be really good and provide some interesting storytelling.  But the execution of the story is a bit ponderous.  While the narrative by the main character is interesting, I’m just not sure how I feel about a guy who has always been able to see into the future suddenly not being able to see it clearly.  It’s a bit strange when this happens and is a conceit I often find hard to swallow.  Add that to the fact that within this tale we get a weird coup that happens in Britain that’s lead by one of the supposed superhumans of the universe, and I’m left scratching my head a bit.  I guess I feel like so much time was spent on talking about the future that not enough time was spent on helping me understand the world that these characters inhabit.  I’m able to gleen that they’ve survived many a tribulation, but what of these superhumans?  What about these aliens?  Why are they so scary and strong?  None of it’s really laid out all that well in this issue and left me more ponderous than excited.

The art is really good, and I enjoy the style paired with Hickman’s layout and design style.  The coloring is really cool too as it gives this story an otherworldly and almost alien feel, which I suppose is the point.

It’s a quizzical beginning to Hickman’s new series, but I’m not dropping the book quite yet.  I’ll still pick up the rest of it to see where the story goes, and if anything, I can enjoy the art and the design choices.  Hickman is the future of comics, and I only hope his storytelling improves to the level that his design choices are at.  If so, this could be a very special series.