I’ve been in the world of comics for a long time now. There have been many of comics that have graced these eyeballs and some have been good and bad. There are very few that I could label ‘Fantastic’ and thankfully I am reading a few right now. Then there are the comics that these eyeballs could consider ‘Amazing’ after only one issue. Ladies and gentlemen, the Manhattan Projects after only one issue is now apart of that tiny, tiny list.

The moment I started reading this issue (with the General, who isn’t named I believe) I knew I was going to love this. This is pure, unfiltered Johnathan Hickman from beginning to end. Yes I have been fooled once before with his book SHIELD, but this feels very different then SHIELD. Mainly, he has an idea on where to take the main character right from the start. I’m not sure how the Oppenheimers would feel about this interpretation of Robert but who honestly cares? This book is insane and we’re only on the first issue. Let start off by saying that I cannot read the words of this General without thinking of ‘Portal 2’ and of J.K. Simmons. This has a Portal vibe to it in regards to the humor and the science involved but only on paper. (Not saying it’s a ripoff but I can hear Cave Johnson in my head when we see the various projects throughout this facility) The ideas that Hickman brings forth into this series is also crazy and so damn intriguing. From the situations involving WWII, to the experiments, to how he deals with Robert Oppenheimer in this; it all just gels so beautifully. I have no idea where this book is going but I can tell you it’s going to be fun.

Oh my god I didn’t even get to Nick Pitarra’s art yet! Hickman’s last Image book, Red Wing, was a bit of a clunker in the storytelling department but let me tell you: He found one hell of an artist with this Nick Pitarra guy. At first I thought he had a Seth Fisher style to his pencils and while I still see that in this issue it’s clear there is so much more to this guy. There is so much to each panel of this comic I don’t know whether to think Hickman came up with all of this or if Pitarra is drawing what he feels should be there. Either way Pitarra draws everything so well. To the amazing sequence involving the Samurai Robot Assassins to the mundane things like what’s on the General’s desk…It’s just so detailed and gorgeous to look at. The coloring is also really well done and again, unlike in Red Wing Pitarra has a pretty good colorist on his hands (Cris Peter gets a shoutout!). I feel like I am typing nothing but ‘gush’ for this art and review but trust me when I say this is just nothing but beautiful. I didn’t even get into the great sequences involving the two Oppenheimers. Pitarra makes them feel separate and unrelated at first but then merges them at the end to an conclusion I was not expecting. Great storytelling on his part.

I think the last time I felt so giddy about a #1 issue of a comic was Chew to be honest. We all know how that series turned out so what’s to say this series won’t be the same? Sure, Jonathan Hickman’s idea have sometimes not padded out well but I am willing to give the guy a benefit of the doubt here. This issue is just too much fun and god damn interesting for me not to be hopeful. What is obvious is that Nick Pitarra did some amazing work in this issue and if he stays on the entire run I think we’re gonna get some gorgeous stuff out of this book. Color me intrigued and excited for this new series from Image. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this excited to read a comic book.