A comiXologist recommends:
A-Force #1
by: Dane Cypel
A-Force #1 is the first in an ongoing new Avengers-like series that departs from the Marvel team norm. Authors Marguerite Bennett and G. Willow Wilson and artist Jorge Molina join forces to fashion a new team in a drastically altered Marvel Universe. Existing within the new Secret Wars event, A-Force presents a reshaped world, which takes the familiar and attempts a different direction.
The issue picks up in the land of Arcadia. The Baron of this land, She-Hulk, has assembled a team of heroines to maintain order and protect her people. Without reading the surrounding Secret Wars titles, the world that these heroes live within is a world with a different set of rules. Dr. Doom is somehow overlord; Stephen Strange is a sheriff of some type, and there exists a group of planetary police known as the Thors.
On top of this, is the titular A-Force- an all female team of Marvel superheroes comprised of She-Hulk, Medusa, Dazzler, Nico Minoru and the briefly seen, Singularity. It is shown within that the membership of the team is much larger, with Sister Grimm, Ms. America, and Captain Marvel playing large roles. Heroes, such as Sam Wilson and Namor make brief appearances as well, though it is the A-Force that commands the show.
Writing on the first issue of a series can be a difficult thing to do- it often takes time for a series to hit its stride- not only for the creative team but also for the characters within. Story is king, and good story comes from good characters. I have to admit that I am not familiar with She-Hulk or Dazzler, but they are characters that can and will shine, especially within these pages and by this creative team. The framework they are placed in allows me to be intrigued as to how they will react: the perfect set-up for a story that can pull in anyone. A-Force #1 is an excellent beginning to a story that is highly recommended.
[Check out A-Force #1 on comiXology]
Dane Cypel is a digital editor at comiXology and freelance illustrator based in Manhattan.