Contagion #1
Written by: Ed Brisson
Art by: Roge Antonio
Marvel Comics
2019
A seemingly unstoppable force has invaded the Marvel Universe, and it’s going to take every hero the streets of New York has to stop it! A strange substance is taking over heroes and citizens alike, draining them of their life force, stealing their knowledge and abilities, and neither science nor magic can stop it! Where did it come from? Can anything destroy it? And who will fall to its awful, overwhelming power?
*Spoilers* ahead:
In this first issue of a planned five issue miniseries, the heroes of the Marvel Universe must face an enemy like none they have ever faced before. This enemy appears to be a fungus-like substance that can spread itself like a plague with a simple touch. The touch causes its victims to be covered with the fungus and driven into a crazed frenzy with a desire to spread the fungus to more and more hosts. The main host of this fungus also seems to be able to steal its victim’s life force, knowledge, and, if they are superhumans, their powers as well. The fungus seems to have originated in K’un-Lun, the mythical land where the Iron Fist learned his martial arts skills and gained his powers. This could give the fungus a supernatural or magical origin. The fungus makes it to New York and is confronted by the Fantastic Four, leaving only Ben Grimm unaffected. This is possibly due to his body being made of rock. At the end of the issue, Yu-Ti from K’un-Lun recruits Iron Fist to stop this enemy from consuming everything.
This was an exciting first issue that hooked me into its story by the end. The fungus is an interesting villain and works much like a zombie virus. This makes you wonder how Grimm, Iron Fist, and the other heroes will stop it. This was a good hook that made me want to pick up the next issue. I am interested in seeing how this story will unfold. The writing is very well done with the writer, Ed Brisson, doing a good job depicting the iconic Marvel characters he is working with, especially with Ben Grimm.
The artwork by Roge Antonio is great as well as it captures the dark and gritty nature of the horrifying threat that our heroes must face. The fungus has a grotesque and alien appearance that sends a chill down your spine reminiscent of creatures created by horror icons like H.P. Lovecraft and John Carpenter. This chilling feeling is captured perfectly in the faces of the characters who confront it. You could feel the desperation from Ben as he tried in vain to save his family from being corrupted by the fungus. Other heroes set to be involved are Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Moon Knight. It is very interesting to see these normally street level heroes taking on what could be a world level threat.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed this first issue and highly recommend it to any Marvel fan and anyone who likes a bit of horror and mystery in their stories. I can’t wait to see how our heroes will face this mysterious force.
Contagion #1
Fun first issue recommend to any Marvel fan and anyone who likes a bit of horror and mystery in their stories.
Nicholas Slade
Nicholas grew up reading J.R.R. Tolkien's books, watching Disney and Studio Ghibli films, and reading Marvel comics and Japanese manga. The superb storylines and characters ignited his passion for writing. He graduated from Full Sail University in 2015 with a BFA in Creative Writing for Entertainment. During his writing career thus far, Nicholas has had numerous short stories and articles published in an array of literary magazines and websites.
