Gamma Flight #1

Gamma Flight #1

Marvel Comics 2021

Written by Al Ewing & Crystal Frasier

Illustrated by Lan Medina

Coloured by Antonio Fabela

Lettered by VC’s Joe Sabino

SPINNING OUT OF IMMORTAL HULK, BRUCE BANNER’S GAMMA-POWERED ALLIES GO ON THE RUN!

Gamma Flight had one job: Find and stop the Hulk. But when push came to smash, they sided with the Green Goliath—and the human world intends to make them regret it. Puck, Absorbing Man, Titania, Doc Sasquatch, Dr. Charlene McGowan and a horribly changed Rick Jones are fugitives from every known authority—but a team that full of gamma is bound to break before long. Al Ewing, Crystal Frasier and Lan Medina mastermind a whole new world of gamma!

I haven’t been reading Immortal Hulk but the lineup for this book, especially Puck, piqued my interest. I’m glad it did too because this for me anyway is completely new reader friendly and I can follow very easily. Also the mix of characters is sensational including the transgender Dr. Charlene McGowan, whom I’d never heard of before this issue. That we can a limited series run of these characters makes me happy because anything outside the norm is going to be something I instantly gravitate towards.

I love the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is impeccably rendered. The character development is sensational thanks to how we see the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react tot he situations and circumstances that they encounter. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story, introducing the characters and the world they inhabit leaves the reader jaw agape and wanting more.

I greatly appreciate the way that this is being structured and how the layers within the story are emerging and growing. The layers contain moments that flesh out the characters beautifully as well as give us glimpses or flashes of what this story is going to be about and whether they enhance the main story arc or just swirl around it they add this wonderful depth and complexity to the story. I love how these layers showcase the dynamic between the characters as well. How everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is achieved exceedingly well.

The interiors here are utterly fabulous! The linework is strong, crisp and clean and as the varying weights and techniques are utilised to create this level of detail work is phenomenal. We get to see a fairy amount of backgrounds being utilised and they enhance the moments we see them in and how they work within the composition of the panels show depth perception, a sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the story is so well achieved. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a marvellous eye for storytelling. The colour work leaves me gobsmacked. Just seeing Rick Jones and Del Frye tells you everything you need to know about how much talent and skill Antonio has. It’s bloody brilliant looking is what it is. The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is done with such aplomb. The creativity and imagination on display throughout this book is brilliantly shown.

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So those who are gamma powered are working together to stay off the grid and out of Bruce’s reach, not to mention the cops reach as well. They’ve got to find a way to work together and fix the things that are wrong, all of which is unclear but my magic 8-Ball says try again later, of which is Rick/Del and Sampson’s appearances. The writing is bloody brilliant and the dynamic in this group is phenomenally shown and with this level of quality in the artwork this may be my new favourite Marvel title. Should things progress like I see this issue suggesting they will than hell this could become a monthly title and i’d gobble it up time and time again.