After reading through the Secret Empire series and watching the greatest hero of all, Steve Rogers, be ruined by cosmic intervention, I started reading Marvel Legacy #1 with some trepidation. What could the writers at Marvel do to follow up on the aftermath of Secret Empire?
To start we go back in time to the dawn of Earth, when Odin was holder of Mjolnir and unable to control the hammer that would eventually define Thor. We see that Odin and others are trying to slay a dangerous being that could destroy Earth, and from there we jump to present day and Roberto Reyes, the Ghost Rider.
Reyes is confused about how he got to South Africa and before he could piece together what happened he is attacked by Star Brand. We learn Loki is setting up a heist with disgraced frost giants of Jotunheim, but as Loki tells us, he’s trying to save the world.
The comic jumps from multiple locations including a Shield Base, Stark Tower, Avenger Manor, and even a diner in the middle of nowhere, that has Steve Rogers hiding from what he did, and worrying about what he will do. We meet a lot and see a lot in this first book of the series, and fans get the chance to watch as a new era is charted.
My Opinion
Legacy and hope are the core focus of this comic, and no doubt the series to follow. Secret Empire had death and redemption, but it ended with a world that had to pick up the pieces. Marvel Legacy #1 is all about how our heroes, and villains, move on to the next phase in life.
Though crowded with a lot of character appearances. I liked how we started with Odin. Usually the supporting player to the strength of Thor and the trickery of Loki, we get a chance to see what Odin did, and how he was the first master of Mjolnir.
The theme of legacy is prevalent from the title to the first few words in the comic. As Roberto Reyes narrates throughout the story, the idea of legacy and how it can be lost and recovered is something on the mind of all characters.
Poor Steve Rogers is trying to come to terms with what he did, and how he could continue as Captain America, knowing what he did in the Secret Empire series. I would be hiding out in a nameless diner drinking coffee by myself too if that was me.
Rogers must contend with the fact his legacy was lost, and now he needs to build a new one. But the legacy of Captain America is not the only focus of the story. The second act which brings heroes together and connects past storylines, is the rebirth of Wolverine. Though dead, he has risen to stop the theft of the Infinity Stone from the SHIELD base. But he’s alone and Wolverine doesn’t look like he plans to give the stone back.
The death and rebirth of characters is nothing new in the Marvel world, and to see Wolverine back, makes this Canadian happy, but what has come back from the dead? Is the legacy of Wolverine about to be lost and replaced with a darker future?
Though I did find the constant introduction of new characters to the storyline a little distracting, the goal of what this series is dealing with is very interesting to me. What is a legacy? How do we maintain what we have had? Exploring this notion through the comic world, allows writers like Jason Aaron to put our heroes through multiple trials, and explore the ramifications of actions taken.
If we came back from the dead, would we be the same person, or would we change? The look you get from Wolverine in the comic makes me think we have a new take on the classic mutant. Artists Steve McNiven and Esad Ribic have done a fantastic job giving us the images that may look the same but convey a change in our heroes.
Where do we go from here? There is always hope, and no matter how far one steers from the good, they have a chance to redeem and build a legacy. Pick up Marvel Legacy #1 and explore the fallout and the rebirth our comic heroes experience