Over the last couple of years, Humanoids has really dug into the comics landscape and expanded its reach, and, in doing so, it’s been nothing but win after win.
Which brings me to H1 Studios. H1 is their new superhero imprint – a shared universe that has a handful of comics hitting shelves. Within this universe, Omni from Devin Grayson (Nightwing, The Titans), Alitha E Martinez (Batgirl, Black Panther, Iron Man), and Bryan Valenza provides a peek at how this super-powered world is suddenly coming into being and also how character Cecelia Cobbina had her powers “ignited.” It is cool to note that this overall shared story is being called “Ignition.”
The general idea is that with the extreme changes in our planet’s ecology (and as a way to fight back), Mother Earth is transforming certain humans and igniting them with powers. I 100% buy into the awesomeness of this. It’s a solid mythology to build from and something I in no way consider political, as everyone should be concerned about the preservation of our only planetary home.
Within the series, we focus in on Cecelia, a doctor for Doctors Without Borders. Before she even gets her powers, we see that she’s brave, selfless, intelligent, and amazing under extreme duress which is when her powers decide to ignite. Suddenly, she’s able to essentially read the room, pinpointing the smallest of details, latching onto the subtlest of nuances, and able to diagnose someone with but a glance. The great decision by this creative team is that it doesn’t overwhelm her. It provides absolute clarity and omniscience – hence Omni.
With these new powers in play, she sets off to figure out if there are more people who have been ignited and why.
I love the real-world setting of this story; you’re immediately thrown into the chaos of the world we live in. It’s immediate and relevant. Grayson has chosen to playfully jump back and forth in time to tell Cecelia’s story, from her ignition, to confronting her sister, to hunting for those like her. It’s fun, and from beginning to end, she’s a doctor through and through, never wanting to be called a hero or superhero. There’s a lot more at play here, but I’ll let you enjoy that on your own.
Martinez’s art and Valenza’s colors shift from a gritty look to a smooth comic book feel without missing a beat. I hope they continue contrasting those two ideas in this book with these two visual styles; it creates a pretty cool psychological effect. What this team especially nails, along with letters by A Larger World Studios, is how they visualize Cecelia’s newfound powers. It’s colorful, there’s a rhythm to it, and it almost feels interactive.
This is a really good start to a promising series and another win for Humanoids, thanks to this stellar creative team and a really interesting hero.
Creative Team: Devin Grayson (writer), Alitha E Martinez (art), and Bryan Valenza (colors), A Larger World Studios (letters)
Publisher: Humanoids’ H1 Studios
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