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Original Sin #0:
Why We Should Watch The Watcher Watching...
Original Sin is Marvel's newest event, dealing with the apparent murder of Uatu, The Watcher.
For those not in the know, Uatu... watches. He is a cosmic being, lives on the moon, and is forever beholden to a vow of non-interference as he simply observes and records the events of the "616" reality of the Marvel Universe. You know, except for all those times he steps in and helps save our bacon again and again.
But even with all his myriad appearances, there is probably little known about him to the modern reader. This could pose a problem since Marvel is asking fans to care about his death and the resulting quest for justice in the coming months.
So, along comes Original Sin #0. The story revolves around the newest Nova, Sam Alexander, and his cool life as a superhero. Sam has dealt with the Watcher before, and in conversation with the Avengers, he asks the simple question: "Why does the Watcher do what he does?" Turns out, no one has really asked that question; at least not in recent memory.
Sam sets off for the Blue Area of the Moon and visits The Watcher, where he gets a nice glimpse into the inner workings of Uatu's home and his life. I won't spoil any of it here, but it is a pretty clever device to show the reader what happens (and happened) in Uatu's life.
For someone I thought I would never like, I kinda dig Sam now. He seems so genuine. He seems so... happy. And he is responsible and all that jazz, too. So the pairing is a lot of fun to read. With a look into what makes Uatu THE Watcher of "our" galaxy, we get a chance to care more about him before his untimely demise (sorry if that's a spoiler, but it IS in the solicit for issue #1). It's a #0 issue that matters. And, if you are reading Nova, you need to pick up this book. There is a major plot development in Sam's life that happens here.
This book made me realize how much I miss Jim Chueng's pencils. Just gorgeous stuff. He's come a long, long way since the Maverick mini-series in the 90's (yea, top of my head, folks! I am a X-90's junkie!). He gets an assist by the always good Paco Medina as well. It's crisp and smooth and they make the Watcher look expressionless while conveying his inner state and turmoil. The Watcher's home isn't over-done, either. It's just enough sci-fi, without being too crazy and distracting. They really focus the attention on the characters.
Mike Deodato will pencil the upcoming mini-series, and Chueng/Medina's art will fit in the overall style, but I can't help but wish Jim and Paco were continuing on. *sigh*
If you are reading Nova, or plan on picking up the next Marvel Event, this is not some throw away issue. It's important. But, better yet, it's GOOD. Even if you are NOT interested in those two books, you are still going to enjoy this issue for what it is.
Kris Koller works at Earth-2 Comics Northridge, 8967 Reseda Blvd. in Northridge, California, always happy to help you find the book you're looking for. You can also venture into Earth-2 Comics at 15017 Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks.
As always, look to your local comics shop for the books discussed here on Fanboy Planet -- Earth-2 in Sherman Oaks and Northridge, The Comic Bug in Manhattan Beach, Illusive Comics & Games in Santa Clara, Hijinx Comics in Willow Glen would all be great places, and many do mail-order business.
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