Marvel Legacy #1 Review

Marvel finds themselves in the same place that DC was in just before DC Rebirth. DC was the victim of its own self-inflicted wounds as the New 52 was a complete bust and lead to readers leaving DC in large numbers. Marvel decided they could do one better and rolled out their All New All Different MarvelNOW Point One initiative in an endeavor to create a bigger sales bust than the New 52. And Marvel succeeded. Marvel went from absolutely dominating the market to hemorrhaging readers all over the place. The All New All Different MarvelNOW Point One characters have been a complete miss with readers as these titles have posted pathetic sales numbers.

Now, Marvel finds themselves in panic mode just like DC was before DC Rebirth. So, what does Marvel do? Copy DC. Again. So, now we get Marvel’s answer to DC Rebirth #1. Can Marvel Legacy #1 deliver the goods like Geoff Johns did with DC Rebirth #1? Let’s hit this review and find out!

Words: Jason Aaron
Art: Esad Ribić and Steve McNiven
Additional Art: Chris Samnee; Russell Dauterman; Alex Maleev; Ed McGuinness; Stuart Immonen & Wade Von Grawbadger; Pepe Larraz; Jim Cheung; Daniel Acuña; Greg Land & Jay Leisten; Mike Deodato, Jr.; David Marquez
Colors: Matthew Wilson

Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 6 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: We begin one million years ago. We see Thor’s hammer on the ground. Some Neanderthals approach the hammer. One of them tries to pick the hammer up and fails. A voice narrates this scene. The voices talks about the word “Legacy.” That it is the one word that keeps bouncing around the narrator’s head. The word that worries the narrator and keeps them up at night.

Suddenly, Odin appears on the scene and tells the Neanderthals to get away from his hammer. Odin yells at Mjolnir for not returning to his hand as it is supposed to do. Odin says that he will break Mjolnir and bend it to his will.

Phoenix arrives on the scene and says that Odin lost his hammer. Again. Phoenix says that whenever Odin throws the hammer it sees it as an opportunity to escape. Odin tells Phoenix to mind her own damned business. (Oh, yay. Even the original Avengers fought like cats and dogs. Wonderful.)

Phoenix replies that Odin’s proficiency in battle has become her business whether she likes it or not. Because Phoenix does not plan on dying here today. Phoenix asks if Odin saw the monster fall.

Odin mutters who much he was a fool for ever creating Midgard. Odin calls Phoenix “pretty bird” and says that he saw the creature fall and that it was Mjolnir who felled the creature. (Oh shit. I’m pretty sure that Aaron just triggered some sensitive reader with this dialogue. I hope they have a safe space nearby so they can somehow find the strength to continue reading the issue.)

Phoenix says that the monster is stirring. Phoenix says that she hit it with blasts that would melt a supernova. (Wait, what? A supernova is the explosion of a star. How do you melt an explosion? This is a terrible description.) Odin struggles at first but finally picks up Mjolnir. Phoenix comments how that took Odin some effort. Odin tells Phoenix to still her flaming tongue. (Odin don’t take no shit from no one.)

Odin asks if the other survived. The other heroes appear. We see Black Panther, Starbrand, Iron Fist and Agamotto the Sorcerer Supreme. Black Panther says that they are all accounted for an assembled. (See what Aaron did there? So clever.)

Starbrand is a Neanderthal. He says “Gruunk!” Iron Fist translates and says that Starbrand says his blow toppled the sky-god so he gets to eat its heart. Ghost Rider replies that he brought down the monster so he gets to see every scrap of it burned to ash. (Yup. Bickering. It’s what makes super hero teams so enjoyable.)

Ghost Rider says that the monster must pay for what it took from him. We see a dead mastodon next to Ghost Rider. (The original Ghost Rider rode a horse. So, I guess a mastodon makes sense for a pre-historic Ghost Rider.)

Black Panther says that they cannot allow this newly formed pack of ours to devoir itself. (In-fighting and self destructive tendencies are sadly now the two main themes that constitute the Avengers legacy.) Iron Fist asks Agamotto if he has ever seen such a creature. Agamotto says that he has.

We pan back and see that our pre-historic Avengers have been battling a Celestial. Agamotto says that the monster is a Celestial. It is a race of cosmic giants as old as time itself. But, that this Celestial is much different from the others that Agamotto has encountered. THis Celestial seems more wanton and more deranged. That it seems like this Celestial is searching for something. That it seems rabid or infected.

Ghost Rider says that the Spirit of Vengeance will drink the Celestial’s blood down to the last drop. Phoenix says that there are more of these Celestials in the universe that may be coming to Earth. Phoenix asks what they should do with this Celestial. Odin says that the answer is obvious. Odin yells “WE KILL IT!” Odin says then they nail the Celestial’s corpse to the moon as a warning to the others. (You know. I’m digging Odin. He is exactly what this current sanitized and politically correct Marvel Universe desperately needs.)

The pre-historic Avengers rush into battle against the wounded Celestial. The voice narrates that the idea of legacy is more complicated than it used to be. That there are so many of us in all different shapes and colors and creeds. (Yeah. I know. I think we have already gotten that point pretty plainly with the All New All Different MarvelNOW Point One initiative. Got it. It wasn’t that subtle in the first place.) The voice then says that maybe there always were different shapes and colors and creeds and we just didn’t notice it. (This logic is making no sense.)

We then shift to Robbie Reyes (Hey! It’s the world’s second least popular Ghost Rider! Alejandra Jones still has the least popular Ghost Rider award locked up.) We see Robbie waking up in his 1968 Dodge Charger R/T. (It is still stupid that Ghost Rider drives a car but that is one badass ride.) Robbie says that he was dreaming that he was riding a mastodon and that there was a Black Panther and an Iron Fist.

We see a cop outside of Robbie’s car. The cop tells Robbie to step out of his car. Robbie wonders where he is. He says that this does not look like Los Angeles. Robbie races off in his Charger. The cop then hops in his car and chases Robbie. As Robbie rips up a mountain road he sees a sign for Cape Town. Robbie freaks out that he is in South Africa and wonders how he got here.

Suddenly, Starbrand appears on the scene. Starbrand says that he knew Robbie would come first. Starbrand says that he is the Earth’s inherent defense mechanism. Earth’s most primeval protector. Starbrand apologizes and says that he cannot let Robbie anywhere near “it.” Starbrand takes down the cop and attacks Robbie’s Charger. (Dude! You can’t mess with a man’s ride. That is just wrong.)

Starbrand says that “it” must remain buried even if that means Starbrand has to kill people in order to insure that “it” remains buried. Robbie says that he has no idea what Starbrand is talking about. Robbie’s Charger attacks Starbrand. (Robbie is like Michael Knight with K.I.T.T. coming to his rescue!)

Robbie assumes his Ghost Rider form. (Which still looks so stupid. The dumb helmet skull look is the worst.) Starbrand says that this battled was destined to happen for a million years. Robbie says “Right. And your face is destined to get punched about a million times. By the $&#-damn Ghost Rider.” (Jesus. What awful dialogue. And Marvel wonders why nobody likes these All New All Different MarvelNOW Point One characters.)

The voice narrates how they no longer dream. But that they haven’t just lost their dreams. They have also lost their place in the world. Their history. Their future. And that the narrator is not the only one that this has happened to.

We hop over to Jotunheim the Realm of Giants. Loki assembles a bunch of frost giants. These frost giants are the runts of their litters. Loki says that the assembled giants are all like him. They are all shunned by their fathers and by their king. But, that all changes tonight. Loki says that there is a power to change the worlds. Loki tells the frost giants to go get this trinket for Loki. That their actions will cause them to be celebrated as great heroes among the frost giants.

One of the frost giants says that they will do Loki’s bidding but if Loki does not deliver on his promises then they will kill him. Loki says that he likes that attitude and that Loki’s father, King Laufey, will be respecting them in no time. Loki opens a portal and sends the frost giants to Midgard. Loki tells them to retrieve Crate 4–1939.

The portal closes and Loki laughs at the frost giants for buying his story of earning Loki’s father’s respect. Loki says that the truth is that he is here to save the world.

We cut to a S.H.I.E.L.D. storage facility in a classified location. Two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents lead a group of soldiers into the facility and instruct them to start loading up all of the crates. One of the soldiers apologizes for being late. They thought they were being tailed by a beer truck.

The agents tell the soldiers not to open any of the crates. That some of the most dangerous items in the universe are being held in this facility. The men talk about how they cannot believe that S.H.I.E.L.D. is being shut down. (I feel like this happens a lot.)

Suddenly, Loki’s frost giants teleport onto the scene. The frost giants start attacking the soldiers. We shift to the commanding officer of the soldier in another part of the facility. The soldiers radio their commanding officer about the frost giants attacking them. The commanding officer looks at two shadowy figures with him. The officer says that it is a good thing “they” came with the soldiers.

We zip to “nine seconds later” and see Lady Thor and Captain Falcon joining the battle against the frost giants. Captain Falcon says that he guesses he will give his Captain Falcon suit some action one last time before retiring the outfit. Lady Thor says that if this is truly Sam’s end of his run as “The Captain” then let them make the most of the day. Lady Thor says that there will be the sweet taste of combat, then of mead. Then, perhaps, your lips. (Okay. There you go.)

The voice narrates that Jane Foster might be losing her battle against cancer but no one said you couldn’t have fun while dying. (I cannot wait to see people lose their collective shit when Aaron has his Lady Thor reach its natural conclusion that he planned from the start. It’s going to be hilarious.) The narrator says that Thor will definitely be making out with Captain America today. (Good to know.)

Sam says that kissing can wait. That they need to stick to punching right now. The narrator says that Sam may miss the salutes but with the real Steve Rodgers finally back that Sam is ready to let of the shield and be his own man again. (But, we saw in the end of Secret Empire that Steve did not want to be Captain America again. That he was not worthy? What has happened between the end of Secret Empire and now?)

Suddenly, Riri shows up and helps our heroes battle the frost giants. Riri apologizes for being “tardy.” (Who uses that word? Is she Dexter from Dexter’s Laboratory?) Sam introduces Riri to Lady Thor. (How does Sam know Riri if Lady Thor doesn’t know Riri. Both Sam and Lady Thor were on Waid’s All New All Different Avengers. Riri was not. Sam and Lady Thor did not cross paths with Riri during Secret Empire since the Champions were off with Black Widow for the entire event.)

We cut to a diner in the middle of nowhere. The television in the diner is showing the news. The news anchor says that there is a nationwide manhunt for Deadpool and that Wilson Fisk has moved ahead in the latest New York mayoral polls. And that the entire country is still asking where is Captain America? The news anchor says that everyone wants to know where the real Steve Rogers is hiding. That people want to know when Steve Rogers will answer for what has been done in his name. (Why would Steve have to answer for shit that he didn’t do? That makes no sense. But, it is consistent with how this would play out in the real world these days.)

We see Steve Rogers at the diner counter. He is the only customer in the diner. The waitress asks if Steve wants another cup of coffee. Steve says yes. The waitress asks if that is Steve’s motorcycle out front and if he has a long drive ahead of him. Steve says, “I expect so.” The waitress asks “Well, were ya headed, handsome?” Steve replies that he wishes he knew. (Seriously? This waitress does not immediately recognize Steve Rogers? How is that even remotely possible? Steve’s doppleganger just took over the world! Even before that Steve Rogers was a highly visible public person.)

The news anchor then says, “You’re watching Roxx news and now a word from your friends at the Roxxon Energy Corporation. (Roxx News! Get it? Foxx News. And it is a corrupt news organization run by a major oil company. Yes. Because Foxx News is the only news outlet that is biased and lacks credibility. Newsflash. All major media outlets are biased and bend the truth. C’mon, Marvel. Stop drinking the kool-aide. You just keep losing credibility.)

We hop over to Asgardia the Home of the Gods. We see Thor demanding more mead from the barmaid. Thor says that if he has to ask for more mead one more time then someone’s teeth are going to taste uru. The woman pours Thor’s drink and says that he is not starting another fight here. That no one in Asgardia will oblige Thor. Thor retorts that he will just find trolls to fight then. Thor tells the woman to keep pouring. Thor mumbles that if he cannot be stinking worthy then he will be stinking drunk.

We then see one of the Royal Asgardian Viziers whose job it is to foresee the future having a vision and suddenly deciding he wishes to see no more. The vizier says three words and takes three steps and falls off the rainbow bridge into the cosmic aether. “Mangog is coming” is what the vizier says before dying. The narrator says that all of the gods of Asgard shudder without knowing why. (Just a bit heavy handed there.)

We shift to Stark Facility in Dover, New Jersey. Mary Jane is bring rushed to where Tony Stark was being held in a coma. (Ugh. I forgot that MJ had been pointlessly shoehorned into Iron Man. You know, because one red head is the same as another. Sorry Bethany Cabe and Pepper Potts!)

MJ and the Stark employees arrive at the restricted area where Tony Stark was being kept. We see that Tony is now missing. MJ reviews the security information for the rear and sees that there were no fluctuations in Tony’s biosigns and no trace of anyone or anything else entering the room. MJ says that a man in a coma does not just get up and walk away. MJ asks where the hell is Tony Stark?

We hop back to South Africa. Starbrand and Robbie are still battling each other. Starbrand says that these are times that will try all of them. That will reshape what they know. Especially for those of them who have been here since the beginning. Those who have been here since the great fall and the First Host. People like Ghost Rider and Starbrand. Starbrand says that the world was cursed because of them. That their greatest legacy is its chaos.

Starbrand says that too many of their kind are already dead or warped beyond all recognition. (Well, to be fair, that does describe the Marvel Universe ever since the All New All Different MarvelNOW Point One initiative started.) Starbrand says that beings like he and Ghost Rider must protect the world from themselves.

We shift to the Great Karoo Region in South Africa. We see two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents guarding two archeologists. Suddenly, Starbrand crashes into their area. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents draw down on Starbrand. Starbrand then disintegrates the two agents. Starbrand then flies away back to where Robbie is located. (Ooookay. The killing of those two agents seemed random and pointless. It makes Starbrand much more of an overt villain than is necessary. This dude was a hero. I guess we have gotten a heel turn.) The lead archeologist tells the other archeologist to come on with him and keep digging.

We then cut to Deadpool giving a confessional for all of his sins. He asks the padre to forgive him. We then pan back and see that Deadpool is not in a church. He is in a bathroom stall at a restaurant. Three cops are outside of the stall. They tell Deadpool that he is wanted for the murder to Phil Coulson. (Jesus. Coulson is dead? Again?) The cops tell Deadpool to come out with his hands up. One of the cops says they should just let Deadpool have it.

We see Deadpool in the stall sitting on the toilet as the cops shoot him full of bullets. Deadpool just sits there and says, “Than you, father. May I have another? Thank you, father. May I have another?”

We slide over to Dr. Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum. (Wait, I thought he lost his Sanctum Sanctorum to the Librarians near the end of Secret Empire?) We see Dr. Strange and Iron Fist standing at the front door. Strange says that the Sanctum is telling him that someone attempted to thwart the front door defenses. Luckily they did not make it pass the shrubbery. Iron Fist is incredulous about shrubbery being a defense. Strange replies “My shrubbery is not to be trifled with, Daniel Rand.” (Ah, there it is. The jokester Dr. Strange.)

Iron Fist says he also hears that Dr. Strange’s refrigerator is no piece of cake, either. Dr. Strange quips “Do not joke about my refrigerator.” (That wacky Dr. Strange.) Iron Fist asks Dr. Strange if he ever dreams he was a caveman who murdered God? Dr. Strange answers “Many times.”

We then see Norman Osborn walking away from the Sanctum. Norman mutters “Damn that shrubbery.” (More wackiness! Norman Osborn is like Dick Dastardly! Where is Muttley?) Norman says that there are other sources of power in this city for the taking. The next time Norman Osborn will not be denied. (Cue some mustache twirling, a sad trombone and Muttley laughing!)

We hop over to Avengers Mansion. Jarvis is standing at a window and wistfully staring outside. (No doubt remembering the good old days when the Avengers was actually a great team full of A-list characters.) Nadia enters the room and asks Jarvis is anything is wrong. Jarvis says that he knows every brick and stone in the mansion. Yet, he fells that some insignificant detail of his surroundings is just wrong. Jarvis then writes it off as just a trick of the mind. Jarvis says that everything is just as it should be. We see out of the window that Jarvis was staring at the statute of the original Avengers team.

We cut to the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility with Sam, Lady Thor and Riri battling the frost giants. The narrator then says that change is never easy. (Especially when it is poorly handled and gets crap sales numbers.) Riri asks “So does this mean we’re like..the Avengers now?” (Ummmm, no. You are three random heroes teaming up together.) Riri says, “Because the three of us together. I don’t know..it feels kind of Avengery. Right?” (No. Nothing about Riri or Lady Thor reminds me of the Avengers. And Sam was never part of the Avengers until late in his career. And “Avengery?” Really? Does Marvel actively try and write these All New All Different MarvelNOW Point One characters as annoying and dumb as possible?)

Lady Thor then says for Sam to let Riri say it. Sam asks what Lady Thor is talking about. Lady Thor says that every moment is precious. So, let Riri say it if she likes. Sam tells Riri to go ahead. Riri replies “You mean..WOW. Okay. Avengers…Wait. What’s the line? Avengers…Get Avenging! Is that it?” (………Stares mutely into the abyss……. Just end it all now. Marvel must be doing this on purpose. They writer these All New All Different MarvelNOW Point One characters to be absolute idiots. Annoying idiots.)

Two frost giants sneak away from the battle. They see the crate that Loki wanted them to grab. One of the frost giants tells the other one to take the crate and take it to Loki. The frost giant grabs the crate and runs off.

We shift to Johnny Storm and the Thing standing on the roof of a building in New York. (Holy shit! These guys still exist!) Johnny asks if the Thing thinks people still remember them. (Yes. The entire world has forgotten the first and most famous super hero team in the Marvel Universe. Nice job of Aaron making Johnny look like a moron.) Johnny says that he worries that the world does not need them anymore. That a whole team could be formed just out of Thors or Hulks right now. (Okay. That’s a great line. Nice job poking fun at the silliness in the number of different versions of the same character that we have been getting lately in the Marvel Universe. Careful, Aaron! Axel is not amused by your humor!)

The Thing calls Johnny a moron. (See. Ben agrees with me.) Thing says that the world still needs them. Now more than ever. The Thing says who cares if the world remembers or not. All that matters is that they never forget.

The Thing fires a flare gun into the air. The flare forms a flaming 4 in the sky. (Hell Yeah! Fantastic Four, baby! Suck it, Perlmutter!)

The narrator returns and says that the world is always changing. And that part of their legacy is that we are always getting lost. (Does this mean that Marvel is saying that part of their legacy is fucking up whenever they have a good thing going? I mean, it is refreshingly true.)

The narrator says that sometimes they forget that some people ever existed. We cut to the Benhazin star system. The planet of Bast. Birnin T’Challa the throneworld of the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda. (Ehhhhh, no thank you.)

We slide over to the Alpha Flight Deep Space Monitoring Station in New Mexico. We see a man on monitor duty keeping a watch for any incoming signals from deep space. One of his co-workers tells him to come on and join the rest of them in watching the UCWF’s Wrestlemadness IX. That they are having a lumberjack match on the moon. (It sounds like some excellent Kinnikuman style action!) The worker agrees and leaves his monitoring station.

And, of course, right on cue a signal from the Tayo star system comes in. The message says “Found your energy signature…know you’re alive…back to Sakaar! We need you Green Scar. Please hear…Hulk! It’s time to come home!” (That’s right! The real Hulk is back! Bruce Banner, baby!)

We shift back to the fight that will never end between Robbie and Starbrand. Ghost Rider busts out his penance stare on Starbrand. Starbrand collapses under the power of the penance stare. Starbrand says that he killed all those people to save the world. That without the starbrand there won’t be enough to…you are all doomed. Starbrand says, “The sleeper will wake..the horde will feed..the host..the final host will..” Suddenly, Starbrand explodes and leaves Ghost Rider standing there alone. (Well, okay. So much for that character. I’m guessing this is to clear the way for a new Starbrand that is not a white male.)

Robbie turns back into his human form. Robbie is stunned and wonders if what he did was the penance stare. Robbie says “Since when can I do that?” Robbie says that he has no idea what the hell any of that was about. But, he knows one thing for sure…no more sleeping in the car. (Ba-dum dum! Robbie will be here all night, people. Jeez. Aaron is doing Robbie no favors with this dialogue.)

We see Robbie drive over to the archeological dig where the two archeologists were working earlier in this issue. We see the two archeologist entering an underground cave. They find drawings on teh cave wall that are unlike anything they have ever seen. One of the archeologists asks what if they have found sometime profoundly unnatural about their origin. What if everything they know and love is a grand cosmic mistake. (I would certainly be fine with calling the All New All Different MarvelNOW Point One Marvel Universe a grand cosmic mistake.)

Suddenly, we see the Celestial from the scenes with the Pre-historic Avengers lift its hand up as it wakes up. The Celestial says “Summon…the final host.” The two archeologists get killed. The Celestial says, “Cleanse them all.”

We then see the cave drawings. They are the symbols for Odin, Iron Fist, Phoenix, Starbrand, Ghost Rider, Dr. Strange and Black Panther.

We zip back to the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility where our heroes have defeated the frost giants. The soldiers put the frost giants in shackles and march them off. Lady Thor wonders if the bonds will hold the frost giants. Sam says that the bonds were made to hold the Hulk. Of course, they never really worked out so well. Riri comments that the tech is some antiquated very 2015 tech. (Oh. My. God. Becky. Like, that tech is so last year!! Just end it all now.) Riri offers to make a few adjustments.

The commanding officer thanks the heroes for their help. The officer calls Riri “Iron Ma’am. (Hilarious!! How did Marvel not give her that codename?! It is brilliant! ”I’m not Iron Man! I’m Iron Ma’am!”)

Sam asks if the officer found out what the frost giants were after or if they found it. Lady Thor says for them to give Mjolnir and her a moment alone with one of the frost giants and she will find out. (Lady Thor is totally down with water boarding as a legit means of getting information. Give her a job with the CIA!)

The officer says that as far as their records show it appears that everything is still here and that the frost giants did not take anything.

We shift to the one frost giant with the crate in his arms running to the rendezvous point. The frost giant yells out for Loki to open the portal. However, before that can happen we see a beer truck run over the frost giant. (Ah! The beer truck that the soldiers claimed was tailing them! Oh, you know this is going to turn out to be good.)

The frost giant gets up and attacks the beer truck. The frost giant tells the driver to get out of the truck so he can kill him. We see the truck driver step out of the truck. We don’t see the driver’s face but he is wearing a white wife-beater, jeans, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. (Oh, yeah! You know who is finally back!)

The frost giant says to the truck driver, “You are dead!” The driver responds “Nah. Not no more, I ain’t.” We then hear “Snikt” and see claws pop out of the driver’s hand as he attacks the frost giant. (Fuck yeah!)

We slide over to Jean Grey walking to Wolverine’s grave. The narrator says that Jean knows better than anyone that sometimes the dead can rise from the ashes. That is her legacy. her past and her future. And now it is his, too. Jean stands in front of Wolverine’s tombstone. The adamantium shell that had covered Wolverine is now split in half. Jean says, “Welcome back. We missed you. (Damn straight we did.)

We zip back to Logan cracking open a beer can. He guzzles down the beer. We see the frost giant’s body next to Wolverine. The frost giant’s head has been cut off and his rib cage has been torn open. Wolverine test his beer can in the open rib cage of the frost giant and says “Here. Keep that cold for me, will ya?” (Hell yeah. This is the Wolverine that I know and love. More of this, please.)

Wolverine then walks over to the crate that the frost giant stole. Wolverine opens it and pulls out an Infinity Gem. (It is blue so this is the Mind Gem.) Wolverine looks at it and says “Ain’t we a helluva pair?”

We cut to Gamora saying that she can feel it. That someone just found another Infinity Gem. The narrator says that Gamora thinks about the upcoming war and how she can win it.

We shift back to Loki. We see that Loki is in the underground cave in South Africa. Loki says that getting the Mind Gem would have been nice. However, there are other sources of power in the universe. Loki then approaches the buried Celestial. The Celestial says, “Summon…the final host.” Loki says “Yes. Why don’t we do that?”

The narrator says that heroes rise and fall. That cataclysm looms and then is averted at the last possible moment until the next one comes along. The narrator says that this moment feels different. Never has the cataclysm been looking so close. Never have they been so incapable of facing it. So very much not themselves. So very lost.

We see Sam and Lady Thor kissing and grinding in a bar full of other patrons while Riri sits at a table by herself in her armor with her helmet off. Riri looks irritated. (Ewww. Gross. There is so much wrong with this scene. Who starts hooking up in a bar full of people? Who brings a minor into a bar and then leaves them to go get nasty with each other? Why would Riri, Sam and Lady Thor be in their full costumes in a bar full of people?)

We shift to somewhere in space. The narrator asks what should they do? They say that they should do what they have always done. What has become their legacy. Stand on the shoulders of super geniuses and space gods. Close their eyes and imagine a better, brighter and more amazing tomorrow. Then bring it to life. Something grand and fun and mind-staggeringly ridiculous. Something full of hope and compassion. Something both real and profoundly unreal. Something mad. Something magical. Something fantas–

Because the narrator can finish their sentence someone interrupted them and asks “What are you doing?” The camera pans back and we see that the narrator is Valeria Richards. The person who interrupted her is her brother Franklin Richards. (Yeah! First, the Thing and Johnny Storm, then the Fantastic Four signal and now Valeria and Franklin Richards! GIVE US A FANTASTIC FOUR COMIC BOOK ALREADY!!)

Franklin says that their dad says there is another new universe up ahead for them to explore. Val mutters that she already knows what universe she would like to explore. Val then says that she will race Franklin to their dad. The two siblings race off.

Valeria narrates “My name is Valeria Richards. And I am closing my eyes now. And imagining my way home. I’ll see ya when I get there.” We then see a Fantastic Four symbol. End of issue.

The Good:
Having said all of that, there are most definitely numerous positive aspects to Marvel Legacy #1. This issue accomplishes an insane amount of plot development. In just one issue, Marvel officially brings back Steve Rogers as Captain America, brings Tony Stark back to life, brings Bruce Banner back to life, brings Wolverine back to life, sets the stage for Thor reassuming the mantle of…Thor, and also sets the stage for the return of the Fantastic Four. That is a ton of plot development all in one issue.

But, Marvel did not stop there. They also introduced the pre-historic Avengers. Marvel rewrote the history of the Marvel Universe with Thor, the Phoenix, the Black Panther, The Iron Fist, the Starbrand, the Sorcerer Supreme and the Ghost Rider being inserted as ancient cosmic legacies that have been assumed by different people throughout history. Marvel also added a new origin to Wakanda with the reveal of the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda. We also get Sam returning as the Falcon and we get new revelations concerning Robbie Reyes.

Marvel Legacy #1 also re-emphasizes the Celestials as core beings in the Marvel Universe. This issue lays the foundation for big stories in the future. We get the the buried Celestial, the Final Host, The Infinity Gems being assembled, the return of Mangog, the return of Norman Osborn, Jarvis noting something is not right, the Planet Hulk storyline, and whatever Wolverine is planning with the Mind Gem.

Honestly, what Marvel Legacy #1 read like was the follow-up to the end of Secret Wars. I highly enjoyed Secret Wars so I am all for Marvel finally following up on this big event that has largely been ignored since it ended in January, 2016. It is obvious that Marvel wants readers to forget the largely unpopular and poorly selling build up to Secret Empire and Secret Empire itself. Sometimes when a publisher totally screws the pooch the best thing is to quickly put it behind them and move on without referencing it again.

First, let’s address all of the character returns in Marvel Legacy #1. Then we will address the new plot lines and wrinkles added to the Marvel Universe in Marvel Legacy #1. Look, no matter any of my critiques of Marvel Legacy #1, I was going to give this issue a high grade just because it featured the return of so many characters that I love. And it is clear that Marvel Legacy #1 was all about returning the big guns of the Marvel Universe.

Thor got a tiny bit of attention in Marvel Legacy #1. It appears that Marvel is setting the stage for Thor returning to being…Thor. Aaron reminds the reader that Jane Foster is dying. We see Thor getting drunk and bemoaning his current stage in life. It sure seems that Marvel is hinting at Thor making a dramatic comeback. Hopefully, it happens sooner than later.

Next is Tony Stark. I am a massive fan of Tony Stark. Always have been. So, I am beyond thrilled that Marvel has finally pulled the trigger on Tony’s return. I am all in for the mystery surrounding Tony’s return. I am interested to see in what direction Marvel takes this story. The sooner Tony Stark returns to being Iron Man the better. Hopefully, MJ returns to the world of Spider-Man where she belongs.

Next up is Steve Rogers. Marvel Legacy #1 clearly contradicts Spencer’s ending of Secret Empire. Spencer has Steve saying that he is not Captain America anymore and telling Sam that he is now Captain America. The entire ending of Secret Empire #9 is spent putting Sam over as Captain America. Marvel Legacy #1 quickly brushes all of that away by having Sam say unequivocally that he is no longer Captain America and that he is going back to being the Falcon. Marvel Legacy #1 clearly states that the real Steve Rogers is Captain America. Period. Basically, Marvel Legacy #1 says all of Spencer’s run on Captain America was bullshit and banishes it to the trashcan of the Marvel Universe.

Again, the sooner Steve Rogers returns as Captain America the better. Also, this move is excellent for Sam’s character. Aaron makes the point of having Sam say that him returning to being the Falcon allows Sam to be his own man. This is exactly true. My biggest issue with Sam being Captain America is that it made his character less. It made Sam just a cheap imitation of Steve Rogers. By allowing Sam to be the Falcon enables him to retain his own independent and unique identity. It allows the character the ability to stand on his own two feet and create his own legacy.

Then we have the return of Bruce Banner. Thank the comic book gods! I have been waiting for Bruce to be brought back for quite some time. The Totally Awesome Way Rad Dude Bro Hulk became completely unreadable after just one issue. Marvel Legacy #1 tells the reader that Bruce Banner is back and will be the Hulk once again. Accept no substitutes.

Also, Marvel Legacy #1 teases the return of Planet Hulk. Evidently, Bruce will be going back to Planet Hulk where he is needed. Is retreading Planet Hulk original? Of course not! But, it allows Marvel to have their cake and eat it, too. Bruce comes back from the dead and resumes being the Hulk but he does it on Sakaar and not on Earth. That allows Marvel to keep the Totally Awesome Way Rad Dude Bro Hulk on Earth. Not sure why they would bother given the Totally Awesome Hulk’s terrible sales numbers. But, there you go.

Again, I am just thrilled that Bruce Banner is back. And that Bruce is going to be the Hulk. I am so thrilled with those two facts that I won’t complain if the Totally Awesome Way Rad Dude Bro Hulk sticks around or if I have to endure Marvel recycling Planet Hulk. I’m all in with Planet Hulk. I put my money where my mouth is so I’ll be supporting Bruce Banner’s title.

The next dramatic return was none other than the one true Wolverine. Nothing beats the real thing, baby. Logan’s return was perfection. Wolverine made his return in a beer truck. This was like Stone Cold Steve Austin driving into the arena in a beer truck and hosing down Mr. McMahon with beer. How else would Logan make his triumphant return?

I absolutely loved how dramatically Aaron unveiled Wolverine. First by the beer truck. Then the cowboy boots. Then by the wife-beater, jeans and cowboy hat. There was no need to show Wolverine’s face. Even better is that Aaron has the reader hear the “Snikt” sound and see the claws all before ever showing Logan’s face.

The scenes with Wolverine and the frost giant were just brilliant. These scenes were perfect for the character. This was a badass I loved it. So perfect for the character. This was straight out of a Clint Eastwood western. And the violence. I loved the violence. Wolverine cutting off the frost giant’s head and ripping open its rib cage was the visceral violence I expect from Wolverine. And Logan placing his beer can in the open chest of the frost giant? That was like the Outlaw Josey Wales spitting chewing tobacco juice on the forehead of a man he just killed. Perfect.

This is the Wolverine that I know and love. This is the Wolverine that I missed. I do not want to see caring Uncle Logan. I do not want mentor Logan. I do not want teacher Logan. I want dirty nasty redneck Logan who kills everyone he tangles with. Bring it on.

I like this new plot line involving Wolverine’s mission to recover the blue mind gem. This is an interest plot line and I am curious to see where Marvel goes from here. Since the blue infinity gem is the mind gem could this be a hint as to Wolverine’s goal? Could Wolverine be attempting to use the mind gem to bring back Professor Xavier? Who knows? It will be fun to see where Marvel goes from here.

The last dramatic character returns consisted of the Fantastic Four. The reader gets to see Johnny and Ben together. Then the reader gets to see Valeria and Franklin for the first time since the end of Secret Wars. The reader also gets to see the Fantastic Four logo twice. The first time is when the Thing shoots the flare gun. The second time is in the final panel of Marvel Legacy #1.

One would hope that selecting Valeria as the narrator for Marvel Legacy #1 and the Fantastic Four symbol being shown twice means that we are about to get another Fantastic Four comic book. It is more than time for the First Family of Marvel to get their own comic book again. The Fantastic Four is the genesis for the Marvel Universe that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby built. It is hard to promise being true to Marvel’s legacy and not bring back the Fantastic Four.

All right, now that we have tackled all of the dramatic returns, let’s focus on the new wrinkles introduced to Marvel’s continuity and new plot lines introduced. Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed the pre-historic Avengers. Usually, retcons like this are a miss with me. But, this one is actually a pretty neat concept.

I actually like that Marvel took various disparate franchises of the Marvel Universe and combined them into one team that serves as the cosmic, spiritual and mystical foundation for the entire Marvel Universe. The pre-historic Avengers also serve to create a historic bond that runs through all of the various franchises in the Marvel Universe.

The pre-historic Avengers also present the reader with a fairly interesting cast of characters. Odin was easily my favorite of this group of characters. Odin was the character who shined the most under Aaron’s writing. Odin’s personality is a refreshing change of pace from the rather homogenous personalities that the All New All Different MarvelNOW Point One initiative have given us.

The next member of the pre-historic Avengers that interested me the most was Agamotto. Agamotto is an excellent choice to play the role of the pre-historic Avengers’ resident Sorcerer Supreme. Agamotto is one of the Vishanti. The Vishanti are three powerful mystical beings who have protected the Earth for since the dawn of time. The Vishanti are who choose who will be the Sorcerer Supreme and grant the Sorcerer Supreme their powers. The other Vishanti are Oshtur and Hoggath.

Utilizing Agamotto as the original Sorcerer Supreme is a great choice and excellent use of Dr. Strange’s continuity. This is a good example of taking old continuity and breathing new and interesting life into it. This builds off Dr. Strange’s old continuity in an organic fashion.

Phoenix was also a wise choice. The Phoenix is an eternal cosmic power that is well suited for this team. Adding Phoenix to the pre-historic Avengers also helps to pull the X-Men franchise into the core foundation for the Marvel Universe. Of course, it could also be said that this is just Marvel continuing to try to mix the Avengers with the X-Men as a way to muddy the waters with the legal issues between FOX and Disney with regard to which characters Marvel Studios can or cannot use in their movies.

Adding Black Panther to the pre-historic Avengers is a good way to continue to ingrain Black Panther as a core member of the Marvel Universe. This achieves two purposes. First, it increases racial diversity. Second, it makes sense to elevate Black Panther’s position in the Marvel Universe as he is about to get his own Marvel Studios movie. Also, the Black Panther mantle is something that has been around since the dawn of time and has been passed down from generation to generation. So, the Black Panther fits nicely with the concept of the pre-historic Avengers.

Iron Fist is also on the team. This is a logical choice as well. First, it is already well established in Iron Fist’s continuity that the Iron Fist mantle is an ancient mantle that has been around through out history and passed down from person to person. Second, Iron Fist is on Netflix so it makes sense for Marvel to try and boost the Iron Fist franchise in the comic book universe.

We also have Ghost Rider on the team. This one was the biggest surprise to me. By far. But, it is a role that is mystical in nature and that has been around for all through out history. And the Ghost Rider mantle is something that has always been passed down from one human to another. So, Ghost Rider thematically fits with the pre-historic Avengers.

Last up is Starbrand. I loved the New Universe comic books from that ran from 1986 to 1989. They were some fun titles. So, I am glad to see Marvel utilizing a New Universe character in a team that is serving as the new core foundation for the Marvel Universe. It helps to elevate the standing of the Starbrand franchise which has been a D-list property up until now. Also, the Starbrand is an ancient cosmic power that is passed down from one generation to another. So, it works with the concept of the pre-historic Avengers.

On a side note, I thought Aaron got creative with the roster composition with the pre-historic Avengers. Odin is a god. Phoenix is a cosmic entity. Agamotto is a mystical being. Then you have the roles filled by humans: Black Panther, Iron Fist, Ghost Rider and Starbrand. I loved that Aaron decided to use a Neanderthal instead of a Home Sapien for the role of Starbrand. That was a great touch.

Another new large plot line introduced by Marvel Legacy #1 was the buried Celestial and the Final Host. I absolutely love the Celestials. They are iconic Kirby characters. Historically, Celestials visit a planet once primitive sentient species first appear. The Celestials create take the native population and create Eternals, Deviants and “normal” versions. The normal versions are for long term development and provide the pool of natives who become mutants.

The Celestials then leave the planet. Celestials then return for follow-up visits which are called “Hosts.” The Celestial monitor the planet’s progress and make an alternations or interventions that they deem are appropriate.

There have been two recorded Hosts on Earth. The Second Host took place when the Celestials came back to Earth and destroyed the Deviant empire and also sank Atlantis. Marvel Legacy #1 has the buried Celestial reference the Final Host. This would imply that another Celestial is coming to Earth for a final visit to monitor the planet’s progress and decide what alternations they need to make. I am guessing the Final Host is not going to like what he sees and will want to wipe out much of the Earth and start over again. At any rate, this should serve as a foundation for a grand tale that will touch all aspects of the Earth-bound Marvel Universe. This would certainly serve as a good foundation for a big event story.

Another new plot line is the impending arrival of Mangog. Mangog is an old school Stan Lee and Jack Kirby character who first appeared in Thor #154 back in 1968. Mangog was from an unknown alien race. Mangog battled the Asgardians several times. Eventually, Mangog became aligned with Thanos.

So, The introduction of Mangog goes along with the cosmic theme of the buried Celestial and the Final Host and also the appearance of the Infinity Gems. Also, Thanos is about to play a huge role in the Marvel Studio movies so it would make sense for Thanos to start to make a come back in the comic books as well. All in all, the use of Mangog is pretty neat. It is always fun when writers reach into the remote areas of a character’s old continuity and dust off an old character an find a new use for them. Plus, there are an incredible number of cool Kirby characters that are not well known that definitely deserve a chance for new life.

We also see the resurfacing of Norman Osborn. Osborn is a great classic villain. I was completely burned out on Norman after Bendis strip mined the character and over-exposed him during his Avengers run through Secret Invasion and ending with Siege. But, enough time has passed that I am actually interested in seeing Osborn taking a more prominent role once again.

Marvel also appears to be adding a few new wrinkles to Robbie Reyes’ character. We see Robbie break out the penance stare for the fist time ever. This is surprising. The penance stare is something that all Ghost Riders can do but Robbie could not. The reason of that is because Robbie is not possessed by the Spirit of Vengeance like all other Ghost Riders. Robbie is possessed by Eli Morrow who is a deceased Satanic serial killer.

Robbie breaking out the penance stare would certainly hint at the fact that Marvel is going to try and make him a real Ghost Rider. Also, Robbie having dreams about the pre-historic Avengers and his sleep driving are also more hints. The dreams and the sleep driving would indicate that Robbie is gaining memories of the Spirit of Vengeance. I expect Marvel to reveal that Robbie has now been possessed by the Spirit of Vengeance.

Aaron’s dialogue and character work in Marvel Legacy #1 is average. The only characters where Aaron shines with the dialogue and character work are Odin and Wolverine. Aaron absolutely nails Odin’s character and makes him incredibly entertaining. I love Odin’s gruff nature and his aggressive dialogue. Aaron makes Odin properly war-like which is fitting for the King of all the Viking gods.

I really enjoyed the concept of Odin having to tame Mjolnir like it was a wild bronco. This was a neat wrinkle that helped to give Mjolnir more of a distinct personality and make it more than just an inanimate object. Giving Mjolnir a spirit and some personality helps to add a bit more texture to Odin’s character.

Aaron crushes it with the dialogue and character work on Wolverine. Nothing beats the real Wolverine. Aaron’s Wolverine was as satisfying as an ice cold beer on a hot summer day. It just does not get any better than Logan. Period.

Aaron has an excellent feel for Wolverine’s gruff and taciturn external voice. Wolverine’s rough and rugged personality simply oozes off the page. Aaron gives Logan a properly strong and well defined personality that stands out to the reader. It is impressive how Aaron is able to effectively get across Wolverine’s outlaw nature in just a few pages.

Marvel Legacy #1 was well paced and plotted. This is a large issue with a huge cast of characters and a ton of disparate major plot lines that Aaron had to stitch together into one cohesive issue. This is no easy task and Aaron managed to pull it off rather impressively.

Aaron’s use of Val’s narration to form the spine for this story enables the issue to have a nice flow and continuity. This was a wise move by Aaron. Val’s narration also helped Aaron construct effective and organic scene transitions between disparate plot lines. It is so easy for an issue like Marvel Legacy #1 to feel disjoined and chaotic. Aaron deserves a ton of credit for pulling off such a well plotted story.

I also appreciate that Aaron employed the Starbrand and Robbie Reyes scenes in order to provide this issue with some necessary action. The bulk of Marvel Legacy #1 is character drive and extremely plot heavy whose main objective is to advance large plot lines and major universe expanding story concepts. The Starbrand/Robbie action scenes peppered through out the issue help to keep Marvel Legacy #1 lively. This helps the issue to avoid becoming a slow and dense read that tires the reader.

The Bad: Marvel Legacy #1 is Marvel’s answer to the wildly popular and successful DC Rebirth #1. Only not as well written as John’s love letter to the DC Universe. While DC Rebirth was a recommitment to what made the DC Universe so amazing while acknowledging what was so wrong with the New 52. Unfortunately, Marvel does not do that with Marvel Legacy #1. Unlike DC Comics, Marvel never delivers a repudiation of their massive mistakes. Marvel does not embrace the classic sense of the Marvel Universe the way that DC did with Rebirth #1.

Instead, Marvel Legacy #1 feels more like a panic move that was not planned at all. This seems like a drunk Captain waking up from his stupor and notice that his ship is about to hit an iceberg and suddenly ordering an abrupt altering of the ship’s course in order to save the ship from sinking. Marvel Legacy #1 is clearly an unplanned audible made by a panicking Marvel. Marvel Legacy #1 is a transparent and desperate plea of a drowning man. This was Marvel, hat in hand, begging readers to return without ever having the self-awareness of what the did that drove readers away in the first place.

Another reason that DC Rebirth #1 was such a more emotional and powerful read than Marvel Legacy #1 has to do with the writers for the two comic books. Geoff Johns is an unabashed long-time fan of super hero comic books. Jason Aaron is not. Johns lives for and revels in geeky super hero continuity. Jason Aaron does not. And this is a problem that is present with most of Marvel’s writers. Marvel employs indie writers or political writers who could not care less about the super hero genre. That is a problem that will need to be addressed moving forward if Marvel wants to stem the bleeding.

There are several weak moments to the plotting in this issue. The main problem centers on the Captain America plot line. Secret Empire ends with Spencer clearly putting Sam over as THE Captain America. Spencer also has Steve Rogers unwilling to resume the mantle of Captain America and claiming that he is not worthy.

However, Aaron has Sam ready to hang up being Captain America and once again being his own man as the Falcon. This is such an abrupt change from the end of Secret Empire that it is quite jarring to the reader. If Sam is willing to stop being Captain America then that certainly implies that Steve has already accepted the mantle of Captain America once again. However, Aaron seemingly contradicts himself by having Steve clearly being portrayed as a man who has not decided to resume the mantle of Captain America. This is a confusing message from Marvel. This adds to the feeling that Marvel is not operating by a well scripted long term plan. That Marvel is simply panicking and quickly making things up as they go along.

Not thrilled with Thor, the Phoenix, the Black Panther, The Iron Fist, the Starbrand, the Sorcerer Supreme and the Ghost Rider all being turned into legacy positions.
Spirit of Vengeance

The Thor scene was a bit dull. Thor only got two panels in Marvel Legacy #1. The Unworthy Thor gimmick is quickly overstaying its welcome. Thor is a character that feels stuck in neutral. It is more than time to move Thor’s character forward and give him a purpose. It is time to quickly reinstall Thor as the Mighty Thor and reintegrate him with the Avengers and the larger Marvel Universe.

The Deadpool scene was a total miss with me. This scene was a tonal shift from the rest of the story. The Deadpool scene simply did not fit in with the rest of Marvel Legacy #1. Aaron failed to sell me on whatever Marvel has planned for this character. This felt like an obligatory scene shoved in here because Deadpool is now a successful movie franchise. Of course, your mileage may vary depending on how much you love Deadpool’s character.

The scene with the Thing and Human Torch was cool. But, what was the point of shooting the Fantastic Four flare into the air? The other members of the Fantastic Four are in another parallel universe. It is not like they can see the flare and suddenly come running back.

The concept of the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda is dumb. I am not impressed with the idea of making Wakanda and intergalactic empire versus a mystical African nation shrouded from the rest of the world. Maybe Marvel can win me over. But, at this point this seems like a silly direction to take.

The scenes with Sam, Riri and Lady Thor were easily the weakest parts of Marvel Legacy #1. These scenes were bland and generic. These scenes had none of the value or weight or excitement or importance of all of the other scenes. The result is that these scenes felt very much like C-list players in a throw away plot line.

As I said before, Odin and Wolverine were the only two characters that really benefited from strong dialogue and character work. All of the other members of the pre-historic Avengers were pretty generic. The dialogue was solid at times and at other times the dialogue was way too over the top and cheesy.

The biggest problem with the dialogue and the character work was with the All New All Different MarvelNOW Point One characters. I swear it is like Marvel wants these characters to be as moronic and unlikeable as possible. Lady Thor is simply a caricature rather than a real character. But, at least Lady Thor is not made to sound like a total idiot like Robbie and Riri.

Let’s tackle Robbie Reyes first. Robbie’s dialogue is awful. Aaron makes Robbie sound dumb. And Robbie’s personality is annoying. There is little about Robbie Reyes in this issue that would make a reader interested in his character. Aaron present Robbie as pure fluff with little substance to his character. Robbie’s character would feel more at home in a kiddie comic.

Then there is Riri. Good lord. Aaron gives Riri the most annoying and idiotic dialogue possible. Riri’s dialogue about them being the Avengers was stupid. But, Aaron doubled down on the idiocy and has Riri sounding like a total buffoon in not knowing the “Avengers Assemble” rallying cry. It was not funny. It was not endearing. It just made her an annoying moron.

And then there was Riri’s dialogue about the S.H.I.E.L.D. tech being antiquated and so 2015. I know Aaron was trying to accentuate to the reader the Riri is the biggest genius in the Marvel Universe. But, it just made her sound like a douche bag. Like a precocious and entitled brat. Honestly, I just wanted to see Riri get punched in the face. It is zero surprise this character posts crap sales numbers.

The final two panels of the second to last page seems to be Aaron setting out the new mission statement for Marvel Comics going forward. Marvel wants to have a better, brighter, and more amazing future for their comics. They want comics that are grand, fun, and mind-staggeringly ridiculous. Something full of hope and compassion. Something profoundly real and unreal. Something mad and magical.

Those are the descriptors that Aaron chose and there was a point to those exact descriptions. I have a feeling that Marvel still wants to deliver their social and political agendas driven by SJW styled writers and editors but bring back some of the classic characters in order to try and bring back the readers that Marvel has bleed away in large numbers. What Marvel should do is realize that writing comics that only appeal to SJW’s is going to alienate 80% of the potential readers.

If I am running an entertainment company then I want to craft my super hero comic books in a manner that places an emphasis on fun and adventure and avoids social and political agendas. I want all of the money. I want to appeal to 100% of the potential readership rather than just pandering to a small minority of the readership. I am not sure they can have their cake and eat it, too. We shall see.

Interesting observation about the massive wraparound cover for Marvel Legacy #1. All of the characters are the classic iconic characters of the Marvel Universe. Except for one. Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel. Given the theme of the other characters used if Marvel was going to have Captain Marvel on the cover then it should have been Mar-Vell.

But, it gets even better. Not only is Carol oddly shoe-horned into the cover as Captain Marvel she is given a prominent placing on the cover just to the left of the center character who is Captain America. That’s right. Carol get better placing than characters like Thor, Daredevil, Black Widow, Dr. Strange, the Hulk, and freaking Spider-Man himself. That is stunning.

Marvel keeps pushing Carol as Captain Marvel like WWE keeps shoving Roman Reigns down the throats of fans no matter how objectively unpopular Carol as Captain Marvel is with fans. Carol as Captain Marvel has had her title cancelled and then restarted a stunning number of times since she took over the mantle of Captain Marvel. And the sales numbers just get more embarrassingly bad with each new title. It is pathetic and tone deaf that Marvel keeps shoving Carol as Captain Marvel down the readers’ throats.

This clueless obsession by Marvel is what prevents me from believing that bringing back Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers, Logan and the Fantastic Four will do much to stem the bleeding of Marvel’s sales numbers. They have a larger problem of a clear disconnect between what Marvel’s editors and writers think readers want and what readers actually want.

What Marvel needs is to either stop being so blatantly political with their social agendas in all of their comics and instead just focus on making fun and entertaining super hero comic books. Nobody wants to get preached to by a comic book writer of all people. It is all about escapism. That is why the vast majority of readers purchase super hero comics.

If Marvel cannot do that then they desperately need more diversity in terms of social and political views in their editors and writers so that at least there is diversity in terms of the type of views that Marvel keeps shoving on readers. This would at least better reflect the broad readership and give everyone something they can get behind.

The artwork in Marvel Legacy #1 is okay. Unfortunately, this issue is delivered via artwork by committee. That leads to a schizophrenic look to the issue. The styles vary greatly and the quality of artwork varies greatly from scene to scene.

Overall: Marvel Legacy #1 earned a higher score than it technically should have from The Revolution. But, anytime an issue delivers the return of Tony Stark, Bruce Banner and Wolverine plus Steve Rogers embracing being Captain America and a Fantastic Four sighting then that issue is going to get a high score no matter the issues’ weaknesses. Marvel Legacy #1 is certainly no DC Rebirth #1. But, Marvel Legacy #1 is most definitely a step in the right direction in what is going to be a long uphill battle for Marvel to win back readers.