MOSAIC #1
Writer : Geoffrey Thorn
Penciler : Khary Randolph
Colorist : Emilio Lopez
Letterer : VC’s Joe Sabino
Release Date : 10/12\16
Price : $4.99
A brand new series with a brand new character. It’s time to jump into this new series with Mosaic #1. Just who exactly is Mosaic? Well you’ll have to read the rest of this review to find out. Be warned true believers spoilers ahead, so read at your own risk.
Plot
Morris Sackett felt like he was the king of the world. He had everything he ever wanted. A successful career as a professional basketball player, tons of money, endorsements, and a gorgeous superstar girlfriend. However Morris’ entire life is about to be turned upside down by a little thing called the Terrigen Mist. After being hit by the mist Morris is encased in a cocoon and later emerges with new abilities. He can now take control of someone else’s body while also retaining their skills and memories. Every character has a beginning. Welcome to the origin of Mosaic.
Story
Something I’ll say right off the bat about Mosaic is that as a character he has a ton of potential. When we first meet Morris before he gains his abilities he’s a major jerk. He’s selfish, arrogant, and self centered. These are definitely not traits that we see in a traditional hero. Characters having flaws are a big draw to readers because we want to see them develop as a character and overcome them. If done right Mosaic could either become a story about how powers can give people a new perspective to help them turn their lives around, or it could be a story about how power placed in the wrong hands has dangerous consequences. Personally I’m interested in it either way. The most interesting part about this first issue was when Morris started to explore his powers. He essentially merges with the person he takes over, seeing their memories, thoughts, and feelings as well as their personal skills. The big twists is that he also retains some of the skills of his previous host. This unique ability was utilized in some very interesting ways that could lead to several different advantages as he gains more control of his abilities. I really enjoyed the story overall but if I had to think of one major issue I had story wise it would be the pacing. This issue is double sized some we get more pages than we normally would in a single issue, however it felt like a lot of the beginning of the issue was padding. We spend a lot of time in Morris’ head but we barely get anything of what seemed like his supporting cast. We may get more details later on, but as of right now I don’t find myself caring much about Morris’ supporting cast at all.
Art
The art in this issue was absolutely gorgeous. Everything from the colors to the character’s facial expressions seemed to pop. Also as a basketball fan myself. I really enjoyed how larger than life the basketball scenes felt. It really gives you good insight about Morris’ feelings about the game and himself. That can be seen clearly even without his internal dialogue. The art truly shines when it comes to showcasing Morris’ powers. Possession is a power that comic fans have seen done countless times over the year, but the way Khary Randolph portrayed it made it feel really new and unique. The detail and scale of the scenes where we see what it’s like for Morris to be inside someone helps illustrate the scope of this still relatively untapped power. All in all the art was fantastic.
Verdict
This one is a bit of a tough call for me. I am a huge advocate for new original characters in the Marvel universe, and I’m really interested in this story, but I can also see why some people may not be hooked by it plus that five dollar price tag is a bit much in my opinion. I’ll leave the decision to you guys. If you have the extra cash for a double sized book then I totally think you should pick up Mosaic #1, but if you don’t put it on your pull at your local comic shop, or barrow ask a friend for a digital code. Either way I think you should give Mosaic #1 a shot.