A strange feeling came over me as I read this issue. I wasn’t sure what it was at first but by the time I was done I realized what it was - it was enjoyment. I actually enjoyed the first issue of one of Marvel’s mega event miniseries. Believe me that is a rarity; thinking back to House of M, Civil War and all the others in Marvel’s steady stream of “miniseries that will change everything” I have not really enjoyed the first issue of any of them. There where a couple first issues that I thought got their respective miniseries off to solid starts but none of them did I enjoy as much as this first issue of Fear Itself. In fact, I more then enjoyed this issue it actually made me look forward to the next issue. Even more then that it made me want to go back and read the prequel issue Fear Itself: Book of the Skull.
I don’t want to give away too much of what happens in this issue so I’m not going to go into as much detail as I usually do. SPOILER WARNING The story really begins with the new Red Skull (the old Red Skull’s daughter Sin) out to claim a great treasure left behind by her father. Tucked away since World War II the new Red Skull finds the treasure and successes where her father and the Fuhrer both failed. This success sets powerful forces in motion. At about the same time Thor, Iron Man, Steve Rogers and many other heroes and Asgardians are in Broxton Oklahoma to announce the rebuilding of Asgard. Odin however chooses not to join the others because he knows the power and danger the new Red Skull has unleashed. This knowledge leads Odin to order all Asgardians to leave Earth and crossover the Rainbow Bridge back to Asgard. Thor does not agree with his father’s decision, which leads to a major fight between the two. In the end the gods desert mankind and Earth leaving the heroes to face the coming danger all-alone. END SPOILER WARNING
The bottom line is that Fear Itself #1 did everything a comic issue is suppose to do. It entertained me and made me want to come back for more. In the end, maybe this miniseries mega event will disappoint me like so many others have before but only time will tell. As far as beginnings go this issue delivered everything you could ask for so I say go ahead and give it a try.
Keith Forney