WAR OF THE WORLDS: SECOND WAVE #1

Review Date: Friday, March 03, 2006

Boom's new WAR OF THE WORLDS: SECOND WAVE takes place during a modern remake of H.G. Wells's seminal novel of Martian invasion, much in the same way that the Steven Spielberg film from last summer did. While it's not a licensed comic, it might as well be a spin-off from that film. As the alien invasion succumbs to the disease, Miles watches as a stealth bomber takes out one of the weakened tripods, along with his house and his wife, still hiding in the basement. Unfortunately, while Wells and Spielberg told us the invasion ended after the Martians caught a nasty cold, Michael Alan Nelson's first issue ends with the start of a second, deadlier attack. Miles looks to the sky and thinks of revenge.

Honestly, not a whole lot happens in this first issue. It's mostly setup. Nelson briefly recaps the essential parts of WAR OF WORLDS, culminating with the Martians' defeat. However, he begins his own survivor story that, as Mark Waid proclaims on the cover, will probably look like "A Sci-Fi Walking Dead." Now, most COMICSCAPE readers know that I rank THE WALKING DEAD up there with fire, the wheel, sliced bread, and porn on video. I love that title, and any survivor, on-the-road title that comes out in the next few years will inevitably draw comparisons. Unfortunately, without a few more issues, I can't say whether WAR OF THE WORLDS: SECOND WAVE will live up to the zombie stomping goodness of Robert Kirkman's book. However, Nelson sets up Miles in a familiar, yet effective manner with an identifiable personal tragedy -- being powerless to save a loved one and swearing bloody, horrible revenge. Chee -- the one-named artist -- draws well enough, though a couple of panels lack polish, mostly with characters' faces. However, while it's certainly not a distraction, it looks a bit rough in parts.

WAR OF THE WORLDS: SECOND WAVE looks promising, but this first issue is so brief that I have to reserve judgment until more issues hit the stands.

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