The Inhumans #1
Published and © by Marvel, October 1975
Title: “Spawn of Alien Heat”
Synopsis: Maximus’ prophesy of doom is followed by the appearance of a strange machine – and an attack on Attilan by Blastaar!
Writer: Doug Moench
Penciler: George Pérez
Inker: Frank Chiaramonte
Review: The Inhumans kick off their first title run with a bold declaration: “A return to the glorious wonder of Marvel magnificence!” This issue doesn’t quite live up to that opening caption, but it’s a quality effort from a House of Ideas still struggling to find its footing following the Lee/Kirby glory years. Doug Moench’s prose is guilty of the overwriting common of the time, but he ably introduces several plot threads for the series to explore. The art, by a young George Pérez, lacks polish, but already shows signs of the storytelling brilliance that would make the artist a legend.
Grade: B
Second opinion: “Although (The Inhumans) was a wildly uneven feature throughout its 12-issue run, it deserves to be remembered for the good moments Moench and artist George Pérez put into the series. Most of their better work came early on, notably in the first four issues.” – Ed Via, The Comics Journal #63, May 1981 … “Marvel’s second attempt at giving the Fantastic Four’s guest stars their own book and it was started in a very strong fashion.” – David W. Cutler, FantaCo’s Chronicle’s Series Annual #1, 1983 … “ ‘Dismal’ adequately sums up all (Inhumans) offerings until the 1990s limited series.” – Frank Plowright, The Slings & Arrows Comic Guide (second edition), 2003.
Cool factor: The Inhumans, of course. It would be another couple decades before Marvel would really do them right, but this Bronze-era series was a nice start.
Not-so-cool factor: Maximus. I mean, really: Do you think he might somehow be behind this issue’s shenanigans? Shocker!
Notable: According to the “Black Bolt’s Bulletins” letter column in The Inhumans #3, the first two issues of this series were originally a single story scheduled for an aborted Giant-Size Inhumans #1.
Collector’s note: According to the Grand Comics Database, there is a 9p British variant of this issue.
Character quotable: “Do you HEAR me, DOLTS and FOOLS – it is TIME, I tell you!!” – Maximus the Mad
A word from the writer: “George looked on the Inhumans as some of his very favorite Marvel characters and was tickled pink at the prospect of tackling them.” – Doug Moench, from the introduction in “Marvel Masterworks: The Inhumans Vol. 2,” 2010
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this review was published in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1653, May 2009.
