Comic Book Review: Original Sin

                          The image above belongs to its respective owner, not me

Hello Enthusiasts,

Today's review will be of Marvel's "Original Sin" story. I had given this story an honorable mention in my "Top 5 Comic Book Events", and it does earn this mention.

First, a summery of the story, where I will try to avoid any spoilers.

The Watcher, a being that exists only to watch major events in human history, has been killed, and his eye has been stolen. This opens up a mystery for the heroes of the Marvel Universe. Who would want to kill the Watcher? Also, how could the Watcher be killed? These questions lead to some unexpected answers, all revolving around some of the most incredible secrets that Nick Fury has had being revealed.

I'll stop the summery from going much further than that, as to say more would give away too much.

This story works on a couple of different levels. I really like the artwork in this graphic novel; it's clean, but doesn't try too hard to be realistic like some others do (not a fan of that art style). The dialogue feels natural for the most part, and the story doesn't ruin itself with its twists. The vast majority of the characters are well known, with only a couple scattered throughout that might seem unfamiliar to the casual reader.

I do think that the highlight of the story is Nick Fury though. As mentioned earlier, he does have a huge secret revealed, so he is a big part of the story. Tied in with that is an incredible narrative, his whole part in the story is excellent and fits him very well. I think more than anything, this story really had me appreciate the depth and dedication of the former head of SHIELD.

However, this story is not perfect. A big issue for me was how the whole thing just comes out of left field and wraps up so quickly. There wasn't any build up to the murder of the Watcher, it all starts and ends within the pages of this graphic novel. Also, outside of a couple of characters (including the Watcher, of course), this story doesn't change much. Again, I won't give anything away here for the few characters this really does change, but rest assured that the status quo isn't radically different after this one.

Overall I would say Original Sin is a good story, but not a must-read. If you decide to skip this one and read some newer stuff, you won't be terribly lost. If you have some extra time and want to pick something up, this certainly isn't the worst graphic novel to choose, as it is entertaining to say the least.

I give Original Sin a 7 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast