Multiple Man #1 Review

Multiplicity

Written by: Matt Rosenberg
Art by: Andy McDonald
Colors by: Tamra Bonvillain
Letterer: VC's Travis Lanham
Release Date: June 27, 2018
Cover Price: $3.99


There's nothing quite like getting wrapped up in the hype for a book that just strikes the perfect pitch with your tastes. From the moment I laid eyes on the promotional material for this book, I thought, this is the very book for me. Look at the design of that cover, look at those colors, look at that preview art. Wow, Madrox is back, who knew? How's that possible? One of my all time favorite characters! Good times lay in store for me. I was sure of it!

Until I finished it. I apologise ladies and gents. I did not like this book, and was extremely disappointed. Firstly though, as is the way here on Weird Science DC, lets accentuate the positive. The Logo and Design which I have made a point of crediting above. Excellent work by Mick Russell and I really liked the little page break a few pages in. Lovely use of colors and layout - really fresh and vibrant looking. Indeed the other strong point to the book were the colors on the interior art. I'm always a fan of Tamra Bonvillain's color work, and again with this book I found it to be very impressive.

Now...sigh...to the not so good. Where to start? Okay, lets go with the writing. Firstly, I just found the dialogue to be excruciatingly annoying. I did not like the smug, self satisfied tone struck for Madrox, and found him to be off-key. Now I can mentally ascribe this to him being a dupe as opposed to Madrox Prime but it still doesn't mean that I like it. Secondly if I see the word "science-ing" in one more goddamned comic book I am going to personally ring up their publisher's HQ long distance and complain because it sure as hell doesn't sound too scientific and I sure as hell wouldn't expect Hank McCoy to sit listening to some smart ass whipper-snapper coming off with crap terminology like that in his lab. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I can't buy into getting enjoyment from a book whose lead character is simply this irritating. That may be personal - maybe others find him endearing. If so, Godspeed to you Rebels.

Then there is the art, and believe me, my problems with the writing pale in comparison to my problems with the art in this book. There is a real problem that this book has with perspective in its art. The characters' respective height differentials are all over the place, so they look very odd collectively assembled in relation to one another. Small women look the same height as large men, etc. Likewise people's heads and body parts don't always seem to be in correct alignment, direction or proportion at times. My biggest bug bearer though was the depiction of Bishop who, supposedly a power house of a man, somehow looks like a version of Carlton from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air after being forced to live on the Atkins diet for 10 years before getting an M scored in his face. What is going on? One really has to ask if Andy MacDonald has read any X-Men books before.

Bits and Pieces:

For me, there is little to recommend this book, although I do know other fans that enjoyed it. I can only speak to my own experience though and I found it to be horrendous and with little merit and little appreciation of legacy - a concept which Marvel had been aiming to place at the core of their brand. In the first instance I would say have a look at the art and if the style is to your taste then the writing is not an insurmountable hurdle. The cliffhanger is vaguely enticing but personally, it is not enough to draw me back.

5/10