Worlds War Comics #1 Review- Comic Book History in Comic Book Fashion

From Monomythic Media

Written by Kevin Garcia

Art by Reynaldo Garza

Worlds War Comics is a bold new indie comic produced by Monomythic Media and the magnanimous, Comic Book Historian here on TikTok and beyond, Mr. Kevin Garcia.

The premise that drew me to this unique retrospective genre blend of historical and superhero media, is the opportunity to reexamine, re-contextualize, and elevate niche or simply forgotten “Golden Age” comics characters. Worlds War Comics is a platform for an engaging modern superhero tale, pulling reference from historical events, but is also a means for these foundational or “ahead of their time” characters to finally shine.

If you have ever been a fan of any of the grandiose modern superhero team comics such as The Avengers, The Justice League, The Authority, even The Seven, then this comic is a fascinating look at the common creative origins of the kinds of characters that all of those teams are composed of. Kevin Garcia has certainly tapped a poignant narrative vein as it is surprisingly interesting to be able to view these forward thinking creations with the hindsight of nearly a century of comic book media at our disposal, and consider the potential influence of these forgotten characters had they become popular. Moreover, it is tickling to see the often blunt depictions of more far-reaching character concepts dealing with magic and science, that clearly became more refined with the development of technology.

I was fortunate enough to participate in the Kickstarter for this wonderful project which came with the clever and informational character card rewards as well as variant cover stickers, all of which have been so much fun to examine and read, and I can’t wait to display them along with this iconic issue #1. Each of the supplemental cards provides various contextual information such as backstories, power levels, aliases, and fun facts.

However, Garcia didn’t leave new readers in the dark without access to any bonus material, as the back pages of Worlds War Comics #1 hosts a gallery of first appearance comics and relevant historical information for each classic character featured in this first issue. Furthermore, Garcia provides suggested reading for the classic issues of these characters which is immensely helpful for interested readers who want to dive into a classic comics reading list. Additionally, the latter pages of this comic also feature a script to page breakdown for some early panels of this issue which is an immensely helpful resource for people who want to get into comic writing.

All of these thoughtful facets make Worlds War Comics a delightful, passionate package of a comic that feels like a true love letter to the medium of comic books from its earliest days, to the modern era, looking to the future as much as it delves into the past.

Let’s talk more specifically about the story of Worlds War Comics #1 which means,

MINOR PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD!

As for all of my indie comic reviews, I don’t want to delve too far into spoiler territory, because I want to encourage you to check this book out for yourself and support the difficult business of indie comic book publication, but I’d still like to give you an idea of what to expect from this fledgling title.

The story of Worlds War Comics is structured, ironically, as exactly what it is- a retrospective look at the “Golden Age” of superheroes and the devastating World War that engulfed the planet in the early 1940’s. Presented as an interview by an initially anonymous entity, we dance between past and present, as our famous heroes recount their exploits in the bitter conflict as we simultaneously get a sense of who they are now. The manner in which each of these heroes are introduced to us feels seamless, each appearance building and informing upon the last, with moments for humor as well as poignant drama. Cleverly, the shift between past and present is visually achieved by presenting scenes from World War II in a black and white, grayscale style and the modern era juxtaposed in full color. It is an effective, logical depiction that provides the reader with a subtle sense of scale and scope to this expansive story as our heroes reflect somberly on the chaos of that bygone era.

One of the aspects I appreciate most about this comic is that the look back into WWII, an objectively horrifying and important time in history, is viewed through the lens of comic book media history rather than attempting to be overtly realistic or fastidiously historically accurate. Thus we see that the WWII that these characters experienced is filled with super villains, monsters, gods, and other heroes created at the time which adds an engaging sense of depth to each of their stories. That being said, the characters still refer to and remember the events of the war in a haunted, sobering way that makes them more relatable and grounded for the reader.

After this introduction, we cut to events happening in the modern era as we see a band of superheroes known as the “New All-Allies,” as they battle with the villainous, Xoro the Purple Zombie, who has somehow infiltrated the nation’s capital for an unknown nefarious purpose. The battle with Xoro introduces us to some more members of the team namely, Blue Fury and the Streak, who are not featured in the interview portions.

This issue lays the groundwork for a vast history to be explored for all of the members of our team while hinting at some of the important interpersonal relationships within it. What makes issue #1 so great, is the diverse characterization of all featured characters from a writing standpoint as well as visually and aesthetically. For instance, I have already fallen in love with the hilariously simple named, Doctor Science, who literally exists on a vacillating wavelength of time alongside our own, and therefore sees time and events in a completely different context from his counterparts. We also get some wonderful moments with our powerhouse, Wonder-Woman-sequel, god character, Parian, who still seems to be adjusting to modernity having been awoken from her ancient slumber to aid humanity.

If you were concerned from the premise that this comic would be too bare bones or overly academic, then the latter half of the comic puts those fears to rest as we settle into the group dynamics of the New All-Allies and their place in the modern world like a classic Justice Society of America issue, while hinting at untold stories from particular members pasts that may soon affect the future.

Worlds War Comics #1 is a thoughtful, epic, insightful addition to all of superhero canon, with some surprising twists and turns in this first issue that has made me invested in the story of the comic rather than just the concept.

Please support this historic comic by checking it out through Kevin Garcia’s website and on GlobalComix where the book is now available! Also please continue checking out Kevin Garcia’s channel on TikTok, because he makes very thorough insightful videos on a broad range of comic book topics that you may very well be interested in!

-Nicholas Aaron Hodge