Marvel Rising: Omega Cements New Young Marvel Team

Here's what I take away from MARVEL RISING: OMEGA #1: There's going to be a cartoon series, and this comic evidently is the seed planted in the hope of germinating into viewer interest. This explains the more animated style of art taken by Georges Duarte and Roberto Di Salvo, as the panels definitely look like they're promoting a cartoon show.

As for the story itself, I have a handful of misgivings. What we have here are three of the characters seen on the cover -- Squirrel Girl, Ms. Marvel, and America Chavez -- as well as two more Inhumans teamed up to fight one of the X-Men's most annoying villains -- Arcade. It's another Terror Trap designed for the mighty mutants, which is now being beta tested by our fledgling not-yet-a-team of plucky young fighters for justice

How do they do it? Mostly through implausible means and a bit of inside help by the captured Inhuman who is powering Arcade's infernal machine. She's not only powering it, she's become inextricably part of it, due to her unique Inhuman ability to -- and I quote here -- "generate game-inspired creations and set them loose anywhere she likes!" So if a character is in a game, she can generate it in real life. I guess if you need something specific, go out and quickly create a game involving it so that Ember Quade can add it to her cadre of abilities.

What really disappoints, however, is that I've already seen READY PLAYER ONE, and too many elements -- including the denouement -- are lifted directly from that plot. It's been years since I've seen work by Devin Grayson -- nearly 15 years, actually -- but even so her previous body of work prepared me to have expected more.