Warning! Contains spoilers from The Ambassadors #1!A new superhero satire is here with Image Comics' latest release, The Ambassadors #1. In a world where a genius has finally cracked the code for superpowers, the query "Who is really worthy of them?" becomes the million-dollar question.
Image's new superhero comic. Millar has spent almost his entire career writing about superheroes. In addition to straightforward books such as Superman Adventures and Wolverine, he's also written more subversive, satirical superhero stories like Kick-Ass, Nemesis, and Superior. For his newest story, Millar recruited a number of talented comic book artists including Karl Kerschl, Travis Charest, Olivier Coipel, Matteo Buffagni, and Matteo Scalera. The Ambassadors' first issue features Frank Quitely (Batman and Robin, Jupiter's Legacy) and his bold visual style to help usher in Image Comics' daring new superhero tale.
The Ambassadors #1 is Willy Wonka Meets Superman
The Ambassadors #1 is set in a world where the governments of Earth have been in a race to create the world's first superhuman. But beyond the trickery found in shelved propaganda films, no country has been able to crack the human genome and create an actual godlike being. But things change when one scientist manages to do what the rest of the world couldn't. Doctor Choon-he Chung, an infamous billionaire, reveals in a presentation that she's manged to create a bank of superpowers and wishes to share them with the world. But rather than selling them to the highest bidder, Choon-he reveals that she wants the powers to go to those who would make suitable ambassadors for their country. Likening herself to Willy Wonka, the doctor reveals that anyone has a chance at becoming a superhero, but only the most altruistic people will receive them.
The first issue spends a lot of time setting up its unique premise. But in addition to the main hook of The Ambassadors, Millar leaves room for several mysteries to be explored in the following issues. For the time she appears, Doctor Chung is a captivating protagonist who draws readers in and leaves them wondering what could be up her sleeve. That's to say nothing of Quitely's art, which is shown off well when detailing the history of superhuman experimentation or during the issue's brief moments of gore. While the book holds back a bit, it does a good job of setting up an engaging premise.
The Ambassadors Challenges the Idea of Superheroes
The Ambassadors #1 eschews a classic comic trope of people getting powers by accident and turns it into some that is attainable, but only to a select few. Handing out powers only to those who are the worthiest sounds like a good idea, but how exactly is that determined when worth is a relative concept? Millar and Quitely bring an issue that not only sets up a unique superhero world, but one that makes its readers introspect on who would actually be deserving of powers if such a chance existed in real life. This story is a delightful first issue that promises more action and poignant insight that all comic book fans will love. Image Comics' The Ambassadors #1 is on sale now.
