Men of Wrath #1 Review


Is Men of Wrath something you should be adding to your pull? Read on to find out.

The official description from Icon:

Ever since Great Grandfather Isom killed a man over some sheep, a black cloud has hung over the Rath family. Now, over a century later, Ira Rath, the coldest hitman ever to walk on Alabama soil, has taken a job that will decide the fate of his cursed family once and for all. Writer Jason Aaron (Southern Bastards, Scalped) and artist Ron Garney (Weapon X, Thor: God of Thunder) team up once again, to bring you the story of a Southern family, whose only heirloom is violence.

Men of Wrath #1 variantViolence has been around comic books for generations, with nearly every superhero series having it to one extreme or another. There is however few series that take violence to the extreme, with fewer yet matching that with a great story. Men of Wrath manages to do both, with the concept of violence getting stronger from generation to generation being a very realistic and clever one.

Jason Aaron is not stranger to violence, with his run on Wolverine and creator owned series Southern Bastards being a prime example. It is however Aaron’s ability to take violence and create something meaningful that makes his work stand out, with Men of Wrath being no different. Telling a very symbolic tale inspired by his own family history, Aaron manages to weave a very dark and gritty premise, showing a man who’s willing to do anything that he’s paid to do. Aaron also manages to keep a great tempo throughout, as though this issue mainly focuses on introductions and set-up, the atmosphere remains suspenseful.

Having collaborated with Aaron on Wolverine, Ultimate Comics: Captain America and Thor: God of Thunder, Ron Garney has created some amazing art for the southern writer. Men of Wrath might however be his best, with the detailed pencils, and suspenseful layouts giving a cinematic vibe to his art. Garney also showed an understanding for setting, knowing when to give detail, and when to leave things a little simplistic. Alongside this we get wonderful colours from Matt Milla, with his dark colours suiting the gritty tone of this tale.

Men of Wrath #1 is a gritty opening issue, setting a wonderful premise and a fabulous backstory. It may still need to deliver on the ultra violent side it promised, but the suspenseful tone does allow the groundwork to be very enticing, with the amazing visuals only matching that. Highly recommended.

OUR RATING
9
  • + The Rath family have a lot of history.
  • + Jason Aaron gives us a wonderful premise in a suspenseful way.
  • + Ron Garney delivers some of his best art ever.
  • - Still needs to deliver on the violence.

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