Let the Games Begin
Contest of Champions is an excellent book for two groups of fans; long time Marvel comics readers, and newcomers looking for some excitement. Marvel veteran Al Ewing crafts an explosive tale of warrior vs warrior, where familiar and alternate demnition versions of heroes face off in a battle for cosmic dominance.
If you don't know the difference between a Stick and a Guillotine, fret not. Each of the main protagonists are given a proper introduction and plenty of character to make them immediately sympathetic. However, as a long time Marvel reader, I found this book to be immensely rewarding. Some of my favorite characters and rivalries some of my favorite characters from years past return.
This book also has 6 chapters (most others have 5), and it feels both epic and like only the beginning of a more grand tale. Each chapter has many twists and turns. It's politic heavy, as alliances are made and broken and loyalties laid bare. As a reader, you feel as powerless as the hero's put to battle against their will.
The breakout character is Guillotine, the French hero with a blood thirsty sword. Previous holders of the cursed sword led the many social revolutions in French history, and he even led the French resistance in WWII. The sword always thirsts for blood, but the current welder struggles to live up to her own heroic aspirations, and not give in to bloodlust.The highlight of the book is Aries return, and his confrontation with his killer, the all powerful Sentry. This Sentry, however, is from an alternate universe. His personality differences from the 616 Sentry are compelling, and make for some extremely compelling showdowns between the two super powerful beings.
The art is the perfect Marvel house style; that is, cartoonie and epic. Paco Medina's style is Olivier Coipel, which is perfect for the Aries/Sentry showdown, since we last saw the two characters in Siege, drawn by Coipel. I always have a hard time finding flaws in Marvel's colors, and it's still the case here. They are vibrant and beautiful as always.
Who's this book for? If you want a fun book that's light on continuity (relatively speaking) and lots of fun, this is it. Here are some of the most popular characters duking it out with lots of twists and turns. Long time Marvel readers will also find much to enjoy as well.
