Future Without Hope In 2099 Alpha #1
by Josh Davison
Mild Spoilers Ahead
The year 2099 is in crisis. Gangs modelling themselves off Thor war with the security forces. An eternal highway allows bandits to kill and rob everyone on its roads. A lost H.E.R.B.I.E searches for its family. At Alchemax, Tyler and Miguel study superpowered DNA while debating the Raider Initiative. All the while, everything is being watched by Doctor Doom and Uatu the Watcher. Doom has taken Uatu hostage and is forcing the Watcher to witness the world Doom has created–a world where no one remembers heroes.
2099 Alpha #1 presents us a 2099 without heroes where chaos reigns. It’s a dystopian future where many parts of the country appear to be wastelands full of killers and bandits.
The premise of a world that has forgotten its heroes is reminiscent of the Marvel Knights 25th mini-series, which held the same premise but set in our present.
Regardless of that similarity, 2099 Alpha is a fairly enjoyable read. It gives us a Marvel dystopia without hope of salvation from its heroes. It shows us the settings in which the heroes of 2099 will rise, and it establishes the chaos and misery that currently rules the era.
It is fairly scattershot as a consequence. Doctor Doom is the closest thing to a main character, and he doesn’t show up until more than halfway through the comic.
Viktor Bogdanovic’s artwork serves the comic well. His environmental work looks fantastic, and it sets the perfect tone for this macabre future. He renders Doctor Doom quite well too, and the reveal of the Watcher is perfectly dramatic. Marte Gracia’s color work enhances that dark and dreary atmosphere greatly.
2099 Alpha #1 is a solid setup for this new story set in the titular year. We view a world without heroes and without hope ruled by none other than Doctor Doom. The plot is vague and a little thin in parts, but it gives us a vivid setting for the stories to come. In the end, it’s worth a recommendation. Feel free to check it out.
2099 Alpha #1 comes to us from writer Nick Spencer, artist Victor Bogdanovic, color artist Marte Gracia, letterer VC’s Joe Caramagna, cover artist Patrick Gleason with Guru-eFX, and variant cover artists Ryan Stegman with Edgar Delgado; Arthur Adams with Edgar Delgado; and Victor Bogdanovic.
Final Score: 7.5/10