The New Real: 2099 Omega #1 Reviewed
by Josh Davison
Mild Spoilers Ahead
2099 is still in chaos. The Thorites assail Nueva York with no hero to stop them…yet. Doctor Doom oversees it all from his base with Uatu the Watcher chained and helpless. Despite Doom’s best efforts, heroes still rise in the form of a new Ghost Rider, Venom, Punisher, and Fantastic Four. Conan the Barbarian still fights for justice. This does not please Doom. In the bowels of Nueva York, Miguel O’Hara meets an older version of himself that tells him that things should not be like this. There used to be heroes until Doctor Doom took them away. There needs to be heroes again. Miguel needs to be the Spider-Man of 2099 again.
2099 Omega #1 concludes the new 2099 story for now. We get to see the new heroes rise and how Doctor Doom reacts.
In reality, it’s not much of a conclusion–it more resembles a beginning. A new status quo has been established for Marvel’s 2099 universe and Doctor Doom has not been defeated nor inhibited by the events of the story. Quite the opposite is true; he seems as dedicated as ever.
The biggest development (and this is technically a spoiler), is that Miguel O’Hara is the Spider-Man of 2099 once again. That’s not that big of a surprise though–that seemed like the inevitable endpoint even if it is the only apparent consistency between this 2099 and the one we once knew.
Don’t get me wrong; it is nice to see Miguel back in the blue tights. It’s not a surprise though. It’s not even really a change from what we knew. He has a slightly different back story and (possibly) personality now, but that’s really it as for what’s new for Miguel.
Gerardo Sandoval and Ze Carlos are the artists on this venture. True to form, both bring distinct and appealing styles to 2099. Sandoval brings his wild and sprawling style to the Doom sections while Carlos brings a more grounded aesthetic to humble Miguel. Morry Hollowell, Brian Reber, and Andrew Crossley are the color artists, and they give 2099 the flashy colors it needs.
2099 Omega #1 is a somewhat disappointing conclusion to this string of one-shots. While it appears that this “story” wasn’t intended to be a story in the traditional sense as much as a setup for something new, that something new seems to end here. There’s no true conclusion, and this comic doesn’t do much beyond bringing Miguel back as the Spider-Man of 2099. I’m glad to have Miguel back, but I hoped for something more from this book. I can recommend it but not strongly, and it’s certainly not a must-read.
2099 Omega #1 comes to us from writer Nick Spencer, artists Gerardo Sandoval and Ze Carlos, inkers Gerardo Sandoval, Ze Carlos, and Victor Nava, color artists Morry Hollowell, Brian Reber, and Andrew Crossley, letterer VC’s Joe Caramagna, cover artist Patrick Gleason with Rachelle Rosenberg, and variant cover artists Nick Bradshaw with Rachelle Rosenberg; and R.B. Silva with David Curiel.
Final Score: 5.5/10
