Humanoids‘ H1 universe really gets ignited with the release of Omni #1. Cecelia Cobbina is a gifted and young doctor who mysteriously acquires superpowers and quickly discovers that she’s not the only one. There are people all over the planet Igniting with powers, but only her power can answer “why”…

Written by Devin Grayson, Omni #1 plants a flag early as to what to expect. It’s blending of the real world and fantastical keeps up the more grounded feel of the H1 universe. In this case, it all revolves around Dr. Cecelia Cobbina. The use of the very real Doctors Without Borders and the situations they find themselves in creates a beginning that’s easier to relate to. This isn’t a world we have to imagine as much as it is the world we live in.

Grayson also delivers an intriguing character who is at both likeable and not. Cobbina is brilliant and she knows it. There’s a bit of arrogance there. At the same time, Grayson delivers a character who’s unsure of herself and what’s happening to her. She can think faster than the speed of light and answer almost any question. And with that comes questions and in some ways overconfidence in one’s ability. It’s all there and subtlely done. We get a layered character right out of the gate.

The art by Alitha E. Martinez is fantastic. Like the character and settings, there’s a grounded sense of design that we can relate to. Bryan Valenza‘s colors helps with that. The detail in body language and a look on a face tell as much of the story as the dialogue does.

Omni #1 is a solid debut that takes superhero stories in a different direction. There’s a scientific focus here and I hope a focus on STEM going forward. This is a dive into the H1 world looking at it as a mystery and puzzle to solve, there’s an attempt to answer questions. It’s a different take on the saturated superhero genre. And it stands out due to that.

Story: Devin Grayson Art: Alitha E. Martinez
Color: Bryan Valenza Letterer: A Larger World Studios
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

Humanoids provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review