Written by James Asmus and Charles Soule
Art by Stephano Caselli
Since it seems to be Crystal day today, how about a review of the first issue of her (fairly) new book. It begins in Australia, where Gorgon, Flint, and Grid investigate the latest target of the Terrigen Mists, which has been wandering the globe and setting off the Inhuman gene within people. They are attacked by a paramilitary group who has a NuHuman locked in a cage. Our fearless Inhuman ambassador arrives declaring the act inhumane. One of the soldiers is named Jack, and he hates Crystal and the Inhumans and blames them for the fact that he, too, has become an Inhuman. But his comrades turn their guns on him, as he is what they hate. The fight ends when Flint creates a powerful shockwave that finishes off the attackers, although he didn't intend on the blast being so powerful. While all of this happened, a cloaked Naja made her way to the cage and freed the imprisoned NuHuman girl. The girl's name is Ash Minnick, and she says she lost her emotions when she emerged from her Terrigen Mist created cocoon.
Later, Crystal and Gorgon report the event to Medusa and much is mentioned about Gorgon being paralyzed and also being the trailer for the NuHumans. Crystal compares him to Professor X and says he'll be fine. They are interrupted by Swain, the commander of the Royal Inhuman Vessel, which works as an embassy for New Attilan, the home and capital of the Inhuman "nation". Swain tells them they have found a Skyspear, one of around 18 or so Skyspears that came out of nowhere a few months ago and embedded themselves all over the world. No one knows what they are, what they can do, or what their purpose is. The only thing known so far, from Gorgon, is that one of the glyphs imprinted upon them seems to be an ancient Kree dialect that translate to the word "genocide". Swain then announces that the Terrigen Cloud has reached the third world country known as Sin-Kong.
A good start to the series. The story effectively introduces the main players and the purpose of the title. Crystal is not only the ambassador of the Inhumans, but she is also the leader of a cadre of Inhumans who have been tasked to ease relations with humans, find NuHumans, and discover the mysteries of the Skyspears. This book, to me, acts similar in vein to the original X-FACTOR series in that Asmus is Soule's Simonson and the series gives us another title to feature characters not seen in the main series. And with Crystal busy here, she remains unaware that her sister (and the Inhuman queen Medusa) is secretly in a relationship with Crystal's former first love, the Human Torch.
Jack, the militant NuHuman who hates what he's become, is actually going to be a supporting layer for a little while, and the NuHuman girl Ash is going to join the team, so she is also important.
Sin-Kong. Wow. This little country first appeared way back in 1965 in AVENGERS I#18 by Stan Lee and Don Heck. I love it when a writer utilizes something or someone or someplace from the vast history of the Marvel Universe instead of just making up some new thing. This means we'll be seeing the country's leader, the Commissar, although there is a trick to him I'll mention in a review of the next issue (when I get to it).
There is actually a second story in this double-sized issue, and it's a treat for fans of a certain ex-X-Man. In this tale, which takes place three months prior to the first story in this issue, we see Swain welcome a UN delegation to the Royal Inhuman Vessel (RIV) and gives them a tour of the vast structure. The mutant (and former X-Man) Frenzy attacks the RIV in retaliation for the Terrigen Mists which are proving fatal to her kind. However, Crystal repels her assault. Once the delegates leave, Crystal takes Swain to the brig, revealing to her that Frenzy is there and that the attack was staged in exchange for Inhuman aid for mutants. Swain is appalled, but Crystal says that relations between mutants and Inhumans will be for the better with Frenzy's help, and they need this to further Medusa's idea to ease relations with everyone in the whole world, human and Inhuman and mutant alike.
It's good to see Frenzy back. She hasn't been around for a while, since her time with the X-Men. Her real name is Joanna Cargill, and she has super-strength and endurance. She also has the burden of not only being a mutant, but being African-American as well. She may or may not also still have feelings for Scott Summers, but since he's dead, this point is really moot.
My only gripe is that Frenzy isn't seen again in the series to date. The final issue, #11, will be out this month, but I don't think she'll make it in. Asmus did say he had plans for her, but it looks like cancellation beat him to the punch.
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