The Infinite, Vol. 1

The Infinite, Vol. 1 will please the kind of audience that enjoys muscled freedom fighters, time travel, and heroic scowls. Fortunately for Kirkman (The Walking Dead, Invincible) and Liefield (Youngblood, X-Force), that’s a pretty large demographic. The story features the middle-aged hero, Bowen, who must travel back in time to find both his 20-year-old self and his best friend and fellow comrade-in-arms, Cage, in order to wage war against the Infinite. Bowen’s principal antagonist, a being from the future called Imperius, claims only to be trying to save the Earth from its own destruction. Having returned to the past, Bowen intends to strike quickly, in order to prevent the Infinite from building to the point where they take everything from him again. While readers will appreciate Liefield’s passion as an illustrator, they might wonder why all of the story’s male characters—and not just Bowen’s younger self—resemble the protagonist. They might also wonder why, in the absence of wit, humor, or a respite from clenched teeth, they should particularly care about the fate of Bowen and his comrades. With so much good stuff being written nowadays, they probably shouldn’t. (Jan.)