The Uncanny Inhumans #1

   The Inhumans are getting a big push from Marvel's TV branch - they're a big part of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD - and there's a feature film scheduled to turn up in a couple of years.

   So it's only natural that they keep trying to revive the comic book version.

   Recent attempts to do that have run into some problems with erratic creative teams, with constant interruptions by events, and with the temporary shutdown of the Marvel Universe during Secret Wars.

   This issue offers something of a fresh start, though it still carries some of the baggage from earlier versions.

   Written by Charles Soule, it establishes the Inhumans as an Avengers-like super-team, fighting to protect the world from assorted threats, including an alien invasion this time around.

   It also focuses on Black Bolt's attempts to recover his son, who's in the hands of one of Marvel's deadliest villains. Oh, and there's a romantic sub-plot that feels like it arrives out of left field.

   The art by Steve McNiven and Jay Leisten is wonderful - kinetic, with powerful layouts and striking character designs.

   But will this series work? I'm a bit on the fence - it features a lot of costumed characters, but doesn't give us a reason to care about them. They need to be (forgive me) humanized a bit more, so we can sympathize with their efforts.

   It's a fair start, but the series needs to work a bit harder to earn our love.

Grade: B+

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