The Mantle #1 (Comic Review)

THE MANTLE follows Robbie—just your average, run-of-the-mill guy—as he drunkenly stumbles out of a punk show one evening. On his way home he’s hit with lightning and wakes to find that he’s been chosen as the new host for The Mantle, a power set of unimaginable scope. Despite his lack of interest, he’s forced into action. The Plague, a being who has spent 50 years killing every previous host of The Mantle, is already coming for him.

The Mantle written by ED Brisson and artwork by Brian Level, is a fun ride that immerses you into the world from the first page. The protagonist Robbie is not one you would qualify as a hero. In fact he is the least likely to be a hero. When we first meet Robbie he's at a party with his girlfriend Jen. The party is horrible so he takes mushroom to spice it up. Robbie doesn't seem to be motivated in anything. No real goals, dreams or aspirations. When he chosen by The Mantle, he changed a little but he acts like a child in a candy store.

The real interesting characters for me was the supporting cast. Robbie's girlfriend Jen, and the group of people who explain The Mantle to Robbie. The group all have powers, Necra can communicate with the dead, Kabrah has amazing strength and Shadow can teleport into any place given if he's in a dark area. Unfortunately the first issue doesn't explore the back story of each character, which was a bummer since I found myself more drawn to them than Robbie. The antagonist The Plague is also an interesting character. He reminded of Nemesis from Resident Evil 3 that has a one track mind. His goal is to destroy The Mantle. It's not fully explain why but the little seeds planted allude to a bigger story arc has my interest. 

Overall The Mantle is a good start to a whole new superhero story. The artwork os great, the characters are interesting. The twist ending shows its not about the person who has the power. 

Final Grade: B+/8.5