The chosen ones from every mythology are brought together to fight the actual chosen one! Find out if they can put aside their differences in The Ones #1 by Dark Horse Comics!
THE ONES #1 (OF 4)
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Jacob Edgar
Colorist: K.J. Diaz
Letterer: Joshua Reed
Editor: Daniel Chabon
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: November 2nd, 2022
Previously in The Ones: Check out this new series from the minds of Brian Michael Mendis and Jacob Edgar. This miniseries is described as Ghostbusters meets The Adam Project meets The Goonies meets Everything Everywhere All at Once!
THE CHOSEN ONE
The Ones #1 introduces us to a colorful cast of characters with many tropes. This includes the skeptical monster hunter, the superhero, the mystic, and a graphic designer. They are invited to a Chinese Restaurant by a man named Wilson. He claims that he has a prophecy that all the Chosen Ones must come together and either help or stop a baby. The baby is claimed to be Satan, and the party starts immediately debating whether they should kill a baby. Novus, the superhero, decides she has had enough of killing a baby talk and leaves abruptly. Wilson, believing the prophecy is failing, asks the other Chosen to retrieve her. We then glimpse the future six years later, where monsters are attacking, and everything is on fire.
INTERESTING PREMISE
I struggled with The Ones #1. The cast of characters is large and relies on tropes to sell the story. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. I connected with Novus and Dorothy, the monster slayer, but I didn’t take much interest in anyone else. I am not convinced that Wilson, the prophecy character, explained the plot well. Without a substantial inciting incident, I don’t find myself invested in the narrative. What works is the plot twist that makes me slightly curious to know more. But even the art style was hit or miss for me. Some of the scenes seem well done, but other aspects of the art were forgettable.
I know the comic explores the question of if you can kill a baby to save many people, would you? But the theme is a little too nuanced for a short miniseries. Brian Michael Bendis is a great writer, though, and if anyone can make this story work, it would be him.
BOTTOM LINE: ON THE TRANCE
I was not invested in The Ones #1, and I am unsure if I will continue with this series. I think there is a bit of potential in the plot line, but this suffers from a small page count and a massive cast of characters. If this series is only four issues, we have too many characters to keep track of and develop. With that in mind, this is a 3 out of 5 stars for The Ones #1.
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The Ones #1
The Ones #1 has a massive cast of characters that develops into a complicated story. But with only four issues, can the series follow through on the literary promises it made in the first issue?
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Christopher Rondeau is a storyteller based in Tulsa, OK. Finding himself with little work, he ended up creating a job as a Game Master full time on the internet. Chris spends most of his days reading everything he can, writing bad fiction, and watching old Digimon cartoons with his daughter. Sometimes you can find him Dungeon Mastering a podcast or streaming on twitch. Recently, he has completed his Master's degree with a focus on collaborative storytelling. Find out more at https://rondeaucreator.com