There’s a new galactic order on the rise, and not everyone is going to make it through the changes. Your Major Spoilers review of Imperial #1 from Marvel Comics awaits!
IMPERIAL #1
Writer: Jonathan HIckman
Artist: Iban Coello & Federico Vicentini
Colorist: Federico Blee
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Editor: Annalise Bissa & Tom Brevoort
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $6.99
Release Date: June 4, 2025
Previously in Imperial: A series of mysterious murders has shaken the foundations of peace in the galaxy. That situation would be bad enough, if one of the deceased weren’t the son of the legendary Worldbreaker of Sakaar. Add in a Star-Lord, an Emperor Hulkling, and the intergalactic empire of Wakanda, and the galaxy is likely going to burn.
SOMEONE IS KILLING GALACTIC LEADERS
Imperial #1 begins with two unseen characters setting out to play a game of Sharaat, which is apparently much like chess, a game in which the first move is always “Someone has to die.” Cut to the Andromeda Galaxy, where a space bus carries a grieving family to a funeral. Of course, the family is Bruce Banner, his cousin, and his metaphorical little brother, Amadeus Cho. The Hulks arrive on Sakaar En Nevo to deal with the murder of Banner’s son, Hiro-Kala, the regent of the planet. But he’s not the only leader who has been murdered, as the empress of Spartax, the last of the Xartan Deviants, and the Throne Guardian of the Empty Orion Chair have also died. All the families have questions, but since the Empress is the half-sister of Star-Lord, things quickly get tense.
And then, even tenser, when the poisoning is pinned on Emperor Hulkling of the United Kree/Skrull Empire!
BANNER, WALTERS, AND CHO: ATTORNEYS AT SMASH
Imperial #1 also features Gladiator and the Shi’ar, a retired Rich “Nova” Rider, a possible red herring about the galactic empire of Wakanda, a retired Imperial Guardsman, and a roomful of aliens that reminds me of the Star Wars prequels and the galactic Senate. With 52 pages of materials, the number of characters and the sheer speed of events are both a strength and a weakness. It’s good to see Star-Lord and Nova together again, and the maturation of characters is excellently handled. I had forgotten about the Galactic Empire of Wakanda, which added another interesting angle, but also more complications. The issue’s multiple chapters feature two different artists, but their styles are congruent enough that things don’t get confusing. That said, it is difficult to differentiate among many unmasked/uncostumed characters, and the sketchiness of the facial expressions somewhat muddles comprehension. By the end of the issue, half a dozen plots are in motion, J’Son of Spartax may be dead, and I’m not sure if that was the actual Black Panther.
BOTTOM LINE: I’M OVERWHELMED
In short, it’s a good thing that Imperial #1 is a near-triple-sized issue, as Cosmic Marvel is now on fire and nearly the brink of war, and if you think that that Jonathan Hickman has forgotten someone, be aware that the son of ROM is in these pages as well, rounding things out to 3 out of 5 stars overall. I’m not sure how some of these characters got where they are from the days of Empyre, but I also can’t believe that Empyre was five years (and fourteen crossovers) ago.
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IMPERIAL #1
Cosmic Marvel changes rapidly, but this issue just THROWS us into the middle of crazy back-and-forth "Game of Thrones" political intrigue, and it is a bit overwhelming. The sheer number of characters in play makes it hard to follow.
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Writing5
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Art6
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Coloring7
Once upon a time, there was a young nerd from the Midwest, who loved Matter-Eater Lad and the McKenzie Brothers... If pop culture were a maze, Matthew would be the Minotaur at its center. Were it a mall, he'd be the Food Court. Were it a parking lot, he’d be the distant Cart Corral where the weird kids gather to smoke, but that’s not important right now... Matthew enjoys body surfing (so long as the bodies are fresh), writing in the third person, and dark-eyed women. Amongst his weaponry are such diverse elements as: Fear! Surprise! Ruthless efficiency! An almost fanatical devotion to pop culture! And a nice red uniform.