Murder most foul, a coup among the Imperial Guard, and the Stargates destroyed! Even Marvel’s cosmic heroes may not be up to this task. Your Major Spoilers review of Imperial #3 from Marvel Comics awaits!

IMPERIAL #3

Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Iban Coello and Federico Vicentini
Colorist: Federico Blee
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit and Ariana Maher
Editor: Tom Brevoort and Annalise Bissa
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: August 20, 2025

Previously in Imperial: As the interstellar conflict begins to spread out to the wider universe, the assembled heroes find out who’s really orchestrating the great game of cosmic houses. As the last chance to stop a universal war presents itself, will Nova, Shuri, Star-Lord, Hulkling, and Wiccan be able to stop it in time?

IN THE RUINS OF XANDAR

After the murder of galactic leaders, including Star-Lord’s father, J’son of Spartax, the galaxy has fallen into chaos. After the destruction of the Stargate system, Nova, Shuri, and Star-Lord manage to travel to Fulcrum, where they urge the population to resist the call to war, then on to the ruins of Xandar. There, Nova agrees to revive the Xandarian World-Mind at great personal cost. Using the knowledge and perception of the World-Mind, Nova is able to look back in time one year and see the true architects of the galactic war: The Elder of the Universe known as The Grandmaster, and the rogue Inhuman, Maximus the Mad. Strangely, it was Maximus who started the whole thing, challenging Grandmaster to a game that would end with the murders that seemed to be the start of it all. The Elder used Wakanda’s leverage against them, turned the Imperial Guard against their own leader, made the Skrulls into a raging cosmic mob and, for his last trick… prepares to betray Maximus and undo it all with just a few simple moves.

That’s when the (br)other shoe drops.

THAT WAS SURPRISING

This issue’s biggest reveal was actually a bit of a shock to me, as Hickman once again turns what readers already knew against them. It’s still unclear what Wiccan is going to do to save himself and Hulkling, nor what’s going on with the heroes on Sakaar, but all of that isn’t important right now, as the players behind the mess step forward to throw things into even more disarray.

On the artistic side, I’m slightly less impressed, as both art teams have somewhat scratchy art styles. The second half of the issue, with its strange cutaways to fish in an aquarium while Maximus and The Grandmaster play their game of not-chess, and a lack of establishing shots, makes for some very difficult-to-follow continuity. By the end of the issue, though, that doesn’t exactly damage the reading experience.

BOTTOM LINE: MY FAVORITE ISSUE SO FAR

All in all, Imperial #3 is a well-written issue, even if the wide-angle lens that Hickman takes on the events does make it seem like certain characters don’t make a difference in the conflict (*coughHulklingcough*), and even with art that isn’t entirely to my liking, it’s a solid installment that earns 3.5 out of 5 stars overall. With only one issue to go before we launch into a new era of Cosmic Marvel, the stage is set for unexpected players in unexpected roles, and that’s always fun stuff.

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IMPERIAL #3

67%

67%

The Real Power Revealed

Nova makes a desperate gamble, and manages to reveal the real players behind the 'Imperial' gambit... including the one nobody saw coming.

• Writing

  7
• Art

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• Coloring

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