- Written by: Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly
- Art by: Juann Cabal
- Colors by: Edgar Delgado
- Letters by: VC’s Travis Lanham
- Cover art by: Kael Ngu
- Cover price: $6.99
- Release date: December 27, 2023
Timeless #1 (2023) visits a possible future at the end of the world where the only hero still alive, Luke Cage, battles a god intent on consuming the world, Khonshu.
Is Timeless #1 (2023) Good?
The best way I can think to describe Timeless #1 (2023 edition) is by imagining every episode of Disney Plus’s What If…? animated series mashed up in a single oversized comic for the express purpose of showing cool character conglomerations and tease/hint about upcoming storylines, wrapped in a cosmic-sized battle. Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly’s take on one possible Armageddon scenario isn’t necessarily bad, but it plays out as an excuse to imagine ideas rather than serving as a standalone story.
Kelly and Lanzing’s end-of-times tale focuses on Luke Cage as the last hero alive on Earth as he travels to stop Khonshu and the Immortal Moon Knight from enacting a humanity-wide sacrifice to gain ultimate power. Luke Cage is willing to make such a journey because he’s spent years infusing himself with the powers of assorted heroes, from the Hulk to Sentry to Iron Fist. On the opposite side of the battle, the Immortal Moon Knight is made manifest by Khonshu living inside the dead body of Danny Rand, setting up an emotional and physical battle for Power Man.
Luke’s journey and fight are beset by painful visions of battles past, where readers can see hints of upcoming storylines, including Blade battling the Hulk and the return of the Green Goblin. In the end, Luke gives everything he has and more to defeat Khonshu, but Luke’s trials may be just beginning.
What’s great about Timeless #1? Luke’s battle with Khonshu is an epic spectacle in the best sense of the phrase. It’s not often you get to see Luke Cage do a Hulk Smash, so this issue is high on novelty. Plus, the hints about forthcoming storylines will have Marvel devotees examining minute details in each panel for days.
What’s not so great about Timeless #1? There’s not much meat on this bone. The entire scenario is designed to manufacture a massive fight, but you get no context as to how Danny became the Immortal Moon Knight, why or how Khonshu turned against humanity, or what happened to the rest of Earth’s heroes. The scenes are well done, but the plot has all the depth of a child smashing together two action figures made from spare parts.
How’s the art? Fantastic. Juann Cabal makes the fight between Luke and Khonshu look and feel big. This issue seethes with plenty of visual pop.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Bits and Pieces
Timeless #1 (2023) brings the big action for a future fight to save the world from extinction. Lanzing and Kelly set up a scenario that feels world-ending, and Juann Cabal’s art is fantastic. Plus, you get plenty of teases about forthcoming storylines. That said, this issue is nothing more than a big fight with very little plot to back it up.
Weird Science Marvel Comics 