Spinning out of the hit video game comes Marvel Rivals: Infinity – a collection of one-shots exploring the different worlds and the breakout characters who have taken fandom by storm. In Tokyo 2099, the fractured Web of Life and Destiny throws reality into chaos. On Krakoa, the Hellfire Gala brings Multiversal champions together – until Ultron crashes the party. In ancient Japan, superstar artist Peach Momoko unveils breathtaking reimaginings of Marvel legends. And looming over it all is Knull, the King in Black, exerting his symbiotic supremacy across time and space.
It would be fair to say that a lot of people didn’t predict Marvel Rivals’ level of success. The online multiplayer shooter became a Bonafide hit with a current player base of over 40 million players and topping the Steam charts. Beyond the cool new designs of iconic Marvel characters, the game also saw several characters becoming breakout stars including Luna Snow, Jeff the Land Shark, Squirrel Girl, Peni Parker and Galactus’ daughter Galacta. Their status in the game led them to getting more prominent appearances in mainline Marvel comics and some getting new series of their own.
This digest collection includes a series of one-shots that showcase these breakout stars alongside established Marvel heavyweights such as Spider-Man, Venom, Captain America, Rocket Raccoon, The Fantastic Four and more. Writer Paul Allor manages to capture the light-hearted tone and fast paced energy that is so prevalent in the game whilst building on the different settings and teams that make up the game’s world. In particular, some of Marvel’s most recent events are revisited with both the Krakoa era of the X-Men and the King in Black saga featuring heavily.
On the visual side, there are a variety of different styles on display with Ig Guara and Luca Claretti preserving the tone and feel that is so prevalent in the game. Superstar cover artist and Ultimate X-Men creator Peach Momoko also gets to delve more into her Japanese themed take on the Marvel Universe with Sai getting the spotlight from her Demon Days miniseries. Her art is dependably stunning as always.
This is a perfect primer for anyone looking to get a taste of one of the current most popular online video games today. Established fans will also get a kick out of seeing their favourites in new adventures.
Marvel Rivals: Infinity is out now from Marvel (9781302968946, p/b, £14.99)
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