The First v. 2: Magnificent Tension

The First (collected editions) #2

by Barbara Randall Kesel

The First is a race of godlike beings that believe they formed themselves in a passion of creation. Their past lost in a fog of myth, their present is a comfortable routine – until a new power emerges that could topple their preeminence. Faced with its first true threat, their society begins to fall apart, and soon the mystery of the Sigil-Bearers threatens to plunge The First into civil war. The First is a story of beautiful, powerful beings with feet of clay. Larger than life, they’re portrayed with an over-the-top vigor and vitality. Like The Real World set on Mount Olympus, The First boils over with intrigues great and small and with the fate of the universe hanging in the balance. This volume sees the personality politics of The First come to full flower. The gods of the CrossGen universe are in the process of being deposed from that self-proclaimed role because of the creation of the Sigil-Bearers. Anxiety over these powerful new arrivals has ruptured the fault lines in the social structure of the First, causing Ingra, Leader of House Sinister, to make a bold move to launch her planned takeover of House Dexter. Seahn has collected together the unhappy second-born, ready to demand that they be given equal status to the First. Persha, Ingra’s daughter, sneaks over to House Dexter to meet Pyrem, her father and Leader of that House. And Gannish the Truthseeker learns a frightening truth about the reality of the First.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels

292 pages, Paperback

First published June 19, 2002

About the author

Barbara Randall Kesel is an American writer and editor of comic books; her bibliography includes work for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, CrossGen, Image Comics and Dark Horse Comics. Kesel is a very outspoken opponent of sexism in the comic book industry. She is known for her strong female characters, influencing her then husband Karl's work on Lois Lane in the Superman titles and creating Grace, the ruler of the Golden City location in Comics' Greatest World.

Kesel initially came into the comics world after writing a 10-page letter to editor Dick Giordano regarding the portrayal of female comic book characters. At Dark Horse, Kesel was part of Team CGW, responsible for most of the design and creation of the setting and characters in the Golden City location. She is currently part of book packaging company The Pack, alongside Lee Nordling, Brian Augustyn, Gordon Kent and Dave Olbrich.

Kesel has been nominated for the 1991 "Best Editor" Eisner Award for Badlands, Aliens: Genocide and Star Wars. In 1995, she was nominated for "Best Anthology" and "Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Material" Harvey Awards for, respectively, Instant Piano and Hellboy: Seed of Destruction. She won the 1996 "Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work" Harvey Award, for Hellboy: The Wolves of St. August.

Reviews

[Daryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Volume 1 of The First was terrible. This second volume is only slightly better, but not enough to earn more than one star. There's a bit more of a story becoming clear, but still way too many interchangeable and undefined characters, and ridiculously exaggerated art.