Inhumans: Once and Future Kings

Inhumans: Once and Future Kings #1-5

by Christopher J. Priest, Ryan North (Text), Phil Noto (Illustrations)

A king in training. A brother destined for madness. Journey back in time with superstar writer Christopher Priest and witness the early days of the Boltagon legacy! When the king of the Inhumans is attacked, young Black Bolt and Maximus spring into action to save their leader! But when Black Bolt loses control, what are the consequences for his future kingdom - and his own family? It's a pivotal moment in Black Bolt and Maximus' lives...and a turning point for the entire Inhuman race! Plus, the teleporting dog has his day as Lockjaw stars in his own uncanny adventures! COLLECTING: INHUMANS: ONCE AND FUTURE KINGS 1-5

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Fiction, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

112 pages, Paperback

First published February 7, 2018

About the author

Formerly (before 1993) known as James or Jim Owsley.

Christopher James Priest is a critically acclaimed novelist and comic book writer. Priest is the first African-American writer and editor for Marvel and DC Comics. His groundbreaking Black Panther series was lauded by Entertainment Weekly and The Village Voice and will serve as the basis for the 2018 Marvel Cinematic Universe adaption.

Besides Black Panther, Priest has written comics for Conan, Steel, Green Lantern, The Crew and edited The Amazing Spider-Man. He also co-created Quantum & Woody along with Mark Bright and co-founded Milestone Media.

After a decade long hiatus he is currently writing comic books again and recently concluded a stint writing the comic book Deathstroke (2016-2019).

In addition to being a writer, Christopher J. Priest is also a baptist minister.

Reviews

[Terence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black Bolt is the King in waiting as the Living Terrigenesis also known as the Unspoken is the regent King. The Unspoken became King after the death of Black Bolt's parents. All has gone well with the arrangement until the alpha primitives attempt to execute the Unspoken. Black Bolt, Maximus, and Medusa are convinced by a smart alpha primitive that their lives are in danger because they embarrassed the Unspoken by saving him. They flee Attilan seeking help.

Inhumans: Once and Future Kings is a story that just seems off. I've read up on the history of the Unspoken and the story simply made him seem vastly different. It largely reads as though it's the Unspoken's own account of the situation. He views himself as a benevolent regent preparing Black Bolt and Maximus to lead.

The story pins the blame largely on the Seeker

while also depicting Medusa as an angry impulsive young woman.


Outside of the strangeness of the story's continuity it was a solid look at the Inhuman Royals. They all get some page time and outside of Medusa's rage they behave in a consistent manner to other stories I've read about them. The story wasn't groundbreaking in any way.

Inhumans: Once and Future Kings is an average take that doesn't seem to agree with prior Inhuman tales.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story: 2 stars

Artwork: 4 stars

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't bad but not mindblowing either.

It's basically a prequel to almost all the Inhumans stories. This is the past, how the group of Inhumans got together, and why Black Bolt really is king. It kind of races through a particularly turning point of the young people's lives and how they became who they were. By the end there's some big changes to the status quo but it's to be expected based on stories we have now.

Good: The art was solid, I also enjoy Priest writing style. It's always very quick and well done. I also enjoyed how the brothers worked together and it only makes it sadder to know what happens to them. I also enjoyed Madusa in here.

Bad: Some of the characters coming together felt forced. I also thought the ending was really rushed. Wasn't a fan of how Spider-man was written here at all.

This was overall decent. Pretty fun and interesting if like INhumans but don't expect to be blown away. A 3 out of 5.

[Blindzider · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad idea, showing the Royal Family as young adults before they became the Royal Family. It's just the story is so short, that you barely get to know them, even though Priest gives them interesting personality quirks and issues. It needs more time to be developed. Also, the story jumps around quite a bit making it a little confusing.

[Joana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, this was a bit confusing and maybe not the best comic to start with if your entire knowledge comes from watching the ABC TV show Inhumans and all the cartoon episodes they ever appeared on. Also I read this to get my fix of Medusa/Black Bolt, because I fell in love with them, and it doesn't really fill that either... But Medusa was AWESOME, the best part - she's one of the things that adds that fourth star. And this book didn't sell me on the rest of the Royal Family, which I kind of want, since on the show didn't deliver them...
But the art was beautiful!!! It's such a different style that I don't see in comics very often, it reminds me more of children's books, but it looks incredibly beautiful (the other thing that gets it those 4 stars)
So, probably wouldn't recommend to newcomers like me... but to others, sure :D

[mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art was BEAUTIFUL, like wow. But... the story was okay, mostly confusing, with some fun parts. Nothing mind blowing, but it was an enjoyable story with the future royals being kids, which is nice.

[Roni · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Inhumans book. Before, I had just read the recent Black Bolt and Karnak series. I was intrigued by this Marvel team mostly because of these two comic-books, and I wanted to get the whole picture.

As I just mentioned, this was pretty much an introduction for me to the Inhumans. In that respect, it was rather satisfying, but the plot was quite weak. It was occasionally hard to follow (maybe because of my ignorance) and the ending felt a bit rushed. Overall, the best part of Christopher Priest's writing is characterization. I easily grasped all the cast members' personalities and relationships, even if their actions were sometimes puzzling. Also, some dialogues were really funny!

I really like Phil Noto's distinctive art style. Alas, at moments, it was too digital, while it generally tries to emulate watercolors, and some scenes looked too sketchy. Apart from that, I loved it. Nick Bradshaw's covers are beautiful, but the characters' looks are completely different from the inside. I suppose it was done on purpose, because colorful super-hero costumes sell better than normal clothes. I find it regrettable.

Regarding the back-ups, they were nice at best. I would have preferred getting two more pages of the main story per issue (that is 10 more pages, which is non-negligible). I adore Lockjaw and he was nothing more than a plot device in the story. The back-ups try to do it justice unsuccessfully.

Finally, I want to comment on the edition. It's insanely thin! The pages are really slim, there are no bonuses apart from a single character design page and the six variant covers are squeezed in two pages. It's just disappointing.

To conclude, this is an entertaining comic-book. It's worth reading, especially if you want to discover the Inhumans, but not only.

[Giorgia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un fumetto interessante che fa luce sul periodo antecedente al regno di Freccia Nera su Attilan, a seguito degli eventi disastrosi avvenuti ai suoi genitori. Mi è molto piaciuto, in realtà, l’approfondimento sulla figura di Maximus, personaggio che ho sempre trovato interessante: qui lo troviamo giovanissimo e già alle prese con gli albori della sua follia.

[Glen Farrelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't sure if it wants to be Young Inhumans and targeted towards tweens or for a more adult audience. Either way, it was entertaining if a bit awkward in its approach and mediocre artwork.

The highlight, without doubt, was Ryan North's hilarious mini Lockjaw comics!

[Jake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started Out Fine, Then It Got A Lot of Distractions

Main reason I read this was because Priest's name was on it. It was a pretty good story of internal politics and how divided it is. But then things got a bit weird when Spider-Man came in. It was like trying to fit in stuff then rushing the ending. Loved the Lockjaw shorts though.

[James Lawner · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2.5*

“If we want to, we can do what kings do. I can feel the earth move when you speak”

I didn’t have much experience with the Inhumans characters, and I thought this might’ve been a decent starting point, because this was a miniseries that was presented as an origins showcase, but sadly, this wasn’t the fantasy epic-style sci-fi romp I was expecting when I started reading it. Things start out really interesting when an attempted assassination/rebellion occurs, but then later on for some reason, the Inhumans are taken to NYC by Kevin Feige (It’s not really Kevin Feige, but the character wears a baseball cap and the way he’s drawn makes him look like Feige lol), and then they work with the Wizard, and the whole plot got weird as there were multiple flashbacks throughout which made the reading experience kind of confusing, and I think this could’ve been fixed if there was better writing/editing. Also, the inclusion of Spider-Man was just unnecessary, just like the trip to NYC. The artwork from Phil Noto is by far the best thing about this miniseries, but the covers for each issue was odd, because it showed the Inhumans as they currently are, but the miniseries is all about those characters before they became established, so what’s up with that? And the Lockjaw one-shot at the end was fun, cute and wholesome with some really nice artwork.

Overall, for a 5-part miniseries, it felt like 4, but it’s still a better story than the Inhumans TV show. I did expect something more epic and grand in scope, like there’s Attilan and all its cool history and culture, and we spend most of the time in NYC?? A real missed opportunity for greatness if you ask me.

[Brandon · Rating 2 out of 5]

An origin story for not just Black Bolt and Maximus, but for the Inhuman Royal Family as a whole! Caught up in some conspiracy for the throne, princes Black Bolt and Maximus are on the run with Medusa, trying to figure out who their enemies are and how to handle it. They run around a bit until they see that it's the final issue of the mini-series and they promptly finish the plot.

This is an interesting idea.

There are some nice moments, with some nods to Marvel continuity with Spider-Man and then the Frightful Four.

But wow this just wasn't very fun to read. It was paced weirdly and didn't really do anything. Black Bolt can speak for most of this volume, which is weird and takes away one of the more itneresting parts of his character. Medusa is affectionately referred to as "jailbait" in one scene and I swear to god if I never see "jailbait" used "as a compliment" in another Marvel comic then I will be happy.

At least Noto's art is great and he occasionally gets to draw some nice action scenes.

[Shyue Chou Chuang · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a story of a young Black Bolt before he assumes the throne. His mad brother, Maximus, is not mad yet but there is the beginnings of his madness. Medusa is a young woman who is not married to Black Bolt as yet. It starts with the usual revolt from the Alpha Primitives, a class of subservient Inhumans in Attilan society. Black Bolt manages to save the king before fleeing to the outside world. There is intrigue and machination. Spider-Man makes an appearance as does the Wizard, also known as Bentley Wittman, a supervillain

What makes this Inhuman comic different is that Black Bolt could actually speak with the use of a neural inhibitor. It seems odd that he doesn't use it to communicate when he doesn't need to use his powers in the other comics.

The artwork is stylised, colourful and rather good. I like it.

The last section has a few cartoon strips of Lockjaw which is charming and funny, certainly more entertaining than the main story.

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, as I would expect from writing and art team of Priest and Noto.
Frankly, it was the best Inhumans story I can recall, and developed from previous continuity quite well, though fifty yeas have gone by like... well, like fifty years. I enjoyed the plot reference to Maximus (a character always tiresome to me) in the Kree-Skrull War backstory of Avengers circa 1971 by Roy Thomas and Neal Adams. I enjoyed Priest's take on the Inhumans slave laborers the Alpha Priatives, and the character development of one who escapes and confronts Inhumans after grad school in NYC.
Witty and well drawn. Wittier, there are two page backups featuring Lockjaw in each of five issues, big fun.
Recommended.
I thank my local comics shop bargain bin for having all five issue/chapters waiting for me to purchase in one pop.

[Matt Drane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Noto’s art is amazing. Priest’s writing is really strong as well, at times even reminiscent of Tom King on the Vision. The only thing keeping it from 5 stars is its tough to figure out when it’s supposed to be set - the Inhuman royal family are teens/young adults in this, but Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four are already around and active? Also, the ending felt a little abrupt, like it could have continued. Maybe there are follow up minis planned.

[Dianaestesia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this art, it was awesome! Maximus was especially well done and I kinda liked him more as a character after reading this.
I really liked the background into the characters too, especially -I can't believe it either- that of Triton.
The dialogue was so fun! And that part with Spiderman and Aunt May too!
What I liked the most: Crystal and Lockjaw! Appreciated that they were curious and adorable.

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea of getting a new look at some of the younger days of the Inhuman Royal Family is a really good. Seeing Maximus and Black Bolt together in a Thor/Loki kind of way is smart. Unfortunately, that's where this falls apart. The antagonists were bland and mostly pointless. The inclusion of a prominent hero added nothing and was actually confusing. The art by Phil Noto was fine but not spectacular. Overall, a missed opportunity.

[B. P. Rinehart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent little introduction of the Inhumans, Marvels not-mutants. Basically a race of humans who long ago had there DNA mutated by aliens. I really only read this book because of Christopher J. Priest and it was decent.

[Mike McDevitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thrills and beautiful art. It's impossible to match this timeline to the original Silver Age which drives me a little mad. For one example, there's a reference to Avengers #93 from 1971 by which time Crystal was not a tiny pre-teen: she had already dated Johnny Storm and was very shortly to marry Quicksilver, and Lockjaw was certainly no puppy either.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Inhummans is not one of the groups that I know a whole bunch about, however I find the very interesting. This was a great introduction to how they came together and what their powers are all about. The story was easy to follow, the graphics are fun and at times a little freaky. The ending leads me to believe that there may be more.

[Juan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a decent story. I certainly appreciated it based on my limited knowledge and familiarity with the Inhumans as a whole. The art was really beautiful. Learning the origins of the Royal family was pretty neat.

The end of book Lockjaw stories were short and funny. All were a pleasant little addition.

[Christian Zamora-Dahmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a huge step up after Soule's run. Christopher Priest did some nice work, here.
The only problem I found was that the story got stretched a bit too far, up to a point that I got a little lost half way...
Still it was an enjoyable read.
Oh, and Phil Noto's art is spectacular. I don't understand why he wasn't given the covers.

[DOUGLAS J BERRY · Rating 5 out of 5]

A different perspective on inhuman history

The lockjaw joke episodes are funny. I thought lockjaw was a handsome Prince who was deformed by the mist? I think that maximas the mad needing a rationale for his madness is just an artist's conceit, he hasn't needed one for decades and now he has a writer who took a class in character motivation, phoeey!

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun book, though I was hoping for a little more from it. At the start, it seemed like Priest was setting up an interesting theme about slavery and free will, but then he didn't really do much with it. It's still more interesting and thoughtful that it probably needed to be.

Phil Noto's art is great. He gives the characters and settings a unique look.

[Mitch Kukulka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stumbles on the landing with a lackluster final issue, though until that point handily succeeds at being one of the single most substantial and skillfully crafted stories within the Inhuman mythos, second only to Saladin Ahmed's ongoing work with Black Bolt.

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe one of my least favorite Priest titles. But I think its because I don't enjoy the Inhumans version that he has to work with.

It feels like a concept similar to the tv show, but actually done better.

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Public library copy.

This was possibly the finest Inhuman book I've ever read. The art by the great Phil Noto is worth having alone. I appreciated a story finally that featured Black Bolt as his disappearance was quite often in other books.

[Adan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An early adventure of the Inhuman royal family written by the amazing Christopher Priest and drawn by the fantastic Phil Noto. Also, the Lockjaw shorts at the end by Ryan North and Gustavo Duarte we’re hilarious!

[Michael Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts strong with some regal Inhuman’s action, set during the reign directly preceding Black Bolt’s, then descends into some comic mischief with Spider-Man and Maximus doing an identity swap before closing the story back in Atilan. The biggest high-point was seeing puppy Lockjaw.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable comic. Plusses include excellent art from Mr. Noto and, surprisingly, more to do than I was expecting for the 'minor' Inhumans. Black Bolt is one of my favourite Marvel characters but I also would like to see more of the brothers, Triton and Karnak.