Created by Brian Michael Bendis & Jacob Edgar
Illustrated by Jacob Edgar
Additional art by K. J. Diaz and Joshua Reed
Published by Dark Horse Comics
“Satan has been born.”
Every legend, myth, and movie has a “chosen one.” From Neo to Luke Skywalker, one great soul has always been destined to save the kingdom, galaxy, or universe.
But what happens to these individuals once their time as the chosen one is complete? What would happen if all of the leftover chosen ones met in real life?
Imagine Neo, Luke Skywalker, Dominic Toretto, Harry Potter, Buffy, and Katniss Everdeen in the same room on the same team. What is left for them to do?
In this first volume of The Ones, Bendis and Edgar answer these questions in unexpected and hilarious ways.
In The Ones, a group of eclectic strangers who have in the past been the chosen ones in the face of evil are brought together to defeat the actual chosen one, a reborn Satan the Devil, hellbent on destroying all of reality.
Fans of the genre know that the “chosen one” is easily one of the most overused plot devices in fantasy and fiction. Knowing this, Bendis and Edgar dig in and squeeze out comedy gold.
How would it look if the various chosen ones with wildly different personalities and complex histories all had to work together to defeat the greatest threat to reality? What would a conversation between Harry Potter, Buffy, and Luke Skywalker sound like? What would Katniss think of Dom’s idea of car fast cars and a furious family?
What makes this book work is the interactions of all the unique egos and personalities when they are shoved into a desperate scenario and forced to work together.
I had a blast reading The Ones. Bendis and Edgar collaborate to create a brilliant and giddy fun tome.
Jacob Edgar is best known for his work on books like Batman Adventure, Death to the Army of Darkness, and Red Sonja, bringing a cartoonish style that compliments the action on the page. Diaz’s vibrant colors help keep The Ones a light and comical read, even in darker moments. With heavy subject matters like killing baby Satan in his crib, dealing with a six-year-old who is the embodiment of evil, and thousands being brutally murdered as a pre-adolescent Satan leads his horde across the city as the first leg of his invasion of the universe, the book never feels overwhelmingly dark, gritty, or gloomy. In contrast, the hues and colors comfort the reader, even as brutal violence occurs from frame to frame.
For me, The Ones was a hit from start to finish. Bendis and Edgar introduce the main characters in compelling ways. I am curious not only about each character’s past as the chosen ones of their respective stories but also how they will work together as a super team of chosen ones in the future.
I am not always a fan of Bendis’ work, but he does it with great flair when he hits a concept out of the park.
Final Score: 5 out of 5
