Infiniteens #1
Story and Art: Zeu
Lettering: IK Comics
IK Comics
Cover Price: $1.00; Available Now

It has been eighteen years since the Vitori-Shears Barrier was broken through, and the ensuing rift released superparticles across the entire world. The result was over two million “event children” or “event freaks” as they would despairingly come to be known as. These superpowered freaks, with abilities that are limited only by the imagination, have strewn anarchy across the entire world. Boston, New York, and Los Angeles now lie in ashes, and are just a few of the victims to the constant battles of the failing governments and military against the event freaks.

But in Cape Ruseur, a small town that has evaded much of the strife plaguing the rest of the country, four teenagers that have been charged by the superparticles are honing the powers that they have been given. They call themselves The Infiniteens, and they are about to become the first true superhero team on the planet, and offer a glimmer of hope and a supercharged helping hand amidst the rampaging chaos.

In the world of the Infiniteens, superpowers are put into a very negative light, and those that have been given these powers are put under harsh scrutiny as to what they would do and how those that were unaffected would react. Single-named creator Zeu, who both writes and does the artwork for the book, paints a very pessimistic view of just what would happen. Rather than the roughly 50/50 good and evil split seen in say the X-Men universe, Zeu’s vision is nothing but anarchy, destruction, and death. Those that are affected become egomaniacs and raging engines, with the most powerful seeing themselves as gods. Zeu also eludes to the superparticles driving almost all of those that have been affected to madness eventually, which certainly doesn’t help things.

With issue one, Zeu introduces to us in this war-torn world some new terminology to make the story unique and to help it stand out against the scores of other superhuman comic books currently available. Zeu also uses some brilliant exposition sneakily placed in the conversations. While the characters are merely making a brief reference to a current event, to the reader it helps to paint a very deep and bleak image of the world that has been created as a result of the rift being opened. For now, Zeu has chosen to leave these images of endless wastelands that were once cities and countless dead to the reader’s imagination, who are surely able to conjure up a much darker vision than anything seen in an art panel.

Despite the overtly negative tones and reigning chaos that has been unleashed on the Earth, Zeu’s artwork is surprisingly cheerful and colorful. And whether or not Zeu is trying to make a statement as to the “reality” of what would happen if humans suddenly had superpowers in his writing, Zeu certainly knows how to draw some very flashy superhero action, bring to the page some incredible character designs, and let loose some great sound-effects that ripple in big block letters across the entire page. His oversaturation of comic book motifs even goes so far as to throw off the balance of his critical eye at the madness brought on by absolute power.

Superhero books may be the hardest book to bring new readers to. Everyone has their diehard favorite characters and universes, and may be reluctant to let themselves get caught up in another world and invest time and emotion in new characters, only to be disappointed. Infiniteens is such a series that should be given a chance to catch on. Zeu’s writing style is optimistic and playful, which works as dynamic contrast to the harsh world he has created. With issue one, he has started to mold some quite likeable main characters, and given a glimpse at some truly despicable villains that should prove to be just as exciting to watch unfold.

Infiniteens #1 is available exclusively as a download from IK Comics.