The latest one shot from Marvel in the new Infinity format asks a very simple question:
Who is Kang?
It’s a question Marvel really wants you to ask. Especially, since Kang, the Conqueror is being set up as the Big Bad for the next couple of phases of the MCU starting with the upcoming Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and presumably ending with Avengers: Kang Dynasty.
Kang is a pretty deep-cut villain for the casual Marvel fan, but then again so was Thanos back in 2012 and now there are thousands of Thanos Snap memes online. This comic is a nice intro point for those who had their first encounter with him in the finale of the Loki TV show.
The brief story recounts the tale of Kang, a time traveler from the future, where he was known as Nathaniel Richards. Bored by the stagnant, perfect world he lived in, Kang yearned for the age of heroes and their ambitions and passions. Using the technology of his era, he developed time travel so he could go back to Earth’s past and conquer it.
But, after conquering, comes rule and Kang quickly grows bored of that. (I mean, he conquers ancient Egypt with a flying sphinx that shoots laser beams. That’s way more fun than levying grain taxes.) So, the solution he comes up with is endless conquest.
The story by Rich Douek recounts some of Kang’s greatest encounters with the Fantastic Four and the Avengers. It also details the one-time death of his love, Ravonna, setting up his desire to conquer this world and all its divergent timelines.
I’d also like to commend the artwork by Ramón F. Bachs, who wonderfully understands the strengths of the Infinity format, which is a vertically scrolling format designed for smartphones and tablets. Bachs has created a seamless scroll that blends one scene into the next, almost as if it were one continual panel. It looks great, and I hope she’ll work more in this format.
Overall, for anyone unfamiliar with the character, and who really is asking “Who is…Kang?” this is a great introduction.
WHO IS…? KANG INFINITY COMIC #1
Issue 1 launched on Wednesday, January 25
Writer: Rich Douek
Artist: Ramón F. Bachs
Colorist: Pete Pantazis
Editor: Mark Basso
