Inhumans

by Paul Jenkins

Book Overview

The Inhumans are one of Marvel's most enduring oddities. A race of genetic anomalies secluded on their island kingdom of Attilan, their mutations are self-inflicted; as a coming-of-age ritual, each Inhuman exposes themselves to the Terrigen Mists that impart unearthly powers - some extraordinary, some monstrous. But now, Attilan is under attack from without and within. Can the Royal Family, led by the mute Black Bolt, repel the foreign invaders who...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0785197494
• ISBN13: 9780785197492
• Release Date: January 2015
• Publisher: Marvel
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.4" x 10.1"

Customer Reviews

A real treat.

While I have read Marvel Comics for a good portion of my life, my acquaintance to the Inhumans was only through the cursory exposure from various X-Men storylines. I purchased the TPB mostly because of positive reviews and an admiration of Jae Lee's art. Boy am I happy that I did.This work serves as a superb demonstration of what the comic book can achieve as an art form. The multiple story arcs all hold the reader's interest well. The writing is tight and tells a surprisingly complex story in 12 issues with few wasted words/frames. Jenkins manages to introduce the book's characters and backgrounds in a natural, uncontrived manner, which is a rare feat in this medium.The artwork is a pure joy. Jae Lee's style fits the material and sets the mood perfectly. The amount of detail in each frame, especially involving facial expressions, is remarkable and goes a long way to drive the storyline.If I have one criticism, it would be that certain elements of Jenkins' writing style are overused throughout the book and become slightly irritating. Still, this book easily ranks as one of the best TPBs I have ever picked up.

INHUMANS BLENDS THE BEST OF COMICS AND SCI-FI!!!

The Inhumans by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee is an incredible work. Told in 12 chapters, the story takes a bit of time to unfold and new readers will need a while to familiarize themselves with all of the characters. But once these two areas are handled...get ready for a fun ride.It's impossible to describe the depth of this story. What other writers would present as a simple battle between government soldiers and a race of super-powered beings...Paul Jenkins pulls so much more from. There is slavery, penance, insanity, forgiveness, shame, understanding, heroism, loyalty, blind loyalty, manipulation, emancipation, love, and then there is family.What makes The Inhumans work so well beyond the immense story is the uniqueness of the characters. The race of inhumans each have their own individuality expressed in their dialogue, their actions, and most powerfully in their appearence. What we might view as deformed...they would view as beautiful...two worlds that meet through a mirror (a symbol that is touched upon in the narrative). Pages could be written about these characters but then that would spoil the read and discovery so I'll confine mine to two characters.TRITON - In what is probably the strongest chapter of the book, this character reflects back on his witnessing of the sinking of the Lusitania. It was his first encounter with humans in a positive light and lead him to think and rethink his thoughts on these creatures of a different race. The paintings of Triton standing on the decks of the Lusitania in present day are haunting.BLACK BOLT - The king of the Inhumans who is not permitted to speak because his vocal cords can decimate mountains. He is also not permitted thought balloons because that would rob the character of so much. With the powerful king we have a character that will make you think. The weight of his people rests on his shoulders, and because of his complete lack of dialogue we are kept in the dark as to his motivations just as his closest family members are. Here is a character that could not exist in any other medium save the realm of the comic book (graphic novel to the elite). I found myself staring at every panel with this wonderful character present. The embrace between brothers Black Bolt and 'Mad' Maximus was especially gripping.All in all I can not praise Inhumans enough. It has a creative energy that helps it stand apart from the typical superhero storyline. Much like each citizen of Attilan, there will never be another story like Inhumans.Will you love it on the first read? Maybe not. Will you think about it when it's all over...definately. Will you want to return for another read?

READ INHUMANS!

This superbly crafted work of super-heroic fiction collects Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee's inspiring 12-issue maxi-series 'Inhumans.'No doubt this earns a place on the shelf against the likes of Watchmen, Maus, From Hell and select others. Certainly one of the better books of sequential art. An extraordinary team-up of writer/artist. Very few mesh so well together to drive the story to levels that render emotional vehemence whilst providing undaunted prose (so clearly displayed in issue #9).No knowledge of Marvel history/continuity is needed. Please read also 'Sentry' of the same creators. Look for it, it will be here soon.

You won't be disappointed

I'm not exagerating when I say that this is pretty near the best comic story I have ever read. The only thing that could compare is Frank Miller's work on Batman and Sin City. The first thing to catch my eye was Jae Lee's artwork. I still think of his work on WildCATs Trilogy as some of the worst art I have ever seen. But with each new page of Inhumans, I was blown away by his dark, forboding style. He has refined his technique into a thing of true beauty. The story, however, is what truly sets Inhumans apart. Paul Jenkins is able to juggle an incredible number of complex characters while still dealing with issues of racism, classism, fear, and hatred. Somehow, he handles so much and still prevents the story from ever becoming bogged down. Through it all, he uses a technique rarely found in comics today, subtlety. If you like comics, buy this. If you just enjoy a good story, buy this. If you know how to read, for Pete's sake, buy this. As a final sidenote, Lee and Jenkins are presently three issues into a five issue series for Marvel called "Sentry." If you have the ability to get your hands on them, I highly recommend these as well. Keep and eye on these two boys, they are by far the best Marvel has to offer.