Marvel’s latest crossover Original Sin has begun within the Marvel Universe and the Infinite Comics line is getting involved with a story focusing on the Secret Avengers working to stop the fallout from the main event. But is Original Sin: Secret Avengers #1 Infinite a worthy addition to this new event or is it a sin all on its own?

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Ales Kot
Artist: Mast & Geoffo (storyboard artists), Ryan Kelly (penciler/inker), Lee Loughridge (colour artist), VC’s Clayton Cowles (letterer)
Price: £1.49/$1.99 from ComiXology or from the Marvel Comics app

Original Sin: Secret Avengers #1 is the Infinite comics line’s installment in Marvel’s current big event which sees agents Nick Fury and Phil Coulson attempt to contain an information leak, the result of action which has occurred during the main event.

The story begins with the explosion of the Watchers eye (as detailed in the Original Sin main story) occurring in the middle of New York, saturating many innocent people in the blast radius with all the Watcher has seen throughout his life. It is one of these individuals, armed with the knowledge of a dangerous scientists location, who decides to sell what he has learned to the highest bidder. What follows is Fury, responsible for the scientists safe keeping, and his buddy Coulson racing around to contain the release of the data before the knowledge of said scientist falls into the wrong hands.

While this description of the story may imply a very frenetic adventure, the issue itself, unfortunately, feels very rushed and even a little bit forced. The story is incredibly difficult to read, with no proper pacing in place, despite the cinematic quality of the infinite comics motional medium. Also, parts of the story, such as the opening narrator or the villains motives toward the end, are not fully fleshed out which influences the story with confusion, hindering its enjoyment.

The only redeeming feature here has got to be the artwork, which the creative team behind put a generally good job to bring to the (digital) pages. Mast, Geoffo and the rest of the team create high quality panels which perfectly utilise the motion comic aspect that the infinite line uses and allow for a degree of fluidity which the story itself may lack. However, toward the end the quality does seem to falter, but overall the art comes across as good work.

“Original Sin: Secret Avengers #1 Infinite is a title which feels very superfluous to both the ongoing series and Original Sin, created solely to cash in on the hype surrounding the summer event. Completionists may want to purchase this just to say that they have picked up everything, but the biggest sin throughout Original Sin: Secret Avengers #1 may be the fact that this issue was published.”