For years, comic book fans have known David Marquez as a premier artist, an Eisner-nominated and New York Times-bestselling talent who has defined the look of iconic characters in blockbuster titles like Marvel’s Miles Morales: Spider-Man and DC’s Batman/Superman. With The UnChosen, Marquez ventures into new territory, taking full creative control as both writer and artist for his first creator-owned project. The series has a unique history, beginning its life on the digital subscription platform Zestworld before being re-packaged by Image Comics as a four-issue print miniseries. This transition from a serialized webcomic to the traditional Western format leads to a debut that is brimming with fascinating ideas but struggles to give them all room to breathe.
The UnChosen #1 throws readers into a compellingly disorienting narrative split across two distinct timelines, marked simply as “Then” and “Now.” In the “Then” segments, we meet 13-year-old Aida as she awakens alone in the center of a massive crater, a survivor in a post-apocalyptic world with no memory of her past. She is immediately thrust into a conflict beyond her comprehension, hunted by soldiers and caught between two factions of superpowered beings. The “Now” timeline shifts to what is implied to be a later period, with Aida enrolled in a mysterious boarding school for “gifted” children. These students are being trained to master a power called “The Word,” but Aida is an outcast, unable to manifest the same abilities as her peers. Her rebellious and defiant personality quickly puts her at odds with both the school’s hierarchy and the resident bully, Ezra.
The central mystery of The Unchosen is undeniably compelling. First, we don’t know what exactly “The Word” is and what it can do. Then, we don’t understand what event created the crater and how it’s connected to Aida. Finally, there’s no explanation of who the two superpowered factions are and why they are after the girl. We only know that one of them is led by Aida’s apparent protectors, Alex and Vasha. Marquez skillfully plants these narrative seeds, creating a strong incentive to see how they blossom. Plus, the revelation that the authority figures from Aida’s school are the very same people who rescue her in the apocalyptic wasteland forges a fascinating link between the fractured timelines.
However, for all its narrative hooks, The UnChosen #1 feels overambitious and, at times, convoluted. For starters, the issue juggles the familiar tropes of a magic school story with a dense post-apocalyptic sci-fi mystery, and not knowing how the two are related leads to a disjointed feeling. In addition, since the first issue doesn’t explain the state of this post-apocalyptic world, we get no idea of what the major threats of The Unchoosen are. Furthermore, while the fighting scenes take a fair number of pages and are visually spectacular, the powers of each combatant remain frustratingly vague. Characters unleash brilliant blasts of energy, but without a clear understanding of the rules of their abilities, the stakes of these conflicts are diminished. If we can’t tell who can do what, there’s no sense of real danger. This clunky pace may be a casualty of adapting a story from a serialized webcomic into a condensed print format, as what might have worked in digestible online chapters feels overwhelming in a single issue. Still, it is an issue worth noting.
Where The Unchosen unequivocally shines is in its artwork. Marquez’s illustration, heavily influenced by the dynamism of manga, is on full display and is the book’s greatest strength. The action sequences are a whirlwind of motion, with fluid choreography and explosive energy effects that leap off the page. This is perfectly complemented by Marissa Louise’s color work, which brilliantly defines the tone of each timeline. The “Then” sequences are rendered in dusty, washed-out ochres and grays, emphasizing the desolation of the world, while the “Now” school scenes, though still tense, are given a richer palette filled with lush green that sets them apart.
Ultimately, The Unchosen #1 is a visually stunning debut that offers a wealth of intriguing concepts. While it may buckle slightly under the weight of its own ambition, its central mystery and breathtaking artwork make it a compelling, if flawed, start to a promising miniseries.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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