MARCO SPEAKS SPIDEY- Fortnite X Marvel: Zero War (2022) #1 REVIEW

I’ll be very honest with you. I am a long-time gamer, and I have never shied away from a good challenge. Whether it’s an epic Souls game like this year’s Elden Ring, or a grindy rogue-like dungeon-crawler like Hades, death never fazes me. I love the challenge, and nothing ever stops me from finishing and completing the game. But Fortnite just never clicked with me… or my skillset. I also don’t like the feeling of an endless loop. Repetition is fine, as long as it is all for a grand ending to the story. Don’t get me wrong. I love the game, what it has done for the pop-culture scene, and I appreciate the young talent involved, making waves on their channels and streams. But the Battle- Royale genre simply just may not be my cup of tea. But if you combine comic books and Fortnite, plus you have Spider-Man cast as the leading man… then sign me up, because this might be the only chance I get to have an enjoyable Fortnite experience.

OFFICIAL MARVEL COMICS DESCRIPTION:

Published:

June 08, 2022

Writer:

Christos Gage

Penciler:

Sergio Davila

Cover Artist:

Leinil Francis Yu

THE MARVEL UNIVERSE COLLIDES WITH FORTNITE! The inhabitants on the Island are locked in what seems like a never-ending war, and only one thing has the potential to turn the tide – a crystallized fragment of the Zero Point that was cast into the Marvel Universe. Spider-Man and Wolverine team up with several Fornite fighters and new recruit Shuri to hunt down the elusive Zero Shard. Will these allies be able to find it in time and avert catastrophe? And can the heroes of the Marvel and Fortnite realities hold off the Imagined Order long enough to give them a fighting chance? Epic Games’ Chief Creative Officer, Donald Mustard, teams up with veteran Marvel writer Christos Gage (SPIDER-GEDDON, AVENGERS ACADEMY) and artist Sergio Dávila (CAPTAIN MARVEL) for a five-part crossover event with enormous ramifications for both universes! Each first print issue contains a redeemable code to unlock a bonus digital cosmetic in Fortnite! See issue for details.

PROS:

• Well, obviously, the fact that Spider-Man is the main protagonist and he gets most of the spotlight will be a top selling-point to whoever is reading this. The entire first chapter involves Spider-Man trying to convince Wolverine, and the rest of Marvel’s greatest heroes, that they need to assemble and help out the Fortnite Universe, since all of reality is on the line. Even Spider-Man says it himself, in this opening salvo, expressing how he is not used to being the one calling the shots. But it is ultimately a very fun experience seeing Spider-Man leading the way, although he will be sidelined somewhat because of a very special mission assigned to him. But it is still an honor to see him doing his usual quips, jokes, and banter with anybody and everybody.
• This comic book does an excellent job of showing frustrated Fortnite players how deep a story and background the franchise actually has, priding itself with many characters, origin stories, and plot twists. This is not a battle royale just for the sake of being a battle royale. There are reasons behind the framework, and consequences to every action. And this can mean life or death for most parties involved.
• Marvel had to do it! They had to end the first issue with Doctor Doom joining the dark side and allying himself with the main villains. Of course, knowing Doom, we never expect his loyalty to last very long in circumstances like this. But nevertheless, adding Doom as a major baddie adds gravitas to a comic book that some readers or fans may ignore, simply because it is associated with a video game like Fortnite.

CONS:

• While the creative team does an excellent job of going deep into the Fortnite lore, the explanation of it all can at times be very messy and hard to catch up with. For the older generations not so invested in Fortnite, it may prove extremely difficult to understand all the backstory being offered by the Fortnite soldiers.
• I also would have appreciated the art more if it leaned more heavily toward the video-game, cartoonish, approach of the battle royale. It does not have to be a 100% replica or copycat of the game’s art-style, but I am hoping they can throw in a few more artistic choices that will make you feel like you are playing a special Story Mode of the video game.
• The little glowing orb was not very impressive as the supposed source of all reality. That was it??? Just sayin’.

FINAL GRADE: B

This may not be for everybody, but if you’re a fan of either Spider-Man or Fortnite, this may still prove to be a fun, enjoyable reading experience. Let me know what you think!