Impossible Inc #1 “The impossible isn’t a limitation, it’s an invitation,” starts us off with the hope of wild, thought trips to come.
Number Horowitz lives in the Impossibuilding, HQ of her father who went missing 15 years before. The Non-Local Express returned without him. The Express journeys through the Infinite Spiral. The spiral connects multiple levels of reality providing adventures across dimensions, worlds and time. I almost put “time and space” but that would be the Tardis.
As we’re told this, the Express returns once again, this time with a grown-up Number and her colleague, Buddy Genius. He’s an orphan Number’s father saved. He and Number are around the same age.
They bicker back and forth, as the train has returned to the wrong location, but both have feelings for each other that nearly make it to the surface in this issue.
The other main cast members are Elias Walter, a wheelchair user who was Number’s best friend and lab assistant and Aunt Cybill. Like her Greek namesakes, she has prophetic visions.
As the non-local express is the train used by Doctor Mayavale, it’s clear that Cybill is this series’ version of Nura Nal. Deva is the AI programmed by Number’s dad. She’s a support character this issue, but that might change.
Of the characters, Number’s dad is the one I’m not terribly interested in. I’m might be more interested in any quest to find him, rather than what happens afterwards.
The train reminds grumpy locals of why they love the city. Their reactions are a quick reminder of the residents of Astro City. An ad in the subway, and a design on Buddy’s dressing gown later introduces a character with “Saviour” in his name. Possibly a character in the city, or a fiction within a fiction. Time will tell.
Number’s tragic origin and status in an opening issue isn’t that unique (lost parent, fantastic four backdrop etc.) But one of the best parts of the issue is the interplay between the cast, that gives the book more depth than a solitary quest.
Number is grumpy on her return. She keeps thinking she’ll see her dad, and sulks past the others. But DeMatteis gives her some self-awareness and the rest of the cast strong enough personalities, that Number isn’t left as a one note character. There lingering feelings of her loss, but she knows she has support.
A building relationship between her and Buddy might have provided a bigger payoff later. The two can’t sleep after their last trip, and Number’s sadness makes her think again about following the Express’ last trip with her father. Both she and Buddy come up with the idea. One of the issue’s strengths is that no character looks unimportant. Sure, it’s Number’s story.
Yet Buddy has the same idea, and we get some backstory that he has lost his parents. DeMatteis is conscious of infodumps and has Number cut Buddy off before he gives us one. A nice nod, but Buddy still got to give us
some information that they both already knew.
Number and Buddy find Elias and Cybill waiting for them on the train. Cybill had a vision, but both knew that the kids weren’t far away from trying this. I’m not quite sure how it took them so long to think of this plan either. You’d have thought finding out where the train went last time would already have been investigated.
Another little twist has Number about to argue her case for going, only for Elias to take her side and go with them. That’s one reason they were waiting. DeMatteis gives us a glimpse of angstier, confrontational plotlines to move away into some stronger characterisation instead.
Higher dimensional forces are toxic to Cybill. It’s a shame, as it might limit her involvement in later adventures. It also means that Mayavale is going to have to come to
herThe three depart and we get a splash page of the Infinite Spiral. “Perhaps the I.S. is what the Hindus call Brahmin or what the physicist David Bohm dubbed the Implicate Order. Or perhaps it’s an ineffable something that can never be truly named.”
It’s a page of pure DeMatteis thought, that underpins so many of his stories. And it compliments Mayavale’s train and Nura’s stand in perfectly.
But the journey does not go as planned and we end on a cliffhanger that’s heavily overshadowed the issue, yet seems surprising to have at the end of only the first issue. All will not be as it seems.
Next issue promises us The Time Termites!
SummaryThe premise behind the main character isn’t that unique, and is ground that’s been covered from Fantastic Four to First Family to a few indies with female leads and lost fathers.
The relationship between Number and Buddy might have been subtler, but the first issue might have wanted to make it more obvious as a way of strongly establishing the subplot.
Cavallaro’s art is a bit cartoony for me, but that’s just me taking a little longer to get into it. The backgrounds and effects are nice. That can be tough if DeMatteis is going to go all cosmic in this series.
There’s one character who overshadows the issue, and the cliff hanger seems too convenient plot wise. That could mean it’s a bait and switch for something yet to be revealed. I hope so.
The concepts behind the story’s universe have been with DeMatteis a very long time. From the references used, they have developed and that’s going to be a big plus. The Infinite Spiral offers huge storytelling potential will have thought a lot of the structure through.
Character interaction is the other big plus. Had it just been Number and Buddy, I’d have been less interested. Cybill and Elias provide ways of getting beneath Numbers’ feelings and both are developed and strong enough to feel fully part of the book.
It’s an enjoyable first issue, with plenty of potential and not much in the way of weak links. The plot moves at a good pace, it has huge scope, interesting concepts and a mostly interesting cast. No threat has been established yet, but we’re being led towards that at the end. Score: 4 – so I’ll be picking up #2!
I can see at least a couple of ways to bring in a certain shape changer and a martial artist in what we’ve been given. I can but dream of a Mayavale reunion!
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