The Infinity Watch—Volume 1

Comic Info

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #2

Reprints Warlock and the Infinity Watch #1-22 (February 1992-November 1993).  Thanos has been defeated, but the war over the Infinity Gauntlet continues.  When Warlock convinces the cosmic deities to allow him to spread the Infinity Gems among heralds so they are never joined again, the Infinity Watch is formed!  Now Warlock, Drax, Gamora, Pip the Troll, and Moondragon are heralds of the greatest powers in the Universe…but who possesses the Reality Gem?  As Warlock faces a threat he thought he long buried in the Magus, a second danger is arising in a new villain.  Who is the Goddess and what is she planning?

Written by Jim Starlin, The Infinity Watch—Volume 1 collects the Marvel Comics Infinity Gauntlet spin-off title Warlock and the Infinity Watch.  Featuring art by Angel Medina, Rick Leonardi, Tom Raney, Tom Grindberg, Steve Carr, and Deryl Skelton, the issues in the volume include crossovers with Infinity War and Infinity Crusade and were also included in Marvel Firsts:  The 1990s—Volume 1, The Infinity War Omnibus, Marvel Tales:  Thanos, The Infinity War Aftermath, and The Infinity Crusade—Volume 1 among others.

The Infinity Gauntlet was big.  It was a solid story with a great villain and featured some big moments.  Warlock returning as a title character was a natural spin-off for the limited series, but Warlock and the Infinity Watch wasn’t necessarily what was expected.

The first issue of the collection sets up the rest of the series.  Warlock is too powerful and the power needs to be divided.  Once this was established, it was kind of obvious that Drax, Gamora, and Pip would become supporting characters, but the addition of the attitude filled Moondragon was a nice surprise.  The team was later rounded out by the enigma known as Maxam though the first collection also doesn’t deal with the “mystery member” who is in possession of the Reality Gem.

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #8

For what it is, Starlin does a decent job with the volume since he already had a handle on Warlock.  It deals a lot with the past of the characters and how the past cannot be put behind us.  The series is like a lot of 1990s Marvel comics where Marvel was trying to rediscover its identity due to the spin-off of Image Comics which upended the industry and led to the overproduction of comics.  It is amazing that Warlock and the Infinity Watch ran for forty-two issues, but many titles had a better shot at this time to last.

The series also faces the typical problems of “Big Events”.  Not collected in this volume are any of the Infinity War or Infinity Crusade which play important roles in the events going on in the comic.  Unlike something like Infinity, it is less necessary to read Infinity War or Infinity Crusade, but it does enhance the story and fill in gaps (especially the Infinity Crusade which actually crossed over more).

The Infinity Watch—Volume 1 will always be Warlock and the Infinity Watch—Volume 1 to me because the series really was all about Warlock with the Infinity Watch as a supporting group.  The rise of the Marvel movies and interest in the Infinity Gauntlet led to the reprinting of this series as a whole, but it doesn’t necessarily deserve it.  Still, the comic is rather mundane, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously.  Fans of the Avengers films might want to start out with The Infinity Gauntlet and continue on into this series to see where Marvel really went with the story.  The Infinity Watch—Volume 1 continues in Thor:  Blood and Thunder then is followed by The Infinity Watch—Volume 2.

Related Links:

The Infinity Gauntlet

The Infinity War

Thor:  Blood and Thunder