It’s Nature Vs. Nurture In Infinity Wars: Weapon Hex #1
by James Ferguson
In the castle at Mount Wundagore, magic and science is melded together to create a vessel for the evil Mephicthton. Scientists Sarah and Herbert take matters into their own hands for the 23rd attempt, using their own DNA to create a suitable vessel. The child, named Laura is trained from birth to wield powerful magics in a berserker rage. Oh, and she has claws for some reason. She is Weapon Hex.
While Laura is obviously a driving force in Infinity Wars: Weapon Hex, the relationship between her parents wrestles for the spotlight. It’s clear that they have two very different perspectives as to how to handle Laura. Sarah takes a maternal approach, raising her as her own flesh and blood, while Herbert only refers to the girl as an “it.” This creates an interesting dynamic as the story unfolds and makes Laura a more sympathetic character overall.
Since this series spins out of Infinity Wars after Gamora has merged half the souls in the universe with the other half, Weapon Hex’s design is a mixture of X-23 and the Scarlet Witch. The upper body of the costume is more like Wolverine, complete with the signature mask, while an open skirt covers the bottom half.
Artist Gerardo Sandoval captures the mindless rage that Laura can sometimes fall into. There is no doubt that she is incredibly dangerous when this spell falls over her. Otherwise, she looks like a vulnerable young woman learning where she fits in the world. It’s a nice balance that brings out a lot within the character.
Sandoval’s panel layouts are outstanding and really amplify the action sequences. The borders are rougher when the violence heats up, like they’re having trouble containing the bloodshed within. The layout gets more varied when a battle commences, then falls back into a more traditional style during the dialogue-driven scenes.
Writers Ben Acker & Ben Blacker came up with a number of hex-themed puns for the names for Laura’s spells, like “Hex marks the spot” and “Hexual healing.” These appear in a font similar to the title card for Stranger Things. Letterer Joe Caramagna uses some expert placement that draws just enough attention to these fun titles without taking away from the focus of the action.
Laura’s claws light up with magic energy when she rushes into combat. Colorist Israel Silva makes these sequences light up with fiery reds. You can imagine her claws burning a hole through anything they touch. This light contrasts well with the dark crimson of the blood she sheds.
These side mini-series, like Soldier Supreme and Iron Hammer help flesh out the wide alternate world that’s spun out of Infinity Wars. Weapon Hex is no different. It shows that this concept is full of storytelling possibilities. This debut issue ends in a great cliffhanger that introduces yet another mash-up that’s sure to shake things up considerably.
Infinity Wars: Weapon Hex #1 from Marvel Comics is currently available at your local comic shop and digitally through ComiXology and Amazon Kindle.
