Welcome to an all-new edition of Parlay Points, the comic book review blog to the ODPH Podcast!

For this edition, we’re checking out a highly successful kickstarter project coming out by way of Alpha Comic Books. With a new superhero universe being born known as “The Alpha Universe”, the expectations are high for this very new independent publisher. Fans have caught wind of Alpha’s moves and fully backed their initial campaign book.

In this day and age of kickstarters being a gateway into readers hands, it is no small feat to have a successful campaign. There has to be something special in the project to connect with fans. Otherwise, it could be grounded before it ever takes off.

The Cardinal #1 by Mason Solimine, Flaviu Pop, Bryan Magnaye, and Mike Bui (Edited by Daniel Calvo and Steve Colle) cleared its goal and is now making its way into comic fans collections. Let’s see how the birth of the Alpha Universe shapes up, shall we?

***The Cardinal #1 by Mason Solimine, Flaviu Pop, Bryan Magnaye, and Mike Bui (Edited by Daniel Calvo and Steve Colle - Credit: Aplha Comics)***

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

The story begins in Dallas, Texas. A costumed figure is rushing into dangers way. He is talking himself up to boost his confidence. Waiting for him are three armed robbers holding up hostages inside a bank. With the help of someone off-site, the costumed hero crashes into the bank and takes out some of the robbers with relative ease. It is a benefit to have super powers in this situation.

After freeing the hostages, an officer asks what happened. One hostage says “He Saved Us….The Cardinal”.

Back inside the bank, The Cardinal is dodging bullets with enhanced reflexes. One assailant decides to end things once and for all. He sets off a time bomb inside the bank. Knowing the risks, The Cardinal grabs the bomb and flies it into the sky. The blast goes off without hurting anyone. Once back on the ground, The Cardinal assists in helping the police wrap the situation up before flying away.

It is at this moment that the Cardinal is revealed to be Terrence Eckard, a high school senior. His partner off-site is his sister Sienna. While saving the day, he almost misses another big moment: His high school graduation.

While walking for his diploma, Terrence takes the readers into a dive of his past. It is a tragic tale of family and loss. What happened in his past to define his future? Another time jump happens to where readers start piecing some of the puzzle behind the hero together.

Can Terrence make triumph out of tragedy? One night changes everything as the journey into a hero’s origin begins in the final act. The final panels leave no doubt that there is many miles to soar before the final stage has been landed.

Solimine lays a solid base, breaking this debut into three separate stories. The introduction is everything you would expect out of a superhero story. There is action and heroics clearly felt with each page. The only draw back here is The Cardinal does a lot at once and there’s no clear cut definition of powers. It’s nothing that will take away from the story. Terrence’s “Pep Talk” at the beginning is a nice touch considering what readers find out later.

The dives into his back story makes for a compelling glimpse into what defines his character. The initial flashback or Second story sets up for a few doorways for future events. Solimine ties in deep tragedy with a connection that readers will gravitate with.

The closing act plays more into the present bookending the chapter for now. There is a LOT of unanswered clues to the mystery at hand. Being the first issue, this is expected, so as things progress, readers should expect more things to be clearly established. Overall, it was a step in the right direction with much room to grow.

Pop excels at the action panels for this story. There is a high energy to the fight sequences. This is easily displayed during the bullet hurdling moments at the bank. Going into Terrence’s back story, Pop (with split coloring duties from Magnaye and Bui) gave the panels a defined balance with the emotional reactions of events. This is very noteworthy in the first flashback tale. By the time the issue hits the closing act, Pop ramps up the tempo leading to some great final panels to set the stage for the next installment.

FINAL POINT: 8 OUT OF 10

The debut of the Alpha Universe shows promise with its introduction into the land of superheroes. Solimine, Pop and the team deliver on a tale which leaves much room to spread its’ wings. There is enough substance within the starting point of Terrence Eckard’s journey to come back for round two, so keep on the lookout to see when The Cardinal is flying next on Kickstarter.

Hit me up on ODPH social media and let me know what you thought of The Cardinal #1. Thanks for reading.