There are plenty of criticisms that can be thrown at Marvel’s preferential treatment of the Inhumans over the last few years, but there’s also no denying that some of Marvel’s most compelling new characters have been born from the Inhumans push. Heroes like Kamala “Ms. Marvel” Khan and Lunella “Moon Girl” Lafayette are being introduced in their own ongoing series, which is already a big deal considering how rarely new characters get the ongoing spotlight, but even moreso because these are characters of color. Next month, Morris Sackett joins Kamala and Lunella with the release of Mosaic #1, and while he’s already made an appearance in Uncanny Inhumans, this will be the first time readers get a deeper understanding of his character.
Writer Geoffrey Thorne, artist Khary Randolph, and colorist Emilio Lopez are bringing the adventures of Mosaic to the page, and this unlettered preview of October’s Mosaic #1 suggests that it’s going to be an exciting series brimming with energy. The free Mosaic prelude Marvel offered this summer shows that Thorne has a strong handle on Morris’ distinct voice and can tell fun, thrilling spy stories, and Randolph and Lopez bring incredible energy to the script with detailed, stylized linework and bold coloring. That energy is on full display in these preview pages of the ongoing’s first issue, and Randolph’s dramatic composition accentuates the exhilaration of a game-winning slam-dunk and the terror of a high-rise freefall.
The creative team has made it clear in interviews that Mosaic’s body-hopping superpowers will be used to explore deeper issues about identity (much like Ms. Marvel and Moon Girl), and having a creative team of color explore a black superhero’s identity crisis is an admirable decision from Marvel editorial. Hopefully the readers wishing for more diverse representation on and off the page will check out Mosaic #1 when it hits stands on October 12, because Marvel will only become more inclusive if it sees that inclusion is financially lucrative. That’s a sad truth of the entire entertainment industry, and ideally projects like Mosaic will find an audience so more projects like it can be made in the future.