Future Fight Firsts: Crescent And Io #1: I Can Take Care of Myself

First introduced in the Marvel mobile app Future Fight featuring teams of Marvel heroes that players can collect and upgrade, Crescent and Io quickly became fan favorites with their awesome design and remarkable potential for storytelling. Creating an original character for a mobile game was a risk, but as we can see in their very first comic, it sure can pay off!

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m most likely not the target audience for a book like Future Fight Firsts: Crescent And Io #1, and that’s okay. This isn’t a comic that is trying to push the Marvel Universe in new directions or reinvent the wheel in any way. Instead, it’s actually quite simple in its approach due to it’s prominent focus on telling an origin story. Anyone can dive into this comic, whether you played the game and have some familiarity with the character or not, and it’s all the better for it.

Dan Bi may just be a young girl from South Korea, but she has already endured quite a difficult life. With her Mom gone and her Dad struggling with an antique shop, she’s found herself cast aside more often than not and put in the position to take care of herself. One day while at Taekwondo practice things take another turn for the worst with the disappearance of her Dad, and what follows is the classic recipe for a superhero. Family problems, an evil group to rally against and most importantly, a catalyst for powers. In this, the catalyst is a mask that allows Dan Bi to channel a guardian bear named Io. With this power, she defeats the shady people who raided her home but she also learns of her own Dad’s misgivings.

This kicks off an exciting superhero story that finds it’s most important success in capturing a timeless Marvel tone for a relatable superhero with a flair for uniqueness. Dan Bi is a character that is easy to love and the creative team puts her through some pretty rough emotional circumstances to make sure we really care for her struggles. While the visuals are a bit overly simplistic at times, they do a great job of capturing both the innocence and heart this character brings to the table, and doesn’t shy away from the awesome spectacle of her powers when needed.

In just one comic, the creative team lays out the foundation for an entire character, something that isn’t easily done. It’s succinct but remarkably effective. I honestly didn’t expect to find such a well executed comic with a character who is coming from a mobile app. The interactions with Io and Dan Bi, now known as Crescent with the mask, make for an interesting dynamic and Jimmy Woo’s presence opens the story to wonderful depths to bring in the greater Marvel Universe. There’s just a lot to love.

We also get a short story featuring the Future Avengers which ties into the family-focused themes explored in the main story featuring Crescent and Io. While it doesn’t have the titular characters involved, it’s cute and heartfelt enough to still be enjoyable. While I may not be the target audience of a book like this, it’s undeniably a well-executed comic with a character that surely has a bright future at Marvel. Don’t miss out on Future Fight Firsts: Crescent And Io #1 , available on the Marvel Unlimited app to read now!