DMC Presents: Marvel Makes A Violent Family Drama For The Vision

Welcome to the inaugural “DMC Presents:” a new weekly column looking at some of the best comics out on the shelves today. My name is Chris Proulx and I am the co-owner of Double Midnight Comics. Our shop has been around for over 13 years and I have been an avid comic book reader for over 30 years. While this is technically a review column the goal here is to promote some great books that might be flying under your radar. As a comic book store owner I regularly get asked “what’s good” or “what should I be reading.” I love talking comics and introducing readers to new cool material!

This week my pic of the week is Marvel’s Vision #3. The Vision is written by Tom King with art by Gabriel Hernandez Walta and Jordie Bellaire. It’s not your typical Marvel series and stands out in the latest Marvel relaunch wave. Warning: there are plot spoilers for the issue going forward.

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In the series thus far, the Vision has settled down in suburban Washington D.C. with a wife and family he created. Following Secret Wars, the Vision had his hard drive rebooted removing all emotional attachments and he created an android wife, daughter and son to create a “normal” life for himself. He works during the day in the capitol and his kids attend school where they try to fit in even though they are clearly more advanced than kids their age.

The Vision kids don’t fit in at school and the family doesn’t fit in with their neighbors. No one quite knows what to make of the family of androids pretending to be humans. One evening while the Vision is away his family is attacked by the Grim Reaper who is upset that the Vision has created his artificial family based on his brother’s (Wonder Man) brain waves (the brain on which the Vision’s own mind was based). When the Reaper attacks the daughter Viv, the Vision’s wife Virginia acts as any mother would and acts to protect her daughter. The Reaper manages to badly damage Viv which causes Virginia to go into a fit of rage and kill the Reaper. When the Vision returns home Virginia covers up the murder.

The writing by King on the book is fantastic — the family tries to be normal but their detachment from humanity is creepy. The Vision wants everyone to be a big happy family but the discrimination they face makes them one incident away from committing some terrible act. The art by Walta and Bellaire perfectly captures the not-quite-human feel of the Vision family. So do yourself a favor and give this series a try. Hell, Marvel loves the book so much they threw the first issue in for free with this week’s Spider-Man/Deadpool #1!

Here’s hoping everyone has a super new comic book day and remember if there is a book you love share it with the world! We’ll see you next week!

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Chris Proulx is one of the founders and owners of Double Midnight Comics, a comic book, collectibles and gaming store with locations in Manchester and Concord, NH.