Juggernaut #1

The Juggernaut gets a new purpose in Juggernaut #1, by writer Fabian Nicieza, artist Ron Garney, colorist Matt Milla, and letterer Joe Sabino. This issue presents a very different look at the Juggernaut, and it looks to be building a very interesting story.

Juggernaut is working for Damage Control, destroying buildings destroyed in hero-villain conflicts when he’s attacked by some squatters, one of whom has powers. In a flashback, Magik has left Juggernaut powerless in Limbo, and he begins to journey his way out. In the present, Juggernaut hunts down the squatters and is attacked again by the one with powers. He realizes her power decelerates objects and keeps moving towards her, overwhelming her powers. She lets off, and he springs forward, smashing into a wall and accidentally burying her under some rubble. He digs her out and takes her to the hospital, staying with her until she wakes up. He tells her he can get her to Krakoa, but she says she’s not a mutant. He tells her he knows what it’s like to be powerless and tells her about his time in Limbo and how he wants to help her. She tells him that their fight got her RoxTube channel a million views and that if they work together, he can be a hero and shows him who they should go after- the Hulk.

Nicieza showcases a very different side of Juggernaut, one most readers haven’t seen before- a tender side. Even when he’s with the X-Men, Juggernaut is the big, brash bruiser, a mouthy tough guy who punches first and might ask questions at some point in the future. The only time he ever showed a modicum of tenderness was with Sammy, the fish boy during Chuck Austen’s abysmal Uncanny X-Men run. For readers to see Juggernaut the way, he’s presented in this issue- as a morose employee who gets attacked and then tries to find the people who attacked him to help them is a departure for him.

The Limbo flashbacks give readers a why for this new attitude- he was dropped powerless into that place and had to fend for himself, and being powerless is not an experience that Juggernaut is used to or likes very much. His desire to help the squatters comes from that- on Limbo, he wasn’t just without his powers but without any agency. At the mercy of the rules of that world, much like a group of poor squatting young people are in the real world. Compassion isn’t something that readers would associate with the Juggernaut, but Nicieza does a great job of giving readers a Juggernaut with heart.

Ron Garney has long been one of comics’ unsung artistic heroes, and this issue is an excellent representation of why. His linework is very heavy and detailed, and that fits this story to a tee. Juggernaut feels enormous, a massive presence on the page. The coloring by Matt Milla gets a little dark sometimes but otherwise is pretty good.

Juggernaut #1 is a great look at a character that really doesn’t get enough spotlight. It’s an entirely different look at him as well, one that most readers have never seen before. The series looks like it’s going to be an in-depth look into Juggernaut’s personality, and that can be a good thing if Nicieza can keep up the quality of the issue. Garney’s artworks very well for this book as well- his Juggernaut is a huge imposing presence, and it will be great to see what he does in this book… especially if Juggernaut and the Hulk clash next issue.

Grade: A-