Original Sin #3 (of 8)

by Kalem Lalonde on November 23, 2014

Written by: Jason Aaron
Art by: Mike Deodato 

Following 2 slow issues, Original Sin #3 kicks this event into gear. My main issue with the first quarter of this event was the lack of any momentous events. It felt like Jason Aaron was jumping around so much between characters that the story would resolve itself quickly in the hero’s world and slowly in ours. This issue increases the already broad scale of this event with nice plot twists and foreshadowing’s.
What Jason Aaron has done exquisitely so far is setting up an intriguing mystery. I was quite disappointed and underwhelmed by the second issue of this series. Due to my limited income, I usually drop titles that score below a 7.5 on my scale (OS#2 scored a 7). I continued to pull Original Sin because there are so many vague details to this mystery that demand my attention. What is the Original Sin? What did the Watcher see that lead in his passing? Who is this shadowy figure behind the amazing character-pairings? Surprisingly, these questions are only the tip of the iceberg. It is quite apparent that Jason Aaron has thought this whole story through and that’s why I stayed after issue #2. I have confidence in Aaron, ergo I know the answers to my numerous questions will be great. This issue continues to add layers to the already complex mystery surrounding the Watcher’s demise. 

The pacing of the story is significantly increased near the end of this issue. Aaron combines 2 of the sub-plots which increases my optimism towards the future of this series. If the various sub-plots continue to intertwine, the pacing of the main plot could increase without being detrimental to the other investigations. There would also be a greater sense of focus if we didn’t have to follow so many different stories. Aaron simply handles the jumping around better in this issue than in the last and I’m hoping the following issues will continue that trend. 

The character pairings are still great, though some of the team’s stories don’t seem to be going anywhere. Doctor Strange and Frank Castle have awesome chemistry but their investigation isn’t entering any interesting terrain. After three issues, they’ve done less than Winter Soldier’s team did in one. It’s unfortunate because Aaron writes Punisher perfectly. I was hoping I would get my monthly Punisher fix with this series after I dropped his conventional ongoing by Nathan Edmondson but Aaron has pushed this character to the side. 

The fallout from last issue's explosive conclusion is slightly forced here. There is one panel with a couple heroes expressing their surprise following the exposure of the world’s secrets. While there is limitless potential with these secrets, Aaron should have left it to the tie-in writers to set-up and explore said potential. This event is already suffering from an overabundance of players and side plots. Every panel should have a purpose and this one doesn’t. (It’s a minor issue but I felt the need to mention it)

Overall, Original Sin #3 is the series' best entry yet. Some of the past issues problems remain however, the pacing greatly accelerates and that was what this series really needed.

Our Score:

8/10

A Look Inside