Omega is a somber sort of superhero comic. It's a modern interpretation and homage to a 70s Marvel comic, but it doesn't feel very Marvel to me at all. The book is surreal and sad, following a home-schooled and isolated teenager as he's vaulted into city life after the sudden death of his parents. He is difficult to identify with despite his sympathetic circumstances. He speaks formally, misinterprets colloquialisms, and maintains a wary distance from most others. I'm impressed by authors who craft characters this carefully, and keep their readers from liking them as much as we want to.
When the book began, I wasn't sure if the "super" elements were real or hallucinated. Even when the plot revolves around invading nano-robots and a mute alien protector, I couldn't help but feel that was background... incidental to this story of the hyperintelligent but confused and lonely boy. I am torn between wanting to know more about the previous life of the boy and that of his alien parallel, the Omega man, and being satisfied with a well-formulated narrative. The elements that are left unknown feel right for the story.
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