In Review Of: Annihilation Book Three

This is, without a doubt, the best cosmic saga of its kind. Period. How to approach reviewing a book/series that covers so much ground? The Annihilation series takes the Marvel cosmic mythos and took it far further than any other series in comic book history. The changed more of the status quo, killed, updated and advanced more characters in these three volumes than I would have thought possible.

The overriding answer to the question: is it worth it? is yes, this is a true universe changing event, and considering all the different balls that they had up in the air: Galactus, the Nova Corps, Annihilus, Thanos, the Kyln, Moondragon, the Kree, the Skrulls, Phyla-Vell, Quasar, Drax the Destroyer and all the heralds of Galactus, they actually make everything work. And I really didn't think that was possible.

I went on for a while while reviewing the second collection of Annihilation about the shift in the Silver Surfer, and how this giant cosmic comic book story was working on both macro and micro character arcs. How else is it supposed to be? There are quiet moments here (Ronan the Accuser being so impressed with Nova that he extends the ultimate compliment: that if Richard Rider were Kree, that he would call him brother. And he doesn't even call him a "pink". I still doubt that he would have extended the same courtesy to Mar-Vell.) to balance out the large ones: Galactus being toppled by Aegis and Tenebrous, imprisoned to Annihilus, and his subsequent rage when he is freed.

Importantly, we find out here just why Thanos of Titan allies himself with Annihilus, and what he finally decides to do when it is time for him to act. As important as the Surfer returning to Galactus' service, is the culmination of Drax's vengence. Fulfilling Chronos' destiny for him, on the quest since 1972, Drax finally slays Thanos. It is a monumental moment in the Marvel Universe.

Thanos, as a villian, always was the most dangerous that Marvel had: as powerful, cunning and ruthless as Darksied, his were always the grander plans, whether with the Cosmic Cube, the Infinity Gauntlet, or disrupting the 5000 year rule of the Magus. Here, however, he is outfoxed, and when he finally decides to act we are thrown for a loop. Instead of ingaging Annihilus directly, he acts to free Galactus, and leaves himself vulnerable to the Destroyer. A battle between Annihilus and Thanos would have been, lets face, would be a fanboy's cosmic dream. But instead Drax achieves his vengence at the cost of almost losing us the war against the Annihilus. Thanos' weakness is during his moment of doing good, releasing Galactus to save our universe. It is a story moment worthy of the Greek Myths, worthy of Starlin himself.

As with any opera staged on such a big tableau, there are a ton of loose ends, and therein lie all the next stories, but we leave the book at the right moment: we know that Ronan has taken control of the Kree Empire, that Nova, for all his losses in the war, will stay out in space, sole possessor of the Xandarian Nova Force, we know which heralds of Galactus have lived, which have died, we know that Phyla-Vell has become the new possessor of the Quantum Bands and, thus, the new Quasar. We have seen the old universal order vastly changed.

And, best of all, there is no dreaded "reset" button, and so, we are satisfied. A mammoth story, well told, and with no cheats, no easy outs for any of our characters. And as I said in my review of the first book, I never understood the notion that "science fiction doesn't sell" in comics. This is exactly the sort of star-spanning saga that comics do amazingly well. Well done, well done. Considering all the ancient and incidental characters that they dug up just to prove that they'd done their homework (Paibok, the Space Parasite, the Space Knights, Blastaar, Talos the Untamed, Tana Nile) one wonders just who didn't make the cut during the brainstorming sessions: Jack of Hearts anyone? I mean, come on, Tana Nile? Wow.

This is, without a doubt, the best cosmic saga of its kind. Period.

In Reveiw Of: Nova #7 by Abnett, Lanning and Chen

Continuing on my reading of the Starlinverse, the crossover Annihilation:Quest books, as I'm such a sucker for space opera. I'm still not sure how I feel about the last Quasar issue, with Moondragon becoming a true dragon, so I've not put my snark filter on and ripped the issue to shreds. I'm withholding judgement on that one.

This one, Nova 7, I have to say that I'm going after. First off, Granov's covers get a thumbs up, they've been decent promotional posters. I think that I'm a little put out that Chen needs two inkers to get everything to come together each issue. Are they that far behind the deadline? Is Scott Hanna simply too slow? I will say that I'm surprised at the story arc here. What is a little odd is the separation of the series that we're following: Nova, Star Lord, Quasar and the interminable Wraith. I was really hoping for some overlap on the stories to keep our interest as we jumped from book to book in the publishing schedule.

I liked the idea of a kree Nova, but Abnett and lanning had it in for her after only two issues. So we're stuck again with Richard Ryder, who has been a sap since Sal Buscema was delineating him in the 1970's. And worse, we've had to deal with three issues of Gamora, deadliest waxer in the galaxy, to judge by her costume.

I mean, must we? I thought that we'd moved beyond this. Its inspired an entire server full of internet snark over costumes like this, and, besides, Gamora used to have the kick-ass fur on her collar. If you were her, would you possibly ditch the fur? Space is very cold, and we wouldn't want to excite the fanboys now, would we?

Drax the Destroyer makes another appearance, and this time shows up infected with the technovirus, which makes no sense whatsoever. We're going to get into another of those, "did you actually do your homework?" scenarios by the end of the issue. After all, Drax is a Golem, pure and simple. Soul of Heather's father, trapped in dirt and formed by the god Chronos. The prior issue had him getting a beat down by Nova, which is already somewhat questionable, but they've decided to make Nova a major cosmic badass so OK. But there is no way that Drax should get infected with a technovirus. If anything, he shjould be more immune than Super Skrull, who is clearly fighting the virus over in the Wraith book. Finally, at the end of the issue, Drax puts on a space suit to go chase Nova, which is clear idiocy. Drax has never needed a space suit in his life.

And yes, these are fanboy points, but if you're going to play with the toys, you've got to respect some of the continuity as well. The Starlinverse wasn't built in a day, you know.

Final points: Nova has taken a couple twists that you wouldn't have seen at the first issue, which is good. Star Lord is great fun and far, far, far too short a run. It should be running for 7 or 8 issues to really give us the epic that team deserves. Wraith is boring and stupid. Ronin tortures the Wraith for two days to get him to talk, the Wraith finally laughs at him and says, "I live for pain." and then proceeds to conveniently tell the Accuser everything he needs to know. Quasar is a good quest book, also one that should be about 8 issues long, as 4 simply doesn't give you that good ol' "Marvel-epic from the 70's when the writers would smoke a spliff and go off on yet another tangent for an issue" feel.

And this could use it that feel. In fact, it would totally set if apart if it actually had that. Lets not overlook the value of being different.

Coming up next: an entire generation of children have been born in between Cho's Avengers #3 and #4. We talk to many of those children as they graduate college and see what they think of the Ultron epic that wouldn't end.

in Review of: Quasar #1 by Gage and Lilly

Delightfully cosmic is the key word here. And we live in the world that Starlin and Englehart created, generations ago. Mantis, the celestial madonna, is over in Star Lord, while the daughter of Captain Mar-Vell snogs Moondragon near the priests of Pama who have one of the Cotati at their hidden temple. While discussing the Elders of the Universe.

And to this I say: Yay!

And I didn't even mention the Super Adaptoid. Yes, the Super-fucking-Adaptoid.

We're on 4 issues into Annihilation:Conquest, and we already have 2 real winners (quasar and star lord), one just ok (nova), and one complete loser (wraith).

And, since we saw the spaceknights in the prologue issue, I have to say that I was really hoping that the Wraith book might have been a rogue Dire Wraith from the Mantloverse crossing over here. It doesn't seem that way from the first issue, but it still might go there. We'll see.

Gage's writing is fine, he has a lot to pack in, but it meanders less than your average '70's cosmic Marvel book, so that's actually a plus. Lilly's work as penciller is also solid, if a bit stiff at times. The only weak point that really jumps out is Bob Almond's inking. It may be a small nitpick, but I remember seeing Bob's originals when he was inking Sal Velluto, and I always thought that they had less weight that I thought that the pencil's justified. Here it's the same thing: Bob goes sketchy in some areas that I wish that he wouldn't. Just my taste I'm afraid. Peru's colors are pretty good here.

In any case, the story is moving along, and I'm for the duration on this crossover, for better or worse really, but i'm hoping better. the odds aren't too bad right now but a lot will depend on the overall defeat of the phlanx and how they archieve it, as well as what the political order will be when they're finished. And with the Skrull home planet destroyed, I have one question: where are all the Skrulls?

And does anyone out there know how the original Annihilation series is being collected?