Annihilation #5

December 26, 2006

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Ascension
Rating: T+

With Thanos dead, can anyone free Galactus?

Writer: Keith Giffen
Art: Andrea DiVito
Colors: Laura Villari
Letters:Cory Petit
Editor: Andy Schmidt
Cover Art: Gabrielle Dell’otto
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Drax has killed Thanos, supposedly the one being with the power to free Galactus – and only Galactus has the power to stop Annihilus on his path of destruction through the universe. As Drax and Moondragon seek a new way to free the devourer of worlds, Nova’s team plans a last stand and Ronan and the Super-Skrull go to war with the Kree Empire.

Keith Giffen really has done a masterful job with this storyline, weaving the sort of war story combined with action combined with an air of last-stand desperation that really makes for an exciting cosmic event. What’s more, in the process he’s refined characters like Ronan the Accuser, who in the past have been little more than plot devices to make things a little more difficult on the Avengers, and turned them into people to root for. The same goes for the likes of the Super-Skrull and Blastaar. Meanwhile, we see a real evolution of Nova – he’s become much more than the teen superhero he used to be – now he’s a genuine general, and it’s a role that suits him in this book.

Mixed in with a strong story is some truly wonderful artwork. Andrea DiVito has long been one of the best traditional artists in Marvel’s stable, but his style is particularly well suited for this sort of space opera. There’s a lot of superhero style in here, but he mixes it with the sort of aliens and sci-fi energy effects (no doubt aided by Laura Villari’s fantastic colors) to give the book just the right look.

Ronan’s final scene is perhaps what puts this book over the top for me. It’s one of those final moments that really tugs at you, which is something that a character like Ronan never would have been able to pull off prior to this story. That’s a pretty good summation, in fact, as to what makes this issue good.

Rating: 8/10

(2010 Note: I later went back and got the hardcover Annihilation collections. They were well worth the money.)

The Thanos Imperative #3

August 28, 2010

Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art: Miguel Sepulveda
Colorist: Jay David Ramos
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Cover: Aleksi Briclot
Editor: Bill Rosemann
Publisher: Marvel Comics

The Cancerverse is continuing its war on our universe, and an ever-dwindling army of cosmic heroes is doing its best to toe the line. But there’s hope from the other side – the Cancerverse’s counterparts to robotic heroes like the Vision and Machine Man have resisted the influence of Mar-Vell, and may provide the key to victory… if only Drax can put aside his hatred of Thanos long enough to win the war.

Abnett and Lanning have been telling war stories with these characters for some time now, going back to Annihilation, but they’ve never gotten stale in their telling. The Cancerverse concept itself is wonderfully warped and twisted, making for some dreadful villains for our heroes. We’re seeing Nova really have a chance to step up and demonstrate the depths of his own heroism, and the Guardians of the Galaxy have their own opportunity to shine.

There’s been some speculation about a “Cosmic Avengers” title spinning out of this event, and while that idea may have a little merit, the “line-up” we’re presented with this issue wouldn’t really sustain an ongoing. Quasar, Nova, and even Beta Rey Bill would work well together, but the Silver Surfer doesn’t really come across as a team player, and Ronan and the Gladiator are both kind of bland characters – powerhouses, to be sure, but not necessarily the sort of characters that make for interesting protagonists on an ongoing basis. (Both of them, honestly, are more interesting as antagonists, even if they’re fighting on the right side.) Hopefully if that does turn out to be the case, we’ll see a slightly different team.

Miguel Sepulveda’s artwork has a different kind of flavor to it, a clever mix of high-flying science fiction and superhero adventure, blended with the Cthulhu-style horrors of the Cancerverse. They mix well under his pencils, and give us a good-looking book.

This issue ends on a dandy little cliffhanger that actually calls the title of this event into question. It will be fun to see where the writers take us next.

Rating: 7/10