The War of Kings miniseries ends as Black Bolt and Vulcan duke it out. Officially concluding (although many questions still needed to be answered) with this issue, a one-shot, Who Will Rule, is coming out in September to tie up the lose ends.
The writing team of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning has delivered the sleep hit of the summer. This miniseries was well plotted, smart, fun, and enjoyable. The writers have has a grasp on the story from the opening pages and have delivered a powerful event that will have ramifications for the Marvel Universe in the future. I was amazed at how Abnett and Lanning could balance so many factions (Nova, the Starjammers, the Inhumans, Kree, Shi’ar, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and a large cast within these groups), give each their time in the spotlight, and never lose control of the circus. I did find the climatic battle between Vulcan and Black Bolt lackluster, but the conclusion of the melee made up for it. The dramatic tension between those involved in the war was realistic and tight, creating a sense of dread as lives hung in the balance.
Penciler Paul Pelletier along with inkers Rick Magyar and Andrew Hennessy combine for an outstanding artist team. The cosmic combat was effectively portrayed as the action screamed off the pages. Capturing subtle emotional moments and earth shattering battles with equal skill is not an easy task, yet the team accomplished both. They rocked this.
Although the mini has ended, the story is far from concluded. I will reserve my final judgment after reading the one-shot in September. I hope all the questions get answered. For now, I like.
4 out of 5
Darkhawk returns from the realm of the obscure and irrelevant to star in this fantastic War of Kings tie-in. Being a big fan of Nova, Guardians of the Galaxy, and War of Kings, I picked this up just to have a complete story arc. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning deserve some major accolades for creating some of the most successful Marvel cosmic tales ever written. They are achieving a stellar level of work in each of these titles, creating a solid world in the Marvel deep reaches of space.
Often, as with the rabbit-like spawning of Dark Reign minis, events (such as War of Kings) can give birth to superfluous extras that entice faithful readers into shelling out cash for crap. This is worth the $3.99; this series rocks and I actually like Darkhawk – Darkhawk for crying out loud!
Abnett and Lanning have resurrected a C-List character and constructed a compelling mythos as well (similar to Geoff Johns’ Green Lantern Rebirth). Add the fact that this is woven into a cosmic event that is awesome on its own and you get one heck of a comic.
Christopher Powell, aka Darkhawk, recently learned that he’s not the only Raptor. He then learned that the Fraternity of Raptors is evil and they want to kill him. Depowered and lost in a limbo-like dead space, Chris is slowly unraveling the mystery of the Raptors’ power. Meanwhile, evil Raptors Talon and Razor have empowered Blastaar to join the fight against the Kree. Wellinton Alves, Scott Hanna and Nelson Pereira delver a polished book with some brilliant panels.
The end reveal is incredible and seamlessly ties in with the main WofK series. Pick this up and enjoy the ride.
4 out of 5
In this issue, Author Joe Kelly moves all the pieces into position for the American Son story arc to come charging out of the gates. I actually enjoyed this installment better than last issue. With dad by his side, Harry enters deeper into the world of the Dark Avengers. Norah, Parker’s co-worker from Frontline, takes his rally cry against Norman Osborn to heart and goes undercover in the Avengers Tower. The weakest pages are between JJ Jameson’s dad and Peter Parker. Panels are wasted as JJ senior tells Peter why he deserted the Army. Who cares? We get it! He’s a stand up guy. Enough already. Peter makes a bold move in this issue to infiltrate Norman’s sanctuary. Don’t want to give it away because it was pretty sharp.
After just one issue, this arc sees the talents of a new penciller, Paulo Siqueira. The change was noticeable. At times, faces were disproportionate and oddly angled. However, most of this issue was drawn well with some notability good splash panels.
This one is set-up for the real action, but enjoyable nonetheless. Spider-Man and Norman Osborn were bound to throw down sooner or later. So far, this is a solid arc. If there is a one-shot with Aunt May’s wedding, I am not buying it.
3.5 out 5
Beginning a new arc “American Son,” Spider-Man rolls up his sleeves to take down Norman Osborn. How will this effect Parker’s life and his friendship with Harry?
I have mixed feelings about this book. One the one hand, I’m excited that Spidey is finally addressing an issue that should be forefront in his mind – Norman Osborn, his arch-enemy, rules the world. After a chat with Wolverine, Spidey is resolved that he must take down Osborn with lethal force. There is a great confrontation between Spidey and Norman that moves faster than I expected.
Here’s where I didn’t like this book. Norman and Peter are vying for Harry’s allegiance. Norman Osborn’s trump card is bringing back Menace with a big reveal in her belly. I hate the Menace character and to see her return (and more than likely stay around – in her condition she’s not going anywhere) truly disappointed me. I was so looking forward to this inevitable showdown, but now I’m not so sure.
There were some goofy and annoying moments in this issue. Why is there is panel on the first page showing just Peter’s and Harry’s feet? What man doesn’t like to sit with his buddy barefoot in the park? What the hell?!?!? Why waste a panel on it? Last point of bitching, Wolverine and Spidey make yet another Marvel crack at George W. Bush. Give it a rest!! I am so sick of liberal politics being puked on the pages of my comics. Not everyone is enamored with Obama! Focus a little more on writing a great comic.
In the end, I find myself trying to rate this book. The art was decent, the story was okay, but there are too many points that bugged me. I am hoping next issue is better because the direction is promising.
2.5 out of 5
The gears of war continue to turn in Marvel’s satisfying space epic. The writing team of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning has carved their niche in the cosmic genre. War of Kings is their opus magnus. This story has been slowly simmering throughout the Marvel universe. Respectfully of many previous storylines, the writers craft their own original tale, but it feels very organic and real. These events happens within the Marvel Universe, not against it.
War of Kings is certainly about war: Shi-Ar vs. the galaxy. The Krees, now united and led by the Inhumans, have been drawn into the conflict. The Starjammers want nothing more than to kill Vulcan, the Summers’ boy gone bad. WofK is more than a battle royal of alien races. There has been a patient buildup that put each player in place for war. The political and character development gives a weight to this story.
The story takes a breathe after last issue’s action. Crystal is nicely written. Her marriage to Ronan, more symbolic rather than love, has put her in an unexpected position. She shows that she can be effective in bridging the Inhumans and the Krees. She’s maturing and the crucible of war has forced that to happen fast. Also, Karnak’s super weapon, empowered by Black Bolt’s voice, is unveiled in battle. I thought the weapon was corny and cheap. For such talented writers, it could have been done better.
The art, from pencils, ink to color, works. It ‘s drawn epic and grand, just what a galactic war should look like. Some of the spaceship battles looked like vintage Star Trek and seemed out of place. Overall, the panels look good, but nothing extraordinary.
WofK has four more issues to wrap this up. I’m looking forward to Abnett and Lanning’s next move. So far, they’ve done a good job.
3 out of 5
Co-writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning continue to take Nova in new and interesting directions. Since Annihilation and Annihilation Conquest, Nova has been rocketing toward the top of the Marvel universe.
Nova Prime (Richard Rider) has been through a lot recently. Worldmind and Rider are now in a battle for the future of the Nova Corps. Without Rider’s knowledge, Worldmind had been recruiting new members to the Nova Corps. Worldmind suspects that Rider is suffering from a mental breakdown from housing the A.I. for a prolonged time. To add to Richard’s bad day, his younger brother was just enlisted into the Corps.
This title moves from one crisis to the next. When we do get a respite, it’s for some solid character development. Richard’s struggles with Worldmind and his own sanctity are great changes from the galactic battles that typically define this book.
Nova is a solid, good old-fashioned comic. It’s gearing up for the War of Kings crossover next month. Comics should be fun. Simply put, I enjoy reading Nova.
3 out of 5
