The conversation covers all the areas that I didn’t really have the space for in the original written interview and a lot more besides, including Dan’s new book Embedded, his work on the Horus Heresy series, as well as his latest comic book work, some fascinating insights into his creative process, and everything in between. It’s a fairly informal chat so, relax, grab a beer and make yourself comfy; it’s time for an hour and a half of Abnetty goodness.

As mentioned during part 1, Dan can be found online at www.danabnett.com and on his blog at theprimaryclone.blogspot.com.

We brought you the preview to Ignition last week, and now we have Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning and Miguel Sepulveda’s Thanos Imperative#1, hitting shelves with Marvel Comic awesome on June 3rd!

Issue Synopsis - The dangerous and mysterious fissure known as The Fault has opened, and the dark forces of a rival universe where there is no death are pouring through to claim ours! Nova, The Silver Surfer, Quasar, Gladiator and more of the greatest cosmic champions of the Marvel Universal line up to stop them, but it could be more than even they can handle.

Luckily, Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon and some of the galaxy’s underdog, never-say-die heroes have a plan. It’s a crazy plan. It’s called…Thanos! Welcome to the end of everything, brought to you by acclaimed writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning and superstar artist Miguel Sepulveda

[nggallery id=613]

Man, this is what I’m talking about! While I loved how Thanos met his end in Annihilation (almost perfect), I love it any time he comes back as I am the biggest fan of Marvel Cosmic, and Thanos is up there with Warlock (and Deadpool) as my favorite Marvel character. Thanos comes back with the smackdown next week on May 26th with Thanos Imperative: Ignition#1. Check out the preview we have from Marvel Comics below.

Issue Synopsis - Thanos is back! On one side you have the Marvel Universe’s #1 threat! On the other: a dark new force determined to obliterate everyone! In the middle are the outnumbered and battle-hardened heroes that stand between us and complete decimation! A war has ignited which will combine the galaxy’s most dedicated warriors with a collection of heroes that you never saw coming! It’s a battle that will span the cosmos, deliver major shocks, and will prove to you why IGN proclaims “Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning can seemingly do no wrong” and Aint It Cool News raves that Abnett and Lanning consistently deliver “terrific action, interesting character development, and some pretty good jokes all rolled into one amazing package.”

[nggallery id=610]

Galaxy-class writing duo Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning are back, and you know I have to represent Marvel Cosmic’s flagship title! I just reread Infinity Gauntlet so I’m especially in tune at the moment to this preview we have from Marvel Comics. Wes Craig is on the art with Guardians of the Galaxy#24 (which I’m not really feeling here in this preview–maybe it’s the coloring?). This is a Realm of Kings issue (which kind of feels like it’s been going on forever). Make sure you’re at the shop on March 17th for space opera goodness!

Issue Synopsis – A REALM OF KINGS ISSUE! The universe faces one of its greatest evils—and no one can see it coming! The Magus, the necromantic shadow-half of Adam Warlock, is not dead after all…and only a small and hapless band of heroes—heroes who should be dead, too—can stop him! Are they back from the grave permanently, and what will we finally see emerge from the enigmatic coccoon? Rated T …$2.99

[nggallery id=523]

Get your space opera on by making sure you are grabbing GotG on February 17, 2010

Issue Synopsis –

A REALM OF KINGS TIE-IN—GUEST-STARRING MAGUS! Star-Lord and the Guardians risked everything and suffered terrible losses in their epic, cross-time battle with Adam Warlock’s evil half. Except…everything they—and you—know could be wrong. Welcome to what’s really going on! Welcome to the kingdom of Magus! It’s all waiting for you in the book that has CosmicBookNews.com raving “DnA are mining the Marvel vaults for cosmic characters that have lain dormant for far too long…Guardians of the Galaxy consistently delivers the perfect balance of action, adventure, humor, drama, excitement, and unpredictability.” Rated T …$2.99

[nggallery id=491]

I’ve missed the last couple of issues, but I see that Brad Walker is back on the art in Guardians of the Galaxy#22! More Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning with Marvel Cosmic goodness that you know I love! I know that DC, Geoff Johns, and Green Lantern in company are making a lot of noise for Space Operas in comics, but Marvel Comics has been on point up there since Annihilation.

Guardians of the Galaxy#22 features a cover from Alex Garner and continues the Realm of Kings storyline (make sure you go check out previous reviews/previews we’ve had from the title here). It will be out on the racks and in pull boxes on Wednesday, January 27th, 2010, and below we have a six page preview to get you ready!

Issue Synopsis - A REALM OF KINGS ISSUE! Holy Octo-mom! What’s growing in Moondragon’s belly, why is the Universal Church of Truth obsessed with keeping her, and can the Guardians rescue her before the planet they’re on goes supernova? Find out in the series that IGN calls “Impressive…Brad Walker’s pages are a dazzling sight…Guardians of the Galaxy is still standing tall and strong.” Rated T …$2.99 Rated T …$2.99

[nggallery id=466]

[nggallery id=372]

Issue Synopsis:

A REALM OF KINGS story! The Guardians have been to hell and back on a desperate quest to save the past, present and future of the universe itself. But after their monumental efforts and terrible sacrifice, could it be that—due to the end of WAR OF KINGS and the creation of The Fault—the universe is an even more dangerous place than before…and they just don’t realize it yet? Yes, it’s time to shake up the team line-up again in the book that Newsarama’s Best Shots calls “Marvel’s most enjoyable team book…There’s a tremendous amount of action punctuated by some terrific humor and character development.”

[nggallery id=327]

Issue Synopsis:

Will Kang Conquer the Guardians? Rocked by the aftershocks of War of Kings, Star-Lord’s team – now castaways across shattered timelines – are desperate to find a route home before all possible futures fuse into one dark nightmare! Guest-starring the original Guardians of the Galaxy (sort of) and the infamous time-traveling despot who may be their only hope!

     
The Guardians (at least some of them) seem to be popping in and out of time (and reality) due to occurrences within War of Kings. They meet the future (and more historical) version of their own team, throw down, get an info dump, and go rumble some more before they slide elsewhere.

A look through the first few pages and I hated the issue. Unless offering an extreme experience in either emotional direction I’m generally forgiving or disattached to the visuals when in the presence of a narrative I enjoy or at least find passable. I find myself being able to appreciate interpretation and variety in styles, but something did strike me immediately, and it was off-putting.

Then came (some) understanding.

As comic fans we talk ourselves into it sometimes, but I began to feel Wesley’s Craig’s place in this issue. Indeed, this place was Wesley’s Craig’s. Depicting something that is not understood reality to a team called The Guardians of the Galaxy The Buttkickers of the Fantastic (which I’d like to think is a call back, but if not can also pass and be fully appreciated for simply being quick and amusing) has to be a chore. While I’m on record for noticing when Brad Walker is not penciling the team*, it should be noted that in the instances I’ve seen Craig’s art, he is rendering rather unusual environments or altered realities (and yes I understand that any artist inherently accepts such on a title like this—but he’s actually riffing off the riff) in contrast to the already diverse nature of the setting implied by a title like Guardians of the Galaxy. I find him to be an at least acceptable change-up, but not so much so it that doesn’t make me pleased to see Walker listed in the solicitation for the issue after next. There are certainly places I don’t and won’t mind seeing Craig take us in the future, but Walker has become my home for this team (though Pelletier was amazing I earlier issues)

I try to put my finger on what turned the issue around for me and I realize it’s not too complex. Literally.  I’m a comics fan; I could have missed 50 prior issues of a run, but if you drop me in to a rumble, I understand that. Whether buttkicking the fantastic or clobberin time—you’re speaking my language. The issue starts already on the move, and it’s the only way an issue that opens with a splash page with Killraven front and center can appropriately begin.

Excluding an occasional bout with cosmic-self-consciousness, Guardians of the Galaxy never suffers from its writers getting in the way of story. If examination, reflection, and/or dissection occur, they do not reveal themselves as purpose, but as by-products. If an issue fails, it does so swinging, not in wannabe noir soliloquy–the in-tights (per)version. In these pages you find rather absurd questions:

“You don’t happen to have a time machine hidden around here somewhere”

     
can be (re)turned with serious reply:

“Not here, but we know where you might get your hands on one”

     
It almost comes off as so-bad-it’s-good, and it may very well be that, but more and more I find myself thinking that Abnett, Lanning & the Guardians of the Galaxy remind us what good really was is.

     
_{* like in Guardians of the Galaxy #11 & #12}

[nggallery id=256]

     
Synopsis:

When the smoke settles from WAR OF KINGS #6, who will claim the throne? In the wake of the final clash between Black Bolt and Vulcan, the fates of the Kree Empire and the Shi’Ar Imperium must be decided! And if the war is truly over, what ar the threats swarming in the shadows? The Inhumans… the Starjammers… Darkhawk… Nova.. the Imperial Guard… learn all of their fates in this special epilogue that reveals how Marvel’s cosmic universe has been altered forever! And it’s all brought to you by the acclaimed creative team of WAR OF KINGS, the event that IGN.com called “pure, unfiltered awesomeness… a landmark example of how to do an event story line right!” Plus, handbook extras for the major War of Kings players!

The previous issue left our band quite literally in the middle of a galactic war. Their abduction of Crystal would force a King’s hand, but only briefly. It’s a bit anticlimactic but the reality is that it was a bit of a mess that ended an issue well, but potentially muddles the beginning of this one. At the very least it was done quickly, and in a manner that the Inhuman’s stratagem could not be called out for lacking sense. They got what they came for, and didn’t allow their King to be put in check.

While the Guardians of the Galaxy are part of this much larger game, removing the board of a faction for a moment I think allows for them to play their own part less vicariously as they’ve been played thus far. While I love everything Marvel Cosmic at the moment, and Guardians of the Galaxy is one of my favorite current titles, I was hoping for something rather dramatic to occur in this issue (the death of Lilandra doesn’t qualify—the truth is she felt used up ten years ago) as I can’t help feeling like we are going through a lot of minor skirmishes to get to some grand point that there is real passion for. At this point I’m beginning to feel like I’m looking forward more to the end game than I am getting there, and I never felt that way with Annihilation, which I enjoyed equally chapter-by-chapter. I was hoping for something like my boy Warlock just breaking Blackbolt’s neck, putting a saddle on Lockjaw, slave girl-Leia pimp Medusa, and crown himself God Emperor of everything.*

Still, there is something to be said for this haphazard team still trying to find their place in this event. Stumbling, indecisive, lacking complete cohesion, these are the traits of a group numbering a baker’s dozen that with the best intentions dub themselves the guardians of the galaxy. They can be all of those seemingly (yet utterly not) pejoratives as long as they – and the comic – are fun.

Halt, Sit, Stay.

    
Abnett and Lanning’s humor has been hit and miss in this event, but in this issue I think their timing is at its best and always on point. Accompanying the narration blocks that have no right to not be obtrusive are instances of cosmic comedic gold, highlighted by a single panel featuring Lockjaw and Cosmo. The narration continues to succeed in playing the greek chorus—though uncharacteristically in regards to tradition, star studded.

This is labeled a review, but petty words and actions like criticism or analysis are rendered useless and superfluous when we are talking about an issue that has a character casting spells in what is otherwise a full-blown space opera. In my previous reviews I have been unable to contain my enthusiasm for Warlock, who is simply one of my favorite characters and has been since I began reading comics. This issue ends with a promise that his relative absence in Annihilation is going to be made up for. In the midst of a War of Kings, my damn boy is transferring arcane witch-marks and getting downright scary routing mundane forces. In the end he gets called out in a manner that seems so Stan and Jack to me, and for just a second it feels like the three eras of Marvel Cosmic-the current DnA, the Starlin reclamation, and the Man and the King’s groundbreaking run with the First Family- meet and converse. The latter talking to the second in the first duo’s story.

It’s all good.

_{*@copyrighted by Tomio}

    
- Jay Tomio

_{Jan-ken-pon is the time traveling, force-walking, multiverse crossing column of Jay Tomio, owner of 1/3 of everything you see currently on screen, and the editor of Heliotrope. Some call him the Bodhisattva.}

[nggallery id=141]

Synopsis:

The high impact, critically acclaimed sci-fi epic rages towards its explosive climax! Last issue’s jaw-dropping cliffhanger has everyone scrambling! Vulcan’s once unbeatable and vast war machine is grinding to a halt! Black Bolt’s forces are struggling to survive! It’s all coming down to the final clash, king vs. king! But where will the other power players place their loyalty, and can anyone imagine a solution as extreme as the one Medusa is proposing?

    
[nggallery id=84]

    
Synopsis:

The Shi’Ar/Inhuman war reaches its most savage level yet! Emperor Vulcan goes for the kill strike, but does he have more enemies on the field of battle…or at home? Meanwhile, Black Bolt discovers that the Inhumans are not quite the happy family he thought they were! It’s explosive action and universe-changing twists from the DnA/Pelletier War Of Kings team.

    
_{A publisher, publicist, author, studio, or artist and have news or announcements you think should be noted at BSCreview? Email us at admin@BSCreview.com and let us decide!}

    
Interesting quandary presented to me in this issue. In my review of the previous issue I talked about how any lumps Warlock takes tends to be transferred to me as I’m just a huge fan of the character. In many ways he’s really (at the very least) one the half dozen or so central characters in the Cosmic corner of the Marvel landscape, and probably top 3 with people my age who started reading with books like The Infinity Gauntlet by Starlin and Perez. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that he and Thanos have been both the direct and meta sigificant players of Marvel Cosmic over the last 20 years or so. They have been both its chief combatants and conscious. Part of the deStarlization of Marvel Cosmic did away with this, and Thanos was given a beautiful, dramatic, and best of all apropos adieu. Warlock was out of the picture almost entirely, but still used in his absence in some sense as an answer to a hanging, unsaid ”when?”. The key to such storytelling is that Abnett and Lanning know the value of such moments and are able to pay them off without impeding new readers.

In this issue of Guardians of the Galaxy – this chapter of War of Kings – we see another message. The would-be messiah is beaten by Vulcan, the would be King, and twerp Summers’ boy. It’s a personal blow to all fans of the moorcockian-Warlock, but it sends us a message. Our boy is in this fight, but he won’t be the closer of this game. On the surface, for the completely uninitiated and for perhaps even those that know Warlock only through Guardians of the Galaxy, Vulcan asks the two rather pertinent questions.

First, who are you supposed to be?

And second . . .or you’ll do what?

    
Beneath, they also spoke to those of us who thought we knew both answers. In the issue prior, Abnett and Lanning showed us the massive extent of Warlock’s power. In this issue they show us it’s not enough against Vulcan.

While Warlock is separated from the half of the team that he accompanied to confront the Shi’ar, the other group is where we left them in the last issue– in the throne room of Kree being brushed off by Blackbolt and the Inhumans. The scene may be a bit overextended, but does offer the chance to show Phyla-Vell’s (now ominously called Martyr) showing off the new attitude that being the avatar of Oblivion comes with (from Guardians of the Galaxy#1). It also continues what we’ve seen in the War of Kings miniseries where Crystal is evolving to be more than just the people’s (Kree) princess; she has become representative of humanity in the midst of a universal shit storm. In the end the Guardians do succeed in getting between the two factions, though probably in much more literal sense than they desired. The War of Kings has arrived at their home and circumvented the doorstep in doing so.

The title retains this affable quality, and its success is to keep the book – and not in a negative manner – chummy in the largest of moments and circumstance. In many ways, it’s similar to Agents of Atlas in that we don’t read this title for one character or the novelty of integration of the already well defined, iconic, mainstream entity. We pick this title up for the team – the adventures of the Guardians of the Galaxy. At one moment confronting warlords whose decisions come with causalities counts only possible when reading a Marvel Cosmic event, this team is delightfully able to just seem in place in these epic moments. In place, but not too comfortably so, as Jack Flagg’s words could very well prove to be prophetic, and even embody the thematic basis of the team in general:

When this done we are going to be to busy saying “how the ****did we survive that?”

It’s a story I can’t wait to flip through myself.

    
- Jay Tomio

_{Jan-ken-pon is the time traveling, force-walking, multiverse crossing column of Jay Tomio, owner of 1/3 of everything you see currently on screen, and the editor of Heliotrope. Some call him the Bodhisattva.}

    
[nggallery id=73]

    
Synopsis:

The Nova Corps rushes to the front line of the terrible conflagration between the Shi’Ar Imperium and the Kree Empire—and gets decimated! To save them, Richard Rider must wrest control of the Nova Force from no less than the Worldmind itself! Be prepared for shocks and surprises in this stunning showdown issue of the series.

    
_{A publisher, publicist, author, studio, or artist and have news or announcements you think should be noted at BSCreview? Email us at admin@BSCreview.com and let us decide!}

    
[nggallery id=72]

A WAR OF KINGS TIE-IN! The savage battle between the Shi’Ar Imperium—ruled by Emperor Vulcan—and the Kree Empire—controlled by Black Bolt—explodes across the universe! The Guardians of the Galaxy know they’ve got to stop the war before it shakes the cosmos apart at the seams, but will any of these heavy hitters listen to a rag-tag bunch of self-appointed galactic protectors who spend half their time quarreling amongst themselves?

_{A publisher, publicist, author, studio, or artist and have news or announcements you think should be noted at BSCreview? Email us at admin@BSCreview.com and let us decide!}

    
[nggallery id=39]

    
Synopsis:

Marvel’s next sci-fi spectacular rages on! Emperor Vulcan cuts loose, but will final victory depend less on military might and more on actions of the conscience? And how will the Inhuman known as Crystal and the Imperial Guardsman named Gladiator factor in to the escalating events?

    
_{A publisher, publicist, author, studio, or artist and have news or announcements you think should be noted at BSCreview? Email us at admin@BSCreview.com and let us decide!}

    
It is most likely that this review will be a failure in describing with proper volume how much I enjoyed it.

The gang is back together.

Some new members, some old ones changed in ways others don’t fully comprehend, but after two issues focusing on just two member’s journey, I’m pleased to be back to the team that made this title one of Marvel’s best over the last year or so. How do you present a reassembly not bogged down into too many, space consuming threads, and pull off a very capable and quick roll call simultaneously? You take it back to the tradition of a bar fight – and as alluded to with the very first line, we don’t really care about the why or how. While the reintroductions have little use to long time readers of the series, they are well placed considering the deviations represented by the previous two issues, and also offer basics to readers who may be jumping on, and catching an (for them) irregular chapter of War of Kings.

The levity of the narrative and dialogue can be misleading. We cannot forget the name and cause they have given to themselves: The Guardians of the Galaxy. Among them is the man who ‘killed’ Thanos; the new avatar of Death; and Warlock, who at one point was he master of time, space, mind, soul, reality, and power. While a motley crew to be sure, these guardians represent a significant unit with legitimate powerhouses. The team mobilizes to intervene in the Kree/Shi’ar War, the – at the moment – chief backdrop of the War of Kings. The decision is made to split the team, one to attempt to ‘speak’ to Black Bolt and the Inhumans (who now rule the Kree) and the other to do the same with the Vulcan-led Shi’ar.

I’ve mentioned in previous reviews that there are instances of being a bit too free with the dialogue in this series, but oh how much I have missed it from the ensemble! It doesn’t go so far as to laugh itself, but there remains this perpetual possibility of a delightfully preposterous wink that reminds you that this is classic, unabashed Space Opera. My favorite part of the issue, is a single, nine-panel page called ‘Tactics’ where Peter Quill and Rocket Raccoon divvy up the team for their respective missions. It’s informative and droll at the same time, just over the top enough to remind its on self:

“Don’t ruin the moment”

Brad Walker’s art excels in this issue in the non-action scenes. Along with aforementioned scene, there are some great facial expressions, from Quill welcoming Warlock back, to Black Bolt’s reply to a request of reason, and the reaction it garners from the team. The big action scenes struck me as slightly rushed, especially a slash page featuring Vulcan and Warlock – or rather it could just be that I think any page displaying Warlock getting jumped must somehow be flawed Still, it’s certainly solid and not something that takes you out of the story, and there are legitimate, noteworthy ‘moments’ in this issue that Walker imbues with the perfect amount of tension, irony, and/or humor.

From the beginning and sprinkled throughout are panels with characters explaining the action, accordingly breaking the rule of show and don’t tell, as you get the feeling that Abnett and Lanning continue to offer guides for the Marvel Cosmic-unenlightened– after all, epics need their narrators. If prior issues were aiding in setting the board for War of Kings, it is in this issue where moves are being made, as the Guardians attempt a two-pronged, preemptive stalemate. Shut down, smacked down, and some Starjammers later, it’s time for a new strategy. Not for Abnett and Lanning though.

Long live the gang.

    
- Jay Tomio

_{Jan-ken-pon is the time traveling, force-walking, multiverse crossing column of Jay Tomio, owner of 1/3 of everything you see currently on screen, and the editor of Heliotrope. Some call him the Bodhisattva.}

This is a War of Kings tie-in.

    
[nggallery id=13]

    
Synopsis:

A WAR OF KINGS tie-in! The guns of the Kree and the Shi\’Ar have thundered — and there will hell to pay! Star-Lord’s Guardians spring into desperate action in an attempt to stop the planet-shattering battle, but will either side listen? If they don’t, the walls of the galaxy will disintegrate! It’s more mind-blowing cosmic heroics.

    
Be sure to check out past coverage of Guardians of the Galaxy at BSC.

    
_{A publisher, publicist, author, studio, or artist and have news or announcements you think should be noted at BSCreview? Email us at admin@BSCreview.com and let us decide!}

This issue directly continues the last issue in that it exclusively follows the duo of Drax and Phyla picking up where they left off, confronting a Maelstrom armed with quantum bands in the midst of the Dragon in the Moon.

Some part of me wants to say that the last two issues of Guardians of the Galaxy (one of my favorite titles) have been treading water. In my review of the previous issue I expressed that pieces were being moved into place for War of Kings. This was fine for one issue, but through two it feels a bit prolonged. If this and the previous issue were edited down to form one tight issue, I feel like we’d have one hell of a story. Instead, we have two that attempt, and to some degree are rather successful, to make up for it with killer last panels and pages. It’s a bit reliant on the cliffhanger. In comics it is almost unavoidable and even desired, but the problem here is reader awareness. It not only causes the desired anticipation of the next issue, but in some manner almost apologizes for what came before. This feeling is somewhat abated by a bi-weekly release schedule with these two issues, but I just can’t come away from this issue not thinking that this was optimally a one or three issues arc that got stuck in an uneasy middle ground.

It also seems that in every issue, that surrounded by truly terrific dialogue, remains one instance or scene that just throws me off. It takes me a moment to reconcile that the outlook of Concepts in general and/or the (un)naturally dramatic nature of Maelstrom can give some of his dialogue a pass, but there is a moment when Wendell voluntarily and without prompt just informs us that Phyla’s sword will still work without her ownership of the quantum band. It is told to Phyla but only makes sense that it is for our sake, which unfortunately never works unless it’s coming from Wade Wilson. Abnett and Lanning are consistently – across all their titles – on time with their dialogue, and though I feel the use of that bit of melodramatic, operatic, loose presentation that comes with space operas is in it’s place here, there always seems to be that one balloon that every DnA issue has that it could do without. Admittedly, it may very well be too easy for me to find any fault in Wendell! If nothing else, I’m pleased that Wendel – at least for the moment – turned down a role in the Guardians having other things to do at the time. I’m not sure if it is a strength, or weakness; an expression of the synergy and harmony between titles in a looming event, or disappointment that some may not be in or put themselves in the position to get the full value and measure of this issue, but Marvel Cosmic is making moves, and I highly recommend readers of this issue to check out Nova#23 to fully appreciate one initialized here. I really could never quite stand Wendell Vaughn (the previous Quasar), a character I know to have a bit of a following. I never quite understood, or even want to understand why, but take it from me, as much as I find any appearances of him an unfortunate endeavor, the reasoning played out in Nova makes it more than bearable. For me to recommend another comic that has Vaughn in it speaks volumes of the extra, relevant dimension offered in that book. Go get (that issue) of Nova, and that’s coming from somebody who usually doesn’t follow Nova – it’s actually a very nice issue all around.

These last two issues have reestablished Drax as a champion of light, gave us Oblivion’s delivery of a cosmic dragon slaying, new avatar of Death; the passing of (once again) the quantum bands, and with that (again) a new Quasar, and an introduction of and perhaps the realignment of pivotal pieces in the War of Kings. We may have seen pawns promoted to knights. There is a lot going down here – legitimate power moves – but I find myself glad we are past these steps more than I find myself reflecting on the enjoyment of taking them. I never truly felt the moment, or the moment change in an issue that has several emotional strings. A family reunited, a lover found– yet the story never seemed to remove itself from a monotone quality. On one hand, I appreciate the ability to marshal your pieces in place and under the proper banner, but it does feel like a bit of a rush in last minute maneuvering in preparation for War of Kings. This issue is much like the last in that I enjoy the what if given in bullet point fashion, but it feels very workmanlike, a list of must-do’s before going into the event. Very necessary. It looks great as an outline, shines in summary, and previews very well, but something feels detached about the execution for me– a diehard Marvel cosmic fan. All that said, I do love the Phyla badassery that comes out of the issue. I am not so much more wary of War of Kings now. I am, however, relieved to finally be there.

I think somewhere within these last two average issues is a fine one.

    
- Jay Tomio

_{Jan-ken-pon is the time traveling, force-walking, multiverse crossing column of Jay Tomio, owner of 1/3 of everything you see currently on screen, and the editor of Heliotrope. He wants Thanos to come back to beat Wendell back to Death. Some call him the Bodhisattva.}

The issues was published earlier this month (see my review), and is the central title of the Cosmic Event of going on now of the same names.

    
Synopsis:

In the aftermath of the Secret Invasion, Black Bolt has led the Inhumans on a shockingly savage path to restore their strength and security. But that path has brought them into direct confrontation with the Shi’Ar Empire – and their mad ruler Vulcan! Who will get in the first strike? Who will fall on the bloody battlefield? Who will rule? The Imperial Guard, the Starjammers, the Inhuman Royal Family and more of your favorite sci-fi characters are locked on a collision course…and it all starts here!

    
_{A publisher, publicist, author, studio, or artist and have news or announcements you think should be noted at BSC? Email us at admin@bookspotcentral.com and let us decide!}

The last couple of issues of Guardians of Galaxy have added some players and effectively moved the other portions of the team into place for the looming War of Kings. This issue is also a piece-mover, and is completely dedicated to playing catch-up with Drax and Quasar. I ended my review of War of Kings#1 (also written by Abnett and Lanning) with a mention of abstracts, and how they just can’t help but take notice, interject, or even be catalyst for events. It’s not very unlike the fictionalized meddling of deities – gods and demigods – in Greek mythology. We even kick off this issue with what struck me as a Trojan Horse. Phyla-Vell (that’s the present Quasar), like her brother*, is ‘life’ aspected even down to the name. Drax has historically been in opposition to Thanos, the consort and champion to the opposite concept of Death. So, we definitely are given the idea of avatars, be it loose, or more pronounced. Such an idea grants the concept of the War of Kings more angles, giving it the possibility of both a temporal and metaphysical layer and meaning.

“I’ve been in rooms with where there’s been Entropy sitting on one side of the table and Death on the other, and in between them Eternity and Chaos” – Drax

You can almost view the cosmic abstracts and concepts in the Marvel U. as an integrated Dreaming that’s very much in play in the standard universe. Drax and Phyla (‘killed’ in the previous issue) find themselves in an unfamiliar plane searching for Moon Dragon and are met by Maelstrom (Oblivion aspected) who tries to – and admits facilitating – their arrival to escape from the plane himself. Along the way Abnett and Lanning choose to highlight the lack of balance in the universe, as Life has eclipsed Death, and that it could be just as dangerous a situation as the opposite. In the end we finally get to the Dragon of the Moon and a Maelstrom armed with quantum bands. These are actually major occurrences, when you consider what is essentially the declaration of Oblivion’s – via Maelstrom – insertion into the game, as well as the presence of the Dragon of the Moon ,which is a creature that not only is a powerful entity in it‘s own right, but one that I’m very interested in seeing how Abnett and Lanning may to apply to the present Marvel cosmic landscape. It also causes me to wonder on the possibility of Thanos appearing to right the aforementioned balance, and even more, the cocoon we’ve previously seen. The former is probably a wishful reach, but it’s just something I always look for as Thanos and Warlock are very much the cornerstones of my Marvel U. There are what could be significant bullet points to the larger story in this issue, but I think it falters in feeling too much like staging ground and never seems to sell and buy into it’s own significance. What should be emotional – traversing oblivion in search of a daughter, and lover – I found failed to impact at the level I’d expect.

I cannot admit to being a particular fan of the art or coloring in this issue. There are some odd facial expressions, and I just got the impression that the choice of faraway shots and silhouettes were intended to avoid detail (lots of character’s backs to the reader as well). I guess that cope could have been used to display the unique qualities of plane/setting or to instill the sense of length of journey, but at the end of the day, I still felt that a certain sense of tension or foreboding was not reached when we were confronted with character shots. If Quasar were to have thrown out a Burt Ward line at Drax, nothing in the image would cause it to feel out of place. There is a rather striking image of the Dragon of the Moon, and what looks to be an almost Galactus-like head decapitated in the background in one scene, but these are the only instances that I really felt that the dialogue was amplified by the art. It was almost as if watching a familiar movie that had a different soundtrack playing. I’m not sure, I could have just been spoiled by Pelletier’s work on last week’s War of Kings.

It cannot be called uneventful, but in the end what you have is an issue that seems almost too necessary, and ultimately an average chapter of what is and has been an exceptional title.

_*Genis/Genus

    
- Jay Tomio

_{Jan-ken-pon is the time traveling, force-walking, multiverse crossing column of Jay Tomio, owner of 1/3 of everything you see currently on screen, and the editor of Heliotrope. Some call him the Bodhisattva.}

    
Space Operas tend to be small concept relayed as big and as loud as possible. It‘s not surprising that Abnett and Lanning are very proficient at the craft as the UK seems to be a breeding ground for master composers of the form, from Iain M. Banks, Ken MacLeod, Alistair Reynolds, to Peter F. Hamilton among several others. Space Operas also tend to be the sub-genre of science fiction that have the most similarities with traditional Fantasy (throw Planetary Romance in there as well) which ultimately are entwined with our history (mythological or otherwise), and thus are able to offer large scale campaigns while connecting to us on a very fundamental, familiar, and human basis. The idea – as said above – is keep it simple but make it big. In the process, the great ones grow into something that forsake that former quality under scrutiny, but yet maintain and never let go of the big idea for those who don’t care that the Hyperion cantos mirrors the Canterbury Tales.

War of Kings is really the funneling of several storylines from several titles, which may make it problematic for those not already reading those titles. Out of those titles, I only regularly follow Guardians of the Galaxy, and while I’m certainly familiar enough with Marvel history, and specifically Marvel Cosmic to not be disorientated, it’s a possible concern for some. That said, I find nothing wrong in writing events for an existing fan base – call it self interest, and the reward of those invested. It should be noted, however, how easy Abnett and Lanning made it look in this issue to create this convergence. While past details would certainly offer some ease, the issue is very much palatable for anyone but the most self-inflicted obsessive. The duo kick us off with a classic tactic in starting or escalating a war. Kidnapping has been known for causing the launching of a thousand ships, and when you couple that with interrupting – via attacking – a wedding involving your potential rivals in the process, then you have what amounts to a declaration of war.

I‘ll begin at end by telling you that what’s exciting me is that we may finally see the Inhumans step out and start earning the respect we tend to give them. We are always in awe of what Blackbolt ‘could’ do and perhaps after getting handled again, we may be in the midst of an event that it’s finally put up and not shut up. It is my hope that this series will allow me to see the end of Vulcan. Not because I find him to be a heinous or deplorable figure, but because he’s always been a throw away character on many levels for me. I do want to add that as a kid who grew up when X-Men was the ‘best’ book out there, I love Gladiator. Gladiator is – for now – loyal, but he views Vulcan like I do, “A mutant, human usurper”. Throw a “&” in there and you have my thoughts exactly. He muddles my Marvel Cosmic corner and the X-franchise with what I can only describe as standard ‘lameness’, and it is my hope that the slightly over-handed Gladiator soliloquy in this issue foreshadows his ultimate end. It would erase a rare Brubaker misstep.*

What’s very interesting here is what is perhaps the death of Ronan the Accuser. If that is the case, this issue becomes a bit of a monumental and proper beginning to an event. If you know nothing of the character, Abnett and Lanning give you all that you need. There is a poignant scene prior to the battle where intended flowers never reach their recipient, and the moment is amplified when the battle begins and you witness the true worth of the Accuser. Though the immediate reaction makes one believe a death is possible, it is completely unclear if that is truly the case (I tend not to read advanced solicits – I don‘t use Previews either). If it is so, the first shot in War of Kings is one that not only is exciting, but it actually matters. It’s no less a loss than the Bill Foster death in Civil War, and to the Cosmic fan, absolutely more resounding. For myself, any of these cosmic characters introduced to us via Kirby in that initial, monumental Fantastic Four run are fixtures. Annihilation gracefully modernized many of these characters, so now it’s not even just losing historically significant characters – they are also damn cool and entirely relevant.

I’ve always been a fan of Pelletier, and I love that he’s working on War of Kings. Big, big action, and yet perfectly captures tender moments with scenes sharing Lorna, Luna, and Crystal. There is no drawback with the art as Pelletier shows there isn’t much he isn’t going to be able to handle. It’s very lively, and has that larger-than-life element that disallows dismissal of the title – and thus the event – as secondary happenstance.

Not an abundance of positive words come with the term ‘event’ these days. One of the reasons that I feel makes Marvel Cosmic so great is that everything is an event, it has to be, and that necessity is something I actually value. There is a bit of an immunity from the event stigma in the cosmic corner because you have to bring it every issue. You aren’t really playing with the public’s favorite toys, so this both enables by granting creators with extra freedom, but also adds the pressure of having to write great stories, as you have no safety net of casual fans (or at least a large enough one). You don’t hear about or get recommended these stories unless the diehards witness something special. Our books use words absolute like Infinity and Annihilation; they speak of the deaths of Marvel, and introduce to us icons when we need them most, ‘if this be Doomsday.” War of Kings has a ring to it. When I consider it, I recall a quote from a George R.R. Martin novel (from his A Song of Ice and Fire series)

“When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground”

    
What’s been problematic, or at least repetitious is that while Marvel Cosmic (as evident from this very issue) is full of a great number of diverse and interesting characters, very few have an established built in-resonance with readers. This is why you continually see so many Thanos or Warlock “deaths”. It will be interesting to see if Abnett and Lanning are able to turn members of the chorus into vehicles for central tragedy and/or redemption. Or do they stick with the continuation of the stages of the monomyth concept that tends to dominate Marvel Cosmic– has Warlock returned to continue his decades of journey, from him to be the master of two worlds and grant freedom to live? I have to admit that it’s been effective, as even as I read an action packed issue with characters I love (Havok, Polaris, Ronan the Accuser, Gladiator, etc) all of them are pretenders to me while Warlock is in the field.

    
Don’t forget that not matter the number of players, that my boy has a tendency of ending up as king of the hill!

The beauty of Space Opera is that in the end none of this matters. There’s a lot of ass kicking going on in War of Kings, and I think you see the transformation of a union of political necessity turn into a debt of blood. Even in the expanse of space, a place full of limitless wonder and possibilities, where even abstracts are intrigued enough to find form to take part in the fun, Abnett and Lanning did what they had to do.

They made it personal.

    
_{*Misstep may very well be the wrong term. I withdraw it, and am open to the possibility that it was the intended step and had the desired effect. It just sucked especially – and perhaps even only – when viewed from a vantage point that’s congruent with exactly where I am at all times.}

    
- Jay Tomio

_{Jan-ken-pon is the time traveling, force-walking, multiverse crossing column of Jay Tomio, owner of 1/3 of everything you see currently on screen, and the editor of Heliotrope. Some call him the Bodhisattva.}

As of yet I don’t have my head wrapped entirely around War of Kings. Don’t get me wrong, it’s inevitable that I will be immersed into it as some point, but I just recall that what came with my initial taste was one of my pet peeves. I love Polaris (Steranko’s X-Men#50 is one of my favorite ever covers) and Havok (and the Starjammers for that matter), but for some season I find X-Men in space to be insufferable. There are just so many great and more naturally applicable characters for Marvel to utilize, and in Guardians of the Galaxy Abnett and Lanning are doing just that. It is from Annihilation and its aftermath that The Guardians of Galaxy were formed. The basic goal of the team is to act as agents to try to identify and neutralize potential threats before they become major crossovers. It has in my mind been a title like a Captain Britain MI: 13 that Marvel has in its current stable and represents this solid mid-list where some great storytelling is being laid down month-to-month. The cast – as it should be – is eclectic and absurdly exotic; there are no limits and shouldn’t be. This issue continues the prison riot/jail break in the previous one. What a setting like this allows for is quite a bit similar to what an unsavory cantina does in such story – highlighting diversity and contrast to our standard terrestrial haunts, creating a unique atmosphere that continues to be so at every turn. The post-Annihilation titles (like this one) have continued the necessary updating of the designs while still maintaining enough homage to be recognizable. The last two issues have revolved around a classic villain, Blastaar, storming 42 (the prison used by the Initiative to imprison those on the opposing side of Civil War) to gain the use of a gate to invade Earth. The real beauty of GotG is having antagonists as multifarious in components as the would be invaders. You have pages with a biped Raccoon carrying a gun he could have stolen from Extreme studios, a Tree alien that could only have debuted in the ‘60’s from a book called Tales to Astonish, a character that even publishers can’t contain in Mantis, a former Micronaut, and Starlord. What is impossible to ignore is that a red-white-blue Cap facsimile always looks right in the middle of the action. You throw in Abnett and Lanning’s own creation of Cosmo the Dog and the base of operations Knowhere (the decapitated head of a damn Celestial!) and you have that personal touch that’s destined to be a mark, and speaks to this speculative prose fan that believes some stories that are implied, alive, and left untold can be as grand as the best being shared. There is something to a telepathic Russian dog living in the dome of a giant god-like being that makes me think that if I found the concept in a novel, I’d find it no less delightful. I kind of think it’s rather brilliant.

The Guardians get away with (former prisoner of 42) Jack Flagg in tow adding another player to the upcoming saga. While there is a rather overt conversation speaking on Cosmic Marvel using Flagg as a reforming skeptic, there is actually a superior moment of dialogue and call back that succinctly describes the relationship of the cosmic corner of the Marvel U. and the Earth 616 involving ‘Dr. Richards’ and Starlord. The Fantastic Four are just knights of a small portion of the board, and when the Guardians block a potential check on Earth they leave with, “Haven’t you heard? We’re the Guardians of the Galaxy”. They have Kings to worry about, and need not worry about the distinction between the mundane, whether they are indeed Fabulous or Fantastic. It is not arrogance or avarice; it is merely a point of fact in true scale and offered with an honest humor.

Finally, the brief appearance of Warlock (with Gamora) on their own mission to the Universal Church of Truth is my anchor. Warlock has always been a favorite of mine and you don’t have to go too far from the Moorcockian basis of the character to know why. In his updated look featuring some similarities to his alternate persona of Magus, he almost looks and sounds like an Eternal Champion. Truth be told Abnett and Lanning can jack everything up and just have Warlock ending up at the top of galactic pile spewing condescending – yet matter-of-fact-humble – vitriol on everyone else, and I’d consider it a success! The end of the issue offers NEXT: Oblivion, and if they mean the return of the one of the Cosmic Pantheon we obviously have more Abnett and Lanning goodness to look forward to as they keep introducing and maneuvering their pieces for War of Kings. From the opening narrative to the last words maintain the feel of full-blown, looming, and proper Space Opera. Sure, this includes instances of overly dramatic dialogue, but this is how we do in Marvel cosmic. Everything is bigger, but we call it grander.

Forsake your terrene wheel chairs, stroll around, and take in the Cosmic Renaissance.

    
- Jay Tomio

_{Jan-ken-pon is the time traveling, force-walking, multiverse crossing column of Jay Tomio, owner of 1/3 of everything you see currently on screen, and the editor of Heliotrope. He recognizes no King but Thanos of Titan, Colonel Nathan R. Jessup and the Lord our God. Some call him the Bodhisattva.}