The Thanos Imperative: Devastation #1 of 1

Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning // Miguel Sepulveda
March 2011
**

An epilogue to Marvel’s most recent space opera and a prologue for their next mini. It’s a conventional exercise in superhero team-gathering. While Ab & Lan write good dialogue, they fail to tell who these heroes are (personality, superpower, or history). Plus, the line-up’s testosterone-heavy.

continued from The Thanos Imperative #6 of 6
continued in Annihilators #1 of 4

also indexed for Mar. ’11
Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #4 of 9
The Fantastic Four #587

Nova #36

Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning // Andrea DiVito
June 2010
***

Nova exits on a cliffhanger, a victim of the downsizing of Marvel’s cosmic line. #36 connects Realm of Kings to a Thanos mini, as the Human Rocket faces an evil extra-dimensional Quasar who serves Lovecraftian Old Gods. Plenty of little plot threads dangle; hopefully, DnA will get to pick them up.

last issue: Nova #35
continued in The Thanos Imperative: Ignition #1 of 1

also indexed for Jun. ’10
The Fantastic Four #578
Guardians of the Galaxy #25

Realm of Kings #1 of 1

Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning // Mahmud Asrar & Leonardo Manco
January 2010
****

MU’s last cosmic metaseries was old-school space opera; this one kicks off a Lovecraftian weird tale. It’s also a Quasar adventure: the ’90s quantum hero slips into a mirror ‘verse where the Avengers bow to the Old Gods in life undying. Manco’s raw grit mimics Maleev’s, a realism that works here too.

continued from War of Kings: Who Will Rule #1 of 1
continued in Guardians of the Galaxy #20
continued in Nova #31
continued in Realm of Kings: Inhumans #1 of 5
continued in Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard #1 of 5

also indexed for Jan. ’10
The Fantastic Four #573
Guardians of the Galaxy #20
Nova #31
Realm of Kings: Inhumans #1 of 5
Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard #1 of 5

Nova #23

Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning // Andrea DiVito
May 2009
****

Prob’ly one of the top ten works in the main Marvel U! DiVito returns to the SF line; his style’s still stiff but better inking retains his use of negative space. Plotwise, DnA twist & turn: the Nova Corps mobilizes for the War of Kings, while protag Rider gets Cptn. Marvel’s old 1970s power bracers!

last issue: Nova #22
next issue: Nova #24

also indexed for May ’09
Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #1 of 5
Guardians of the Galaxy #11
Guardians of the Galaxy #12
War of Kings #1 of 6
War of Kings: Darkhawk #2 of 2

War of Kings: Darkhawk #1 of 2

C.B. Cebulski // Bong Dazo & Harvey Tolibao
April 2009
*

It was fun to see ’90s superhero Darkhawk pop up in Nova as the security guard for a supertech research facility. But this two-issue miniseries adds nothing, offering instead a clumsy bit of portraiture around rage issues & superhero recovery. There’s not one description of the char’s superpowers!

next issue: War of Kings: Darkhawk #2 of 2

also indexed for Apr. ’09
Guardians of the Galaxy #10
Nova #22

Guardians of the Galaxy #10

Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning // Brad Walker
April 2009
***

The mag concludes its 3-part excursion into the Negative Zone by adding yet another discarded Marvel hero (Jack Flag, a minor char from Gruenwald’s Cap run). The pace has picked back up, & so has the charm. Warlock fans can look forward to the resumption of his role as an intergalactic messiah.

last issue: Guardians of the Galaxy #9
next issue: Guardians of the Galaxy #11

also indexed for Apr. ’09
Nova #22
War of Kings: Darkhawk #1 of 2

Nova #22

Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning // Andrea DiVito
April 2009
****

Not only do DnA follow thru cleverly on their basic scenario, they twist the plot in surprising ways! Storing a super-AI in his head didn’t drive Rich Rider mad, it drove the AI mad! It did affect RR’s body tho’, and now, powerless, he’s got two days to live! Plus, dig the Constructivist cover!

last issue: Nova #21
next issue: Nova #23

also indexed for Apr. ’09
Guardians of the Galaxy #10
War of Kings: Darkhawk #1 of 2

Nova #19

Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning // Wellinton Alves & Geraldo Burges
January 2009
****

The re-established Nova Corps helps keep the peace on Earth, post-Skrull Invasion. The slower pace lets DnA develop character w/ smart dialogue. Esp good: a friendly convo btw Rider’s bro & bush-league ’90s hero Darkhawk. The artist duo are unobtrusive, aside from bewildering angles in fights.

last issue: Nova #18
next issue: Nova #20

also indexed for Jan. ’09
Guardians of the Galaxy #7

Nova #18

Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning // Wellinton Alves & Geraldo Burges
December 2008
***

Nova, w/ a growing support staff, defends an upstate super-facility from Skrull invaders. Human scientists have rebooted the Nova AI, w/ the side-effect of conjuring the late Quasar out of “solid energy”. Cavalry comes in the form of a root army &, in a surprise twist, a reconstituted Nova Corps!

last issue: Nova #17
next issue: Nova #19

also indexed for Dec. ’08
Guardians of the Galaxy #6

Nova #17

Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning // Wellinton Alves & Geraldo Burges
November 2008
***

When the Skrulls invade Earth, galactic cop Nova returns to his old ‘hood. Shapeshifters have besieged a super-research facility in upstate NY, where Ryder’s bro & a fellow ex-New Warrior both work. The creative team bring claustrophobic tension into the action as well as a cliffhanging twist.

last issue: Nova #16
next issue: Nova #18

also indexed for Nov. ’08
Guardians of the Galaxy #5

Avengers/Squadron Supreme Annual 1998

Kurt Busiek & Len Kaminski // Carlos Pacheco
July 1998
***

Picking up the threads of Avengers #5-6, this annual is set up as an homage to DC’s JLA “crisis” team-ups. The Avengers partner with their counterparts in the Squadron Supreme to defeat a stock supervillain. His MO is to buy or steal super-artifacts from past Marvel adventures, which allows Busiek to display his encyclopedic & adoring knowledge of comics. Still, better than your typical annual.

continued from Avengers #7
continued in Avengers #8
last issue: Avengers Annual #23
next issue: Avengers Annual 1999

also indexed for July ’98
Avengers #6
Thunderbolts #16

Avengers #6

Kurt Busiek // George Pérez
July 1998
***

Pérez’s layouts & attn to detail anchor this book, while his clean line reflects the unalloyed superheroices of Busiek’s scripts. So refreshing after a decade of mediocrity, tho’ it underscores how conservative the mag’s concept is. Here, Marvel’s Best fight a mind-controlled superteam one-on-one.

continued in Iron Man #7
last issue: Avengers #5
next issue: Avengers #7

also indexed for July ’98
Avengers/Squadron Supreme Annual 1998
Thunderbolts #16