Given that I am only reading this lone issue because the characters
happen to dip in and out of The Killraven War of the Worlds mythos,
this is a tough comic book to review, even more so considering this
is the 18th issue in the current series, to which one can add an
earlier series and numerous guest appearances. That's a mountain of
back story nigh on impossible to absorb, though as a lapsed Marvel
Comics fan, the inclusion of a past favourite character by the name
of Adam Warlock (though unrecognisable to me in this incarnation)
stirred happy memories, plus we get to visit again with Killraven,
the freedom fighter battling to save earth from a successful second
Martian invasion So with caveats in mind, (specifically that I have
not a clue what has gone before) what can I say about Guardians of
the Galaxy issue 18?
If you are really keen to understand The Guardians of the Galaxy,
I suggest you avail yourself of the Wikipedia pages, but as a quick
scene setting precis, the universe is in a bit of a mess, reeling
from two "catastrophic annihilation events." The Guardians, a team of
super powered heroes, are attempting to hold things together, but
they are being buffeted across alternate realities and times by the
fracturing space time continuum.
This visit to The War of the Worlds is then a brief detour in a very
long and complex tale, but standing on its own, the comic has a lot
to recommend it. The art (Wesley Craig) and colouring is strong and
vivid, with some
great action scenes, and there's some nice dialogue.
I warmed to the characters and would be happy to see more of them,
but if there is a criticism to be levelled, it's just too quickly
over. The conclusion feels rushed and contrived, as if the writers
(Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning) don't really want to hang around.
Clearly there are big things afoot in the grand sweep of the story,
but as a War of the Worlds fan, I'd like to have seen this facet of
the story extended out over 2 or 3 issues at least. Of course I have
to repeat the caveat that I'm seeing this in isolation, and for those
who have stayed the course from issue 1, this might seem like an unfair
criticism, but to my mind, there is no denying that their escape from
Killraven's reality is done and dusted in a dismissively small number
of panels. I felt a bit cheated of what should have been a much more
epic conclusion.
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