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Post by sharkar on Jun 1, 2009 23:42:59 GMT -5
I can't believe we haven't discussed issue 3 yet! So here goes... I enjoyed War of Kings #3 even if it mostly was a rehash of what we already know (or anticipate). SPOILERS Yeah, yeah, we know Crystal is the good guy here, but is it really necessary to make Medusa so unreasonable? Plus in a couple of panels she looks like such a hag! (And the sisters' antagonism really erupts in Guardians of the Galaxy #14.) Why are Vulcan, Black Bolt (shown using his detructive voice), and Havok featured on the cover? Vulcan appears at the beginning and end of this issue, Black Bolt does his usual patience sitting on a monument act , and Havok appears in a few pages...but it's not like they dominate the action in this issue. Just like last issue's "symbolic" cover (of Gladiator and Lilandra)--and I guess, like most covers nowadays--this cover is either a preview of things to come, or (more likely) just a way for the artist to strut his stuff. But...regardless of the fact that it was never in doubt for a second, Gladiator's defection to Lilandra's side took my breath away...it was absolutely stunning. It was good old-fashioned drama at its best!
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Post by sharkar on Jun 2, 2009 8:53:39 GMT -5
I hadn't read the Inhumans in years, but I was surprised with Black Bolt's coldness towards the Kree...Has there been any retcon regarding this, or is it only the author's take on them? IMO, yes, it's the author's take. It follows from the events in Secret Invasion: Inhumans and Secret Invasion: War of Kings (lead-ins to War of Kings); after the problems with the Skrulls, all of a sudden the Inhumans wanted to assert their birthright: i.e., they were originally created/bred to be elite weapons in order to help the Kree conquer other worlds (which was revealed back in the story arc contained in the FF/Inhumans tpb I recently mentioned in another thread). On a side note, I was also surprised by how some Inhumans have changed look-wise. I suppose is a consequence of the 2° exposion to the Terrigen mist from Civil War time? No, they've looked as they do now for some time. For instance, take a look at the famous Jae Lee cover to the 2000 Inhumans tpb (collecting the 1998 limited series). I think the changes are due to the artists flexing their creativity/imaginations over the years.
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Post by goldenfist on Jun 2, 2009 20:28:43 GMT -5
Here's a link from youtube as he talks about War of Kings Warriors #1 it will focus on Gladiator's origin.
Here's the link to see the War of Kings Trailer
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Post by sharkar on Jun 4, 2009 20:38:49 GMT -5
Thanks for the links, goldenfist. As anticipated, War of Kings: Warriors #2, featuring Crystal and Lilandra, will be on sale in August. (Would love to see a similar video preview of WOK: Warriors #2 when it's available, goldenfist! ) www.marvel.com/catalog/?id=12521
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Post by goldenfist on Jun 5, 2009 21:49:20 GMT -5
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Post by Shiryu on Jun 8, 2009 4:10:00 GMT -5
Look's like I'm the first to comment #4.
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
I felt it didn't have the drive of the previous ones, especially of the first two issues, but it was still a nice story. I think I'm missing some elements, probably because I don't read either Nova or GoG, but the story was still fairly easy to follow and introduced some interesting things. The end was surprising, but it screams "dead-character-who-will-come-back-to-life-at-a-later-stage" (or possibly just looking dead). I was more surprised by the people's reaction to Lilandra's return, wasn't she a fairly loved emperess?
Still, not much "war" so far, there hasn't been a really major battle and the Inhumans, Crystal aside, were faily underused.
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Post by goldenfist on Jun 8, 2009 15:44:49 GMT -5
The next issue will have the Inhumans facing off against the Shi'ar Guard.
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Post by sharkar on Jun 9, 2009 19:07:48 GMT -5
Thanks for the links, goldenfist! Look's like I'm the first to comment #4. SPOILERS AHEAD!!! I felt it didn't have the drive of the previous ones, especially of the first two issues, but it was still a nice story. I think I'm missing some elements, probably because I don't read either Nova or GoG, but the story was still fairly easy to follow and introduced some interesting things. The end was surprising, but it screams "dead-character-who-will-come-back-to-life-at-a-later-stage" (or possibly just looking dead). I was more surprised by the people's reaction to Lilandra's return, wasn't she a fairly loved emperess? Why was she wearing an outfit that left part of her chest uncovered? Seems like a pretty clear target to me... Shiryu: yes, she was supposed to be a popular majestrix (or whatever the title is)...but I guess at this stage, there are so many different factions, nothing's black and white, etc....I guess that's one of the points here. I really like dialogue in comics, but the lengthy discourse here between Crystal and Ronan just seemed like so much exposition to me. And my poor Havok appears in but a few panels--I know he'll be seen over in the Guardians of the Galaxy book again, but sheesh--I had such high hopes for a Havok-Vulcan showdown. Well, there are two issues to go, but with Black Bolt in the picture I'm afraid that will overshadow any Havok-Vulcan confrontation. Still, a lovely issue art-wise, with some compelling characters. So far the pieces haven't quite gelled into a whole for me, but I'll keep reading.
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Post by goldenfist on Jun 29, 2009 23:10:08 GMT -5
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Post by goldenfist on Jul 16, 2009 14:19:29 GMT -5
I read on Gladiator's profile at Marvel.com that he can fly at warpspeed and can rival a starship going faster than light speed. You can read it at this link. marvel.com/universe/Gladiator_(Kallark)
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Post by sharkar on Jul 27, 2009 10:53:43 GMT -5
On a side note, I was also surprised by how some Inhumans have changed look-wise. I suppose is a consequence of the 2° exposion to the Terrigen mist from Civil War time? Shiryu, you had asked this a while ago and I had chalked it up to artistic interpretation. But I recently read the 2007 "Silent War" limited series and in it, Gorgon is exposed to the Mists a second time...as a result, as you correctly surmised, he became more bestial in appearance and manner (you know, I thought he looked a little more hirsute than usual in War of Kings--but I just assumed he was too busy to shave, what with an intergalactic war going on... ;D )
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Post by Shiryu on Jul 27, 2009 16:17:13 GMT -5
That's exactly what I was referring to. I didn't complete Silent War, so I didn't know if by the end Gordon was back to his normal appearance, but apparently not. Kree's barbers must be extatic ^^
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Post by sharkar on Jul 30, 2009 20:17:37 GMT -5
Talk of Gorgon's changed appearance reminds me of Earth X, in which the Inhumans were mutated and their appearances did change (Gorgon became bestial; and it seemed Medusa was sprouting more and more hair with each succeeding panel, with the hair increasingly encroaching upon and threatening to overlay her facial features...a chilling effect.) What also reminds me of Earth X is the latest issue of War of Kings, #5, what with the revelation in this issue of the Inhumans' plan of forced terrigenesis. WOK #5's been out for a while so I guess it's okay to discuss it now (note: the following may contain spoilers...) Okay, WOK #5. Mostly, WOK still seems so black and white: Medusa and Black Bolt are aggressive, Crystal and Ronan are for peace. I'm a big Inhumans fan, but overall they're just so flat here. At least Medusa is not drawn so hag-like here; and she is touching when she realizes she was left out of the loop regarding the contingency plan. As in previous WOK issues, Maximus is depicted perfectly--his reaction to Medusa's dumbfounded shock is priceless. Also, I think there's more to his seemingly cooperative attitude than meets the eye. And maybe I've missed something, but where is Luna? I believe she's only appeared in one issue of WOK so far. She demonstrated very powerful mental abilities in Son of M (even Magneto was impressed), and as far as I'm aware she still has her powers. If Crystal is so deadset against what the other Inhumans are doing, why doesn't Crystal enlist her daughter in trying to keep the peace? Also, if Crystal is being set up to be the "people's princess", does this mean she's doomed to meet the same fate as the the real life people's princess? Vulcan has become one-note and he's drawn even uglier than usual--is his grotesque look supposed to represent his inner ugliness? He was vulnerable and somewhat sympathetic in earlier appearances; now he's just a monster. Which is too bad; I'd like to see him as a continuing thorn in Alex's (and Scott's) side. But he seems irredeemable now, and not very interesting. But let's see: King Vulcan has killed his father, and one of Vulkie's eyes was gouged out. What's next? Will the Phoenix Force reanimate his long-dead mother Katherine, and Vulcan--not recognizing her--unwittingly weds her? Vulcanus Rex! Alex, Lorna and Rachel appear in what, four or five panels? Yeah, yeah, I know; it was obvious a few issues ago they weren't going to be the focus of WOK, and that the Inhumans were the stars here; but it's still disappointing to me. Alex and Rachel are related to Vulcan; they should be at the forefront of any battle with him--instead, Alex and company have been portrayed as ineffectual losers who couldn't keep Lilandra safe. I can only hope that there's a Summers clan confrontation at some point--not likely soon, though. Bob has already mentioned the utterly misleading "clash" cover (Inhumans vs. Imperial Guard) in another thread--so no need to mention it again. I hope we get to see more of the Imperial Guard after WOK ends. Well, there's one issue left, on sale next week; also War of Kings: Warriors #2 (Crystal/Lilandra) will be on sale Aug. 5, too. And there will be at least one follow up (War of Kings: Who Will Rule?).
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Post by sharkar on Aug 10, 2009 20:53:15 GMT -5
Well, I'd previously wondered where Luna was in all this mess, and it looks like little Luna is right here in War of Kings: Warriors #2Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers This issue features solo stories about Crystal and Lilandra (I missed WOK:Warriors #1, which featured Gladiator and Blastaar). There's really nothing to recommend here. The Crystal story takes place some time before her wedding to Ronan. Crystal volunteers to go on mission of peace and of course she encounters Kree resistance, and Luna and some other kids are in danger. Crys and a Kree mother bond, and so do their kids (cue the violins). It's all so formulaic and one wonders why this story was produced-- isn't Crystal getting enough face time in War of Kings, what with her narrating the d**n thing?? In this story, why would Crystal introduce herself to Kree as "Crystal Amaquelin Maximoff"? As revealed in Silent War, she had her marriage to Pietro anulled, so why would she retain his surname? Even if she still harbored some lingering love for Pietro (this after telling him he'd never see Luna again), I doubt it's Inhuman custom to use the surname of an ex-husband from another race...and I also doubt she'd gain points by mentioning a human surname to Kree. Maybe she's trying to show how open-minded she is? There's the by-now obligatory Crystal-Medusa bickering, including an amusing panel in which Black Bolt tries to keep the sisters from saying things they'll regret. The Lilandra story is about how she was such a strategic thinker even when she was a schoolgirl; it's juvenile in every sense. A disappointing issue. I guess we'll see what's next in store for Crys--and her new hubby--and the rest of the Inhumans Royal Family in War of Kings: Who Will Rule?
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Post by goldenfist on Aug 30, 2009 22:18:48 GMT -5
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Post by goldenfist on Sept 3, 2009 12:43:44 GMT -5
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Post by sharkar on Sept 10, 2009 18:20:00 GMT -5
Thanks for the links, goldenfist. I know I've mentioned this in my earlier War of King posts, but wow, Pelletier continues to draw a very unattractive Medusa. In the Who Will Rule? preview she has (IMO) a face verging on masculine--traditionally "feminine" eyelashes and red lips, but look at the jaw/chin, the jowls, the facial features. Yes, she's grieving and in a state of shock here, but she's looked terrible throughout this whole series. So... War of Kings #6: Apart from my dislike of his Medusa, Pelletier's art was striking; I like his handling of Karnak, Maximus and most of the other characters, though; and his depictions of the cosmos are impressive. Vulcan finally showed some personality (he'd been written as one-note throughout WoK) and his showdown with Black Bolt was thrilling. Vulcan was spot on when he called Black Bolt a "genocidal monster." But then DnA give Crystal a really stilted speech about the same thing (i.e, that Bb doesn't have the right to submit everyone to terrigenesis): exposition masquerading as dialogue. Not good. So now there's a Who Will Rule? one-shot...and then we'll be treated to some more spin-off (limited) series: Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard (Kallark rules!) and Realm of Kings: Inhumans.
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Post by goldenfist on Sept 22, 2009 16:22:55 GMT -5
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Post by sharkar on Sept 23, 2009 18:06:29 GMT -5
Thanks, goldenfist--looks interesting!
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Post by goldenfist on Oct 16, 2009 15:54:37 GMT -5
From newsarama.com
Tour of the Marvel Cosmos: Your Guide to REALM OF KINGS
When Marvel announced in December 2005 that they were dusting off their cosmic characters for a little attention, it would have been impossible to predict just how much attention that would end up generating.
Four years later, Marvel's cosmic characters have supported more than one major event and are featured in two ongoing series, Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy.
And this fall, the cosmic corner of the universe goes weekly as Marvel will release a new cosmic comic just about every week under the banner "Realm of Kings."
As the cosmic characters head into this latest phase, Newsarama is taking a "Tour of the Marvel Cosmos" with the two writers who control that corner of the Marvel Universe: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. Over the next few weeks leading up to November's "Realm of Kings" stories, we'll be exploring a different cosmic concept with the writers each week.
And for readers who might be new to the whole cosmic thing, we'll provide a few basics about the characters, teams and royal families who are front-and-center in these comics.
For this week's installment, we start with the Empires. As the war ends and new stories begin, the former "borders" that separated the key empires have changed and alliances have been altered. So let's take a look at where things stand:
Empires
- The Kree: Winners of the war. War of Kings saw the formation of an alliance between the Kree Stellar Empire and the Inhumans, and as the dust settled at the end of the war, the two forces had defeated the Shi'Ar.
Abnett and Lanning: "As the victors of the War of Kings, the Kree Stellar Empire is in a very strong position, with effective control over the Shi'Ar territories. It will also really help the reputations of both the Kree (who have taken quite a battering the last few years, particularly during both Annihilation Events) and the Inhuman royal family to have won such a major war. Other races and civilizations are going to have to take them very seriously from now on. "
- The Inhumans: The marriage of Crystal Maximoff to Ronan the Accuser cemented the alliance between the Inhumans and the Kree. However, the allied Kree/Inhumans have suffered the loss of their king, Black Bolt, who was caught in the blast that ended the war.
Abnett and Lanning: "Medusa is de facto ruler of the Empire now that Black Bolt is assumed dead. It'll be interesting to see what kind of ruler she makes. She is surrounded by very able advisors, such as Karnak, Gorgon, Triton and even Maximus, not to mention the steadying influence of Crystal and her husband Ronan, who seem to have the interests of the Kree themselves at heart."
- The Shi'Ar: Vulcan led the Shi'Ar into a devastating war. Now that Vulcan has been eliminated, the Shi'Ar are under the control of the Kree. The new leader of the Shi'Ar is the former Gladiator, Kallark.
Abnett and Lanning: "The Shi'Ar Imperium, though much larger and stronger than the Kree Empire at the start of the war, has suffered a humiliating defeat and its infamously capable war machine has been decimated. The Imperium faces a long and uphill process of rebuilding. The Kree Empire, and therefore Medusa, has over all control of the Shi'Ar Imperium, but they have been smart enough to allow the Shi'Ar to retain some sense of self and identity rather than becoming an enormous new offshoot of the Kree Empire. They have placed Kallark on the throne to rule the Imperium as Majestor. Kallark has, for the longest time, been Gladiator, the Praetor of the Imperial Guard and the greatest champion of the Shi'Ar Imperium. Though there is a danger that the people will not regard him as noble-born enough to be Majestor, he still commands great respect, and though he is reluctant to take on this role, he may be the only person with the strength to bring the Imperium back together."
Challenges Ahead
The Fault: When Black Bolt and Vulcan disappeared and were presumably destroyed at the end of the war, the resulting blast was so huge and destructive that it ripped a hole in the fabric of space-time. Called "The Fault," this rip will play a key role in upcoming stories under the "Realm of Kings" banner and is the main challenge ahead for the Empires.
Abnett and Lanning: "Apart from the costly rebuilding on both sides following the war, the major crisis has got to be The Fault. Not only does this gigantic cosmic rip in the fabric of space-time physically threaten both empires, but, so far, no one has been able to answer the question of what lies within it. This will undoubtedly be the main focus of the drama in all our stories for the next little while, while the Realm of Kings one-shot gets to the heart of this mystery."
- Blastaar: Blastaar, ambitious ruler of the Negative Zone, is also inheritor of Anihilus' Cosmic Control Rod. His power and hunger for more make him a challenge in the coming conflicts.
Abnett and Lanning: "There are many cosmic forces and entities that will use the opportunity of the post-war turmoil to take advantage for their own gain. Most prominently, we must remember Blastaar. On top of all of his power, he took part in the War of Kings on the side of the Shi’Ar and ended up with control of the Ceded Territories, which are part of the Kree Empire and include the empire’s old capital world Kree-Lar. This gives him a foothold in our universe, and we know how ambitious he can be."
Where To Find Their Stories
- Realm of Kings: The whole series kicks off with a one-shot on November 18th that explains The Fault and sets up the stories for all the cosmic series. Then it expands into two different five-issue mini-series: Realm of Kings: Inhumans, which will follow the Inhumans storyline, and Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard, which will tell the story of the Shi'Ar.
Abnett and Lanning: "The overall cosmic situation also forms an ongoing backdrop to both Nova and the Guardians of the Galaxy, and in forthcoming issues of the Guardians in particular you can expect to see a lot of interplay with the post-war Inhuman characters. Nova’s adventures over the next few months are going to be very Fault orientated, but there will be an encounter with a character absolutely pivotal to the Kree/Shi’Ar situation."
They will do another article about the Guardians of the Galaxy in tour of the cosmos.
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Post by goldenfist on Oct 22, 2009 23:16:30 GMT -5
From Newsarama.com
Tour of the Marvel Cosmos 2: THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Since Marvel dusted off their cosmic characters in 2005 with the Annihilation event, that corner of the universe has become more and more popular with a slew of loyal readers.
One of the teams responsible for much of the loyalty is the Guardians of the Galaxy, a band of adventure-seeking, wise-cracking characters who united to protect the universe.
Beginning in November, the Guardians will join the other cosmic book written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning under the banner "Realm of Kings." And as the cosmic characters head into this latest phase, Newsarama is taking a "Tour of the Marvel Cosmos" with the two writers.
- Rocket Raccoon: Yes, the character that some would say is the best part of the Guardians is a talking raccoon. The character is not only a tactical genius and demolitions expert, but his real appeal is the humor he brings to the comic with what Abnett and Lanning call the "tendency to say whatever he's thinking without self-editing."
- Groot: Another fan-favorite character is Groot, who looks remarkably like a tree and functions a lot like a plant. He tends to sacrifice himself for his teammates, although he always comes back, since he can re-grow from a mere sprig of his former body. His trademark phrase, "I am Groot!," actually means a number of things -- sometimes just a comment on the weather, but sometimes incredibly complex theories. It's just that very few beings can understand him.
- Major Victory: A native of Earth, Vance Astro traveled a long journey to get to the current day Guardians of the Galaxy (including a stint with the old Guardians in the future), but since joining the team, he's used his mutant power to create psionic blasts to help with their missions.
- Drax: When human Arthur Douglas died, his astral form was turned into Drax for one purpose -- to destroy Thanos. Once his mission was complete, Drax became part of the Guardians team, although his "destructive" side isn't exactly gone. He has huge physical strength and durability, as well as extensive combat experience and weapon skills.
- Moondragon: Originally the human Heather Douglas — Arthur Douglas' daughter — Moondragon was thought to have died during the Annihilation Conquest event. She is now part of the team with Drax, and uses her powers of telepathy and telekinesis to work with the Guardians.
Team Status: "Well, they’ve suffered some serious losses, and they’ve been through the wringer several times, but the crucial thing is... they were proved right!" Abnett and Lanning said. "Though neither Star-Lord nor Adam Warlock are around to see it, the whole rationale on which they founded the Guardians has been vindicated! They warned that the Galaxy was not stable and extreme caution needed to be exercised ENLARGE IMAGE to prevent another major crisis from damaging space time, and that’s exactly what happened during the War of Kings. Maybe now the movers and shakers of the galaxy, especially major players like the Inhuman Royal Family, the Kree Government and the Shi’Ar (all of whom ignored the Guardians’ warnings the first time) will now regard them with greater credibility."
Major Crisis Going Forward: The Fault — the huge tear in space and time caused by the detonation of the Terrigen-bomb at the end of the War of Kings. "It’s such an unknown quantity," Abnett and Lanning explained. "Only time — and the upcoming Realm of Kings one-shot — will reveal what sort of threat it may represent. There is almost no limit to the sorts of menace that might come through that rift. The Guardians will also be pretty busy trying to get galactic civilisation back on its feet after the war."
ENLARGE IMAGE Where to Find Their Stories: Next week's Guardians of the Galaxy #19 will follow up on the aftershocks of "War of Kings," then November's Issue #20 will begin a five-issue "Realm of Kings" tie-in story.
"Just because the war’s over, it doesn’t mean that the fighting has stopped," Abnett and Lanning said. "The Guardians are going to have their hands full mediating the peace between the Shi’Ar and the Inhumans/Kree, as well as policing other forces that are growing in power — like the Negative Zone warriors led by ‘king’ Blastaar.
"And, without spoiling anything, we just want to hint that we’ve got some truly shocking twists coming up soon," they said. "You’ll have barely got over one when we yank the rug out from under you in the opposite direction. Don’t trust anything or anyone! Despite everything we’ve been through — the greatest threat is still to come and the Galaxy is really going to need guarding!"
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Post by betaraybill on Nov 30, 2009 1:12:15 GMT -5
I waited for this to all come out in the trades and I feel like I made a huge mistake doing so. I loved this crossover and definitely should've followed it as it rolled out.
I'm all in for Realm of Kings!
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Post by sharkar on Dec 1, 2009 22:18:12 GMT -5
I waited for this to all come out in the trades and I feel like I made a huge mistake doing so. I loved this crossover and definitely should've followed it as it rolled out. Normally I wait for the trades, too, because my preference with today's comics is to read arcs as a whole; it just works better for me that way. But when I read that War of Kings would involve some of my all-time favorite characters--namely the Inhumans and Havok and Polaris--I couldn't wait! I broke down and bought the actual comics themselves! And it was a lot of fun reading each month's installment, and then waiting for the next month's issue... The Inhumans were well-served by WoK, and I'm glad to see their story continuing in Realm of Kings...but I hated that Alex and Lorna's involvement in WoK turned out to be minimal (and where are they now? They're not with the Inhumans and from what I understand they didn't appear in Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard #1. I can only hope they're en route back to Earth and will find a home in one of the X books). I'm all in for Realm of Kings! Me too! Realm of Kings: Inhumans #1 was pretty good--for one thing, I really like the art by Pablo Raimondi. He draws Medusa as she should be drawn--feminine, mysterious, delicate, vulnerable...but also strong and majestic. I had a huge problem with Pelletier's coarse (IMO) Medusa. As for the writing, well, DnA have a great cast to work with and the interactions of the characters is fascinating--besides Medusa, there's Karnak, Maximus, Crystal and her new hubby Ronan, Triton, Ahura, and Luna (though it seems DnA are ignoring the maturity/powers Luna displayed in Son of M. And yes, I know Luna shows up in Mighty Avengers #31...) The Realm of Kings one-shot contains alternate universe/world versions of some Avengers, including Wanda (I found her quite touching in this story). And...an alternate version of the classic Vision shows up too.
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 4, 2009 15:58:40 GMT -5
I can't wait to the Dark Cosmic Avengers.
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Post by sharkar on May 3, 2010 22:04:02 GMT -5
Realm of Kings:Inhumans recently ended its five-issue run and for those who have not read it, the whole series was a 360- degree mess--no real development, the last issue reiterated what was in the first issue. The most compelling issue by far was #2 in which Quickie and the Mighty Avengers showed up to "help" the Inhumans; there was some nice character development and drama. But the rest of the issues were blah. If you really love the Inhumans (as I do), you may want to pick up the inevitable RoK:I tpb, but be prepared to be less than overwhelmed--overall it was a disappointment. A better option IMO: the recently-released Inhumans Masterworks Volume Two! marvel.com/images/589065./from/onsale.2010-04-28
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Post by sufirjp on May 4, 2010 10:04:13 GMT -5
Have to say that I agree. While the Ronan/Crystal romance has pleased me to no end, Realm of Kings has seemed to be a completely unnecessary prelude to the new Thanos crossover. I would have been happy if DnA had simply concentrated on their core titles, Nova and GotG, instead of an endless series of events and limited series.
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Post by sharkar on May 6, 2010 18:50:32 GMT -5
While the Ronan/Crystal romance has pleased me to no end Welcome to the AA boards, sufirjp. I may be one of the few people who is not that enamored of the Crystal-Ronan romance, probably because given her history, IMO he doesn't seem like the type of guy she'd go for. She's always been an impulsive person who seemed to value the physical over anything else when it came to love: she fell for the youthful, strapping Johnny Storm at first sight; then there was the aristocratic-looking Quicksilver (of whom she said:"...the sight of him would take my breath away": Silent War); the proverbial knight in shining armor, Dane Whitman; the Sentry (well, he has nice hair). Even that real estate salesman Norm was--if not exactly heroic --kind of cute. But Ronan, that "great oaf" (as Pietro called him)? Well, Crystal's always been the "love the one you're with" type (thank you, Stephen Stills )...so given their physical proximity over the past several months and Ronan's chivalry, I guess it was inevitable that the Madame Bovary of Marvel would eventually warm up to him. At any rate, despite the disappointing Realm of Kings:Inhumans series, I'm looking forward to the Royal Family's next appearance, whether it's in the Fantastic Four comic (given the Inhumans subplot in FF #577), another Inhumans limited series, or elsewhere.
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Post by sufirjp on May 10, 2010 11:50:34 GMT -5
While the Ronan/Crystal romance has pleased me to no end Welcome to the AA boards, sufirjp. I may be one of the few people who is not that enamored of the Crystal-Ronan romance, probably because given her history, IMO he doesn't seem like the type of guy she'd go for. She's always been an impulsive person who seemed to value the physical over anything else when it came to love: she fell for the youthful, strapping Johnny Storm at first sight; then there was the aristocratic-looking Quicksilver (of whom she said:"...the sight of him would take my breath away": Silent War); the proverbial knight in shining armor, Dane Whitman; the Sentry (well, he has nice hair). Even that real estate salesman Norm was--if not exactly heroic --kind of cute. But Ronan, that "great oaf" (as Pietro called him)? Well, Crystal's always been the "love the one you're with" type (thank you, Stephen Stills )...so given their physical proximity over the past several months and Ronan's chivalry, I guess it was inevitable that the Madame Bovary of Marvel would eventually warm up to him. At any rate, despite the disappointing Realm of Kings:Inhumans series, I'm looking forward to the Royal Family's next appearance, whether it's in the Fantastic Four comic (given the Inhumans subplot in FF #577), another Inhumans limited series, or elsewhere. Thanks for the welcome. Nice to meet you. While it may seem that Crystal is being miscast here, one thing that I've appreciated about DnA's take on the Inhumans is that these are dynamic characters which have grown over time. While Medusa, once so sympathetic in portrayal in Ann Nocenti's version in Daredevil, has grown more regal and emotionally distant, Crystal has matured as a human being, especially as she becomes more comfortable in her role as a mother. What we see is no longer a woman who is "available" in a physical sense as a replacement for her emotional needs, but instead a person whose strong identification with love and compassion turned outwards, towards her people. Likewise, I can't help but see Crystal here as a woman who is making a more mature choice in her relationships than before. An interesting note here: In the symbol set of maiden/mother/crone, it is fun to note that Medusa, once a potent ideal of motherhood, by being widowed has moved into the widow/crone role with her increased bitterness, isolation, and manipulative tendencies. Likewise, Crystal, as the embodiment of maiden-hood (sexual desire, naivete, etc.) has become more mothering.
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Post by sharkar on May 10, 2010 22:33:52 GMT -5
In the symbol set of maiden/mother/crone, it is fun to note that Medusa, once a potent ideal of motherhood, by being widowed has moved into the widow/crone role with her increased bitterness, isolation, and manipulative tendencies. Likewise, Crystal, as the embodiment of maiden-hood (sexual desire, naivete, etc.) has become more mothering. Interesting interpretation, though IMO Medusa has never embodied motherhood (it didn't help that her child was taken away from her for some time). However, motherhood/maternal feelings have been a large part of Crystal's characterization for a long time now, well in advance of DnA's handling here. Just one example is David Hine's Son of M in which Crystal's determined to get Luna back from Pietro, and ultimately realizes their daughter needs and loves her father. (Of course, in SoM, Crystal still finds the time to bat her eyelashes at would-be suitor Jolen.) And Crystal's compassionate, mothering nature for people in general is nothing new, as in Galactic Storm when she is sickened by the fate of the Kree people. She's always been a creature of feeling and empathy, unlike her sister Medusa, who is usually bound by duty and so can appear closed off and reserved. And now that Black Bolt's "dead", she's even more cut off from herself than ever; she's stuck playing a role. The sisters have always seemed to me to represent two basic female literary archetypes: the virgin and the w hore (I don't mean this in a pejorative way).*** As mentioned Crystal is free, loving, maternal, etc., while Medusa (whose power is her hair, a traditional symbol of female sexuality) is repressed--with her steadfast, unyielding devotion to one man, she's been essentially untouchable and "chaste." (Medusa was perfectly cast as Jason's unattainable object of desire in the 2000 Inhumans limited series.) Her sexuality seems to be most evident when she is mind controlled (Maximus) or has amnesia (as when she was with the Frightful Four. Remember how she caressed Reed's face with her hair?). But later on, when she was on the Fantastic Four team for while, she was just one of the guys. I would have loved to have seen Medusa and Reed realize they're attracted to one another, and being the people they are, struggle to resist the attraction. Imagine the drama, the Marvel angst! Naturally, under various writers' handling, both Crystal and Medusa have evolved/grown/changed over the years (while remaining close to what I see as their core personalities). And they've usually managed to avoid crossing the line from archetype to stereotype. You know, there's a scene in Joe Pokaski's Secret Invasion: Inhumans, when Crystal sneers at Medusa and says "You married the first boy you met!" IMO that line conveys the sisters' fundamental difference perfectly. ***BTW, for those who may be interested in these sorts of things, the board's built-in censor converted a word I'd typed--"w hore", only without the space I added--to "sleeper". Go figure...
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