Issue(s): Quasar #33
Cover Date: Apr 92
Title: "Spatial deliveries"
Credits:
Mark Gruenwald - Writer
Rurik Tyler - Penciler
Fred Fredericks - Inker
Kelly Corvese - Editor

Review/plot:
Guest artist Rurik Tyler is on this issue and next. He seems to be trying to retain Greg Capullo's big chin style, but he (and/or inker Fred Fredericks) uses harder lines. This story picks right up from the previous chapter, with Quasar and Her in a fight with some of the Imperial Guard.

Quasar then decides to go after the Shi'ar ship that escaped through the warp, leaving Her to guard the warps and the defeated Guards. When Quasar catches up with the ship, there are more Imperial Guards to fight.

Actually, it's not a fight yet. The Guards have already transferred Captain Atlas' Nega-Bands to their homeworld. So the Guards don't try to fight Quasar while he's on their ship, and let him leave with Atlas. Once he's in space, though, they start attacking. He first faces Binary (who tells him that she's with the Starjammers, not the Imperial Guard, not that it makes a difference to Quasar).

Binary is then backed up by more Imperial Guards. Last issue i noted that there were a bunch of new Guards based on Legion of Super Heroes characters, but they were just illusions. This time they appear for real.

I like Glom, who takes his Matter Eater Lad role to the extreme. And of course adding more DC character analogues is exactly what you'd expect Mark Gruenwald to do. But regular readers of this site know that i'm not a fan of the Squadron Supreme or the Imperial Guard precisely because i don't like all this paralleling of DC characters, so i'm not too happy to see more of these guys.

Here's Karate Kid (at least Ralph Macchio isn't editing this book).

Meanwhile, the team of Avengers that went to the Shi'ar world have made better progress than the ones in Kree space, and have managed to get a meeting with Araki, the Shi'ar Prime Minister (although scan the Characters Appearing for a spoiler).

Unfortunately, Thor, in addition to not being experienced, is apparently a petulant toddler.

Despite his outburst, the Prime Minister agrees to set up a meeting with Empress Lilandra. At the moment, however, she's busy getting a report on the Nega-Bands, which have been split open to form the basis for a Nega-Bomb.

Quasar winds up getting teleported away into deep space (which, as he notes to himself, is ironically how he defeated Neutron earlier), and Atlas is recaptured. But then Atlas is rescued by a character not fully seen, but who will turn out to be Shatterax.

Back on Earth, Kayla Ballantine continues to be stalked by Angler.

The art in this issue is kind of wonky in places, which is understandable since it's fill-in art.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This is part ten of Operation: Galactic Storm. It continues in Wonder Man #8.

References:

• The Avengers are trying to stop the Kree and the Shi'ar from using stargates that are causing solar flares in Earth's solar system, as seen in Avengers #345.

Crossover: Operation Galactic Storm

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Hmm, where'd you come up with that "Legion of Super-Lackeys" quip, Thor?

The Imperial Guardsman Neutron is also called Quasar, so the joke is that Quasar is fighting Quasar.
The dialogue this issue suggests that Galactic Storm is taking place around the same time as Infinity Watch 2. Epoch says that Moondragon is not H.D. Steckley and starts to say that Moondragon is floating aboard something before Quasar cuts her off.

I share Fnord's annoyance with the Squadron Supreme, but I don't really mind the Imperial Guard. Partly because I barely know anything about the Legion of Superheroes, so the references aren't as obvious. But also because these guys have mostly just been featured as lackeys and thugs of the Shi'ar, not as main characters.

It is great to see Carol Danvers involved in an Avengers story again.

@Michael, thanks for calling attention to Epoch's line. I've moved Warlock & Infinity Watch #2 to just prior to Galactic Storm. Of course, since Epoch is cut off, it's not definitive, but no reason not to accomodate it.

DUDE... even with a FILL in artist Quasar just looks so... fruity!! In that one panel where he's like, she took the hint- is that RIchard Marx? Did Quasar get designed in 1992 to have a 1987 mullet? I just don't get it!

I've always liked the Imperial Guard, I'm very neutral for the Squadron Supreme. Probably since the Guard is super diverse and crazy looking. I mean purple mohawk elf Superman anyone?

@Brimstone: Like I said before, I think Wendell's girlish, bishonen look is a good thing. Very yummy! Too bad his series ended a few years before the anime boom made "girly boys" so popular.

hey bruh, ain't nothin' wrong with that! BUT... do you like the CHIN or do you dig that MULLET?? I know I don't got room to talk as I sometimes sport a man-bun LOL but Quaze just looks QUIRKY lol

@Brimstone I guess that last reply was to me? I love that long, gorgeous hair.

@Michael, i took your word for it on that line from Epoch about Moondragon, but it's actually in issue #35! :-) It also seems less definitive; she's not "floating" (which might imply stranded), she's just "aboard a ship". That could refer to the ship that she's in with Gamora in Warlock & the Infinity Watch #4 (and therefore any time between #2 and #4) as much as the ship at the beginning of #2.

(I should have double-checked after your comment, but I remembered the scene since i had also read #35, and i thought i just neglected to flag it.)

OK, this is weird- one of the reasons why I was looking forward to your review of Quasar 35 was I've never read it. :) I could swear the line about Moondragon in space was during Galactic Storm. I couldn't find it in my copies of Quasar 32 and 33 but I seem to have misplaced my copy of Quasar 34. Could someone see if it's there?

I've gone through #34 and Epoch's dialogue is all about helping Quasar fix the sun.

I did already move Infinity Watch #2 up to be concurrent with Galactic Storm, and i'm fine leaving it there in case there does turn out to be an earlier comment from Epoch that we just missed.

You're missing both Starfox and Vision from the tags.

Starfox and Vision can both be seen on the first panel on Page 12 if you squint hard enough.

Whereas Vision appears much clearer on the final panel on Page 13 stood next to Captain Marvel.

Here's those two pages in question:

They're both in this top panel:
http://41.media.tumblr.com/70f0db17ad8d841b5f723090a71be4a3/tumblr_o2glihBiQk1rvm5qqo1_1280.jpg

And Vision is next to Captain Marvel on the bottom right of this:
http://40.media.tumblr.com/ec0009807d562df61119ae75efd12b3c/tumblr_o2glihBiQk1rvm5qqo2_1280.jpg

Thanks, AF. I've added them.