Obsessively putting our comics in chronological order since 1985.
| 1991-05-01 00:08:10 |
| Previous: She-Hulk #28 | Up: Main | Next: Punisher: POV #1-4 |
Silver Surfer #49
Issue(s): Silver Surfer #49
Cover Date: May 91
Title: "Detour"
Credits:
Ron Marz - Writer
Ron Lim - Penciler
Tom Christopher - Inker
John Kewandowski - Assistant Editor
Craig Anderson - Editor
Review/plot:
The title of this issue is "Detour". In a sense, every issue in this series has been a kind of detour since the Surfer's initial confrontation with Thanos. I've been enjoying it all along, but it would be hard to deny the argument that the series has been treading water waiting for the rest of the Marvel universe to be ready for Infinity Gauntlet, and/or for Jim Starlin and George Perez to produce it. This story is written by Ron Marz, his first solo effort in the regular series (he's co-written issues with Starlin and he wrote this year's annual). Starlin will return for issue #50 but then Marz will become the regular writer for the book.
Silver Surfer was supposed to meet up with Drax on Titan, but he's not there, and poor Drax doesn't know where he is or what he was supposed to tell Mentor and Starfox about Thanos.
Surfer, meanwhile, is rushing back to Earth after his confrontation with Galactus last issue, hoping to warn Earth's heroes that Thanos is alive and has the Infinity Gems. Thanos is aware of this...
...and could wipe him out with a thought, but instead decides that he wants to kill Surfer up close and personal. And not yet. So he finds a random primate on a random world, powers it up...
...and sends it after the Surfer.
The Surfer is alerted to it because of a mayday from a Kree research base, which has been totally destroyed. Investigating, he finds the creature.
The Surfer fights it, at first not expecting much resistance but finding that its power is more than a match for his Power Cosmic.
The creature is about to eat him when Thanos withdraws its power. Not wanting to waste time investigating, the Surfer renews his rush to Earth.
In an epilogue, the Thanos statue from Marvel Two-In-One annual #2 starts to wake up.
It's a bit of a generic plot, but it does work in the sense of seeing the Surfer getting delayed for reasons he doesn't know about. And the scripting is fine, and Ron Lim's art continues to be great (and also keeps the book feeling consistent as the writer changes). That panel of Thanos holding out his hand is pretty iconic, and it looks familiar to me, so it might get re-purposed for ads or t-shirts or something.
Quality Rating: C+
Historical Significance Rating: 1
Chronological Placement Considerations: In terms of placement between issues, i'm allowing as much time as needed for the Surfer to cross through the infinite byways of space.
References: N/A
Crossover: N/A
Continuity Insert? N
My Reprint: N/A
| Previous: She-Hulk #28 | Up: Main | Next: Punisher: POV #1-4 |
Comments
Spot on about Ron Lim being important in keeping the consistency of the story flow. I hated the issues in the late 50s when he is not there.
Ron Marz had some good ideas (Tyrant) but his run was not in the league of Englehart's or Starlin's. His run felt less epic to me.
That "Thanos holding his hand spread open" panel does remind me somewhat of a scene from Thanos' Quest. In fact, of your own first scan from that series.
http://www.supermegamonkey.net/chronocomic/entries/thanos_quest_1-2.shtml
If you think this is treading water, wait til we get to the actual Infinity Gauntlet tie-in issues. Yes, one of them does some good character work with Nova but most are horrible. We have two issues that are nothing but a dream.
Spot on Michael. The Nova issue is relevant but the rest of the tie ins are treading water forcing the series to go through its first weak period.
I was especially annoyed by the Marz issues, as I had just subscribed to SS at issue 48 (They didnt carry it at my newsstand, and the comic shop, 40 minutes away, was tough to get to when you're 13), and thought I would be getting vital parts of a Starlin story.
I think, at the time of my subscribing, it was still believed that Infinity Gauntlet would be a crossover with its main portion in the Surfer's book, rather than a standalone series.
I had been reading the series from the start, and knew little (if anything) about Thanos, but to me, this is where Thanos really started living up to his reputation [from my anecdotal perspective] as a horrible villain. If he can wipe out the Surfer with a thought, then why doesn't he just do that and go on about his mission? What is the point of being this ultra-cosmic being if you're constantly compelled to toy with the only ones who can destroy you for reasons beyond understanding to the point where they can defeat you?
The Beyonder had this same problem in "Secret Wars II" (and "Secret Wars I," for that matter.) No, you're omnipotent, so whatever you want is the way the universe works, and it conforms to you rather than the other way around. If the Infinity Gauntlet means anything [which it clearly doesn't] then Thanos should have been removing all his adversaries with barely any conscious thought.
The X-titles were constantly lowering the standards for characters who were powerful for no reason, but Thanos is where Marvel permanently crossed the line about so-called "cosmic" beings. In hindsight, it's like "Austin Powers" movies where Dr. Evil's son is saying 'just kill him.'
I don't want to know in what crazy circles Thanos has a reputation as a horrible villain.
I agree that the Silver Surfer issues after Thanos fakes his death feel like treading water, though. Going directly from the end of Thanos Quest to the Infinity Gauntlet miniseries makes for a stronger narrative.
@Chris- we eventually get an explanation for why Thanos doesn't wipe out his enemies with just a thought.
If you say so. I probably read whatever issues had that explanation, but the whole concept is so idiotic that I've long since forgotten the explanation.
