Obsessively putting our comics in chronological order since 1985.
| 1991-06-01 01:01:10 |
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Silver Surfer #54
Issue(s): Silver Surfer #54
Cover Date: Sep 91
Title: "Cages"
Credits:
Ron Marz - Writer
Ron Lim - Penciler
Tom Christopher - Inker
John Lewandowski - Assistant Editor
Craig Anderson - Editor
Review/plot:
While Dr. Strange is teleporting heroes to Avengers Mansion to help with the Infinity Gauntlet threat, and Adam Warlock is formulating battle plans, the Silver Surfer decides he needs a distraction, and leaves the mansion to surf around in the sky. He winds up in Central park, where he finds that someone has let all the animals out of the zoo.
The Surfer's inability to recognize a penguin (assuming that's what it is and not like a puffin or something) is possibly related to the time-space ripple that caused them to show up at the North Pole while he was around in Hulk #250. As for tigers, well, it's not like he had any problem with lions in Silver Surfer #4. But he recognizes that it shouldn't be roaming around in New York.
And he finds out that it's the Rhino that is letting them loose.
The Surfer is unable to convince the Rhino to stop letting the animals free, let alone help him collect the ones that are already loose.
But the Rhino is no match for the Surfer.
And while they're fighting, a police officer shoots one of the tigers.
But the Silver Surfer has godlike powers, so he heals the tiger, and then Rhino agrees to help him recapture the other animals.
A bit silly.
In the end, the Surfer asks the Rhino to join the heroes in fighting Thanos, but the Rhino refuses, saying "Naw... that ain't really my crowd. I'm gonna stay here and... keep an eye on things.".
The Rhino at his best can survive a few rounds with the Hulk, so he's not on the Silver Surfer's power level but i don't see it as being out of bounds for him to have an encounter with the Surfer, given the right circumstances. So, seeing the nice cover by Ron Lim. The interior makes it clear that the Rhino is no challenge for the Surfer, and of course a fight between the two turns out to not be the point. I actually don't think it's a terrible story at all. I like the Surfer kind of shrugging at seeing the tiger on the loose, and i like the little insight we get into the Rhino's character (who has been all over the place in stories published this year: a mentally ill somewhat tragic figure, someone not wanting to kill Spider-Man because he didn't want to go back to jail, a straight up villain, and a one track minded joke). But at the same time it gets very sentimental, and it's definitely another unnecessary tangent that barely qualifies as an Infinity Gauntlet tie-in.
Still, if you want the Rhino smashing a gumball machine over the Silver Surfer's head, this is your comic book.
Quality Rating: C+
Historical Significance Rating: 1
Chronological Placement Considerations: This takes place during Infinity Gauntlet #3, starting during the scene where the Hulk is refusing to get teleported to Avengers mansion.
References:
- The Hulk refused to be brought to Avengers Mansion in Infinity Gauntlet #3.
- Silver Surfer recalls how he thought that he killed Thanos in Silver Surfer #38.
Crossover: Infinity Gauntlet
Continuity Insert? N
My Reprint: N/A
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Comments
Sure hope that tiger came back after time was reset.
I think Puffins have more angular beaks with markings on them.
I like it when the Rhino gets to show a soft side.
Easy to mix up puffins and penguins - even Opus can't tell the difference:
http://41.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me40j7gkdt1r3yxp8o1_1280.jpg
It was with this issue and its silliness that I realized that Surfer subscription I got for Infinity gauntlet was probably a wasted effort.
I bought this issue only because Rhino was on the cover. I thought the fight was pretty funny.
Did zoos in NY in the 90s still use cages?
This kind of reminds me of those Grant Morrison written Animal Man comics in which he would preach at the sympathetic villain. This has action and avoids the downbeat ending though.
It seems really out of character for the Rhino, and there are other villains that would have worked better for it, but who knows, he might have gotten loopy thanks to Infinity madness.
I remember reading the Silver Surfer at this time and getting annoyed that the comic's stories during Infinity Gauntlet were pretty minor.
"It's the end of the world anyway! Let's go ahead and let the animals roam free in the streets!"
"We're gathering an army to oppose Thanos, he will be defeated, and the world will be saved, so help me gather up the animals."
"Yeah, the world will be saved... by resetting continuity so none of this actually happens, so it sort of is the end of THIS world..."
It may be an unnecessary tangent, but seeing a polar bear on the surfboard was worth it. Clearly, the Silver Polar Bear is Galactus' next herald.
I also liked the Rhino's soft side, even if it's mostly pointless in the long run.
You forgot to tag the Surfer in his own book. Unforgivable! :)
Added the Surfer. (Special thanks to Luke for pointing it out in the thread of shame in the forum.)
