Obsessively putting our comics in chronological order since 1985.
| 1991-06-01 01:03:10 |
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Silver Surfer #55-56
Issue(s): Silver Surfer #55, Silver Surfer #56
Cover Date: Sep-Oct 91
Title: The Universe According to Thanos: "Genesis" / "Exodus"
Credits:
Ron Marz - Writer
Ron Lim / Ron Lim & Gavin Curtis - Penciler
Tom Christopher - Inker
John Lewandowski - Assistant Editor
Craig Anderson - Editor
Review/plot:
I've been saying about most of the Infinity Gauntlet tie-ins that they were pretty pointless or that nothing happens. I actually think the first few Silver Surfer tie-ins had at least a little merit. Exploring the character of Nova a bit was good, and it was nice to go beyond the Earth to see what was going on in the Kree Empire (and kill off Clumsy Foulup) and on Titan, and the Surfer's encounter with the Rhino was at least an attempt at seeing another side of a super-villain. But beginning with these issues, the Silver Surfer tie-ins become literally irrelevant.
These two issues have the Silver Surfer daydreaming while waiting for Adam Warlock to send him into the battle against Thanos. So there's really no point in reviewing anything going on here, because it's just two issues of the Surfer having a fantasy about Thanos destroying everyone. Or, as the Silver Surfer puts it, "nothing worth mentioning".
The fact that Marvel went into a bi-weekly publishing schedule for the Silver Surfer at precisely the time when they had nothing to say about the character is nothing but opportunistic. If it's true that the Infinity Gauntlet story (or some kind of confrontation with Thanos) was originally going to be told in Silver Surfer, i guess i can see how it happened that the stories here have become entirely an exercise in treading water. But they didn't have to go to a bi-weekly schedule at this time, or even do tie-ins at all.
To make matters worse, George Perez is bowing out of the Infinity Gauntlet series at this time, and Ron Lim is being tapped to replace him. So issue #56 is co-penciled by Gavin Curtis (the exact breakdown isn't given) and James Brock will help with next issue. Lim is completely off the book for issues 58-59.
Quality Rating: D
Historical Significance Rating: 1
Chronological Placement Considerations: This takes place while the other heroes are battling Thanos during Infinity Gauntlet #4. For reading order purposes, i've placed it before Infinity Gauntlet #4, but that's really just a matter of preference. Actually i prefer not to read these at all.
References:
- During the Surfer's daydream, Thanos makes reference to getting turned to stone in Marvel Two-In-One annual #2.
Crossover: Infinity Gauntlet
Continuity Insert? N
My Reprint: N/A
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Comments
Ron Marz doesn't seem like the type to hack out a pointless story during a crossover so I'd like to believe these issues were editorially mandated, but who knows?
This kind of thing also turned me against Bendis' Avengers books too. I hated it when he'd be writing the big company crossover and both Avengers titles would spend half the publishing year on severely decompressed flashbacks relating story information we already got in the event book.
Didn't help that the other half of the publishing year was usually another story about his personal Mary Sue, the Hood. Nothing screams Avengers villain like a low rent crime boss with the power to shoot two guns at the same time.
Granted, these issues turn out to be a daydream which is wuite lame. But they have at least a couple interesting ideas. I like the shrines to Death that Thanos makes, where he creates fully-grown intelligent creatures in one end and has them led to another end to be murdered. And, the end -- where Surfer takes a rare opportunity to kill himself, only to be revived, definitely drives home the hopelessness of the situation. Plus tons of slaughtered superheroes is always fun.
So, I enjoyed them, at any rate.
