My Marvel Life Presents: Fabulous First Issue – Annihilation Prologue

Why I picked this comic: 

It was inevitable that I would pick an event to do at some point. Secret Wars is too simplistic, Crisis works better as a whole thing and lets not get into any of the X-crossover events just yet.

This event was a bit of a surprise when I first read it. It was an attempt by a couple of writers Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning to make use of Marvel’s stable of cosmic characters who weren’t being made use of. I remember how much I enjoyed it and how it lead to a good 5 or 6 years of well told cosmic stories which lead to the resurgence of Nova, Thanos, Adam Warlock and the second iteration of the Guardians of the Galaxy. I wanted to share this era’s beginning and get someone else’s take on it.

The Comic Itself: 

Annihilation Prologue: March 2006

.

Annihilation Prologue was written by Keith Giffen and had pencils by Scott Kollins and inks by Ariel Olivetti and starts with The Mad Titan, Thanos who stands next to death (this time embodied as a little girl) who tells him something is coming.

At the Kyln, a ring of space stations acting as power generators and prison facilities, people are going about their business. Out of a nearby spacial rift known as the Crunch a wave of vaguely insect-like space ships appear and start to attack the Kyln, laying waste to the facilities and leaving almost no survivors. 

Days later on Xandar, the homeworld of the peacekeeping Nova Corps and all of the Corps have been recalled and are to be deployed in response to the as yet mysterious destruction at the Kyln. Ships have been re-routed there and it’s chaos. On one of those ships is Drax, the Destroyer and a human friend called Cammi. The Nova Corps are being briefed, over in the corner we see Earth’s Nova Centurion Rich Ryder, who along with a Rigellian called Pyo and a Centaurian called Samaya are awaiting orders. At that moment this ‘annihilation wave’ hits Xandar.  The battle engulfs the entire planet and the Nova Corps engage the wave. It doesn’t go well, with the entirety of the Corps wiped out, all except for an injured Rich Rider.

In disputed space on the border between Kree and Skrull empires, Ronan the Accuser is judging other Kree over the deaths of Skrull settlers. He is also arrested, this time by Kree soldiers, many of them admirers of his, over the deaths of over 200,000 skrulls. This crime is mentioned earlier and Drax is a suspect also. Ronan surrenders, aware he is innocent, but has no other current move to make.

Another system and the Silver Surfer becomes aware of the wave’s presence. Kree system 115 on the Yon-Rogg starbas, the Fantastic Four villain Super Skrull is hiding and listening to Kree soldiers talk about Skrull worlds destroyed by some kind of super-weapon.

At the head of the wave an insectoid alien queen called Eradica is calling in the wave’s current status to her king. This turns out to be the ruler of the Negative Zone, another Fantastic Four villain, Annihilus.

The Thoughts of  The MIGHTY Rosie

Question 1: Have you heard of this property before?  Yes, I had.

Question 2: What were you expecting? I had no idea what to expect.

Question 3: What did you think of the cover?  ….in your face.

Question 4: What did you think of the story? …Enticing.

Question 5: What did you think of the art? It was okay, felt a little bit rough, but unpleasantly so.

Question 6: What did you think of the dialogue?   A lot of quick witted banter, which I liked. Whilst a new story, none of the characters felt new, like it was a lived in universe.

Question 7: Does it make sense? It did, there was a lot going on for a single comic. You get the sense you walked into a party at 1am that had been going on since 9pm and while it may have hit a peak already,, there was more craziness ahead. No one had shouted “leave it, he’s not worth it!” yet.

Question 8: Was it accessible as a new reader?  Yes.

Question 9: Did you enjoy it?  I did (suprised tone) I liked the banter. 

Question 10: Would you read the next issue? I would and after the last issue I am very surprised. 

Question 11: What would you do differently?  …. I would change the colour palette 🎨 to make it easier in the eyes. Although that might be the migraine I am having. 

Next time: Okay, if we have to, let’s look at the Nu52.