Thursday, March 3, 2011

Annihilators #1 (of 4)

It's the "Superman Problem."

When you have a really powerful hero on your super-team, it makes it tough for the writer to come up with an opponent that can challenge the powerful but not overwhelm that less-powerful members of the team.

It's not easy to overcome, and it's an even bigger challenge in the limited series starring the team known as Annihilators, since every member of the team is an incredibly powerful cosmic hero.

Writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning tackle the problem head-on and bring back a space franchise that will delight older fans - the Spaceknights (although no direct mention can be made of Rom, since Marvel no longer has the rights to the character).

(Interesting that Marvel has at least three characters who played a big part in past continuity, but can't be mentioned by name in modern comics - Rom, Fu Manchu and Godzilla).

Where was I? Oh yes, the Annihilators are a heavy-hitting team, and they find themselves up against a deadly villain - and a galaxy-shaking threat which should challenge even these heavy hitters.

The art by Tan Eng Huat and Victor Olazaba is good, although I'd recommend more variety in the layouts - almost every panel is "viewed" from eye level.

There's also a backup feature starring Rocket Raccoon and Groot - yep, you read that right - by Abnett and Lanning, with art by Timothy Green II. It's a lot of fun, and the art is unique, fun and quirky in a good way.

I'm not sure if this series is quite worth the hefty $4.99 price tag, though you get a lot of pages for that price. The potential is there for another excellent cosmic event, but we'll have to wait until next issue to see where it goes from here.

Grade: B+

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