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Annihilation: Collected Editions #2
Annihilation, Book Two
The epic collection of the cosmic event continues, as the the Annihilation Wave targets Galactus' ex-heralds! Hunted by beings every bit as powerful as himself, the Silver Surfer must find a way to unite the one-time heralds against a common foe. But can even the united cosmic might of those who served Galactus stand against these powerful beings!? Meanwhile, no longer recognized as "Accuser," Ronan himself has been accused, tried and stripped of his rank. Now, he's out to clear his name! And finally, from one of the writers of ABC's smash hit Lost comes a new vision of a venerable villain as Super-Skrull brings his devious cunning to bear on an unstoppable enemy! Super-Skrull bursts into the frontline of the war against the Annihilation Wave, taking the fight to the enemy in his own ruthless way!
Collecting: Silver Surfer 1-4, Super Skrull 1-4, Ronan 1-4
Collecting: Silver Surfer 1-4, Super Skrull 1-4, Ronan 1-4
312 pages, Hardcover
First published May 2, 2007
21 people are currently reading
428 people want to read
About the author
Keith Giffen
1,937 books217 followersKeith Ian Giffen was an American comic book illustrator and writer. He is possibly best-known for his long runs illustrating, and later writing the Legion of Super-Heroes title in the 1980s and 1990s. He also created the alien mercenary character Lobo (with Roger Slifer), and the irreverent "want-to-be" hero, Ambush Bug. Giffen is known for having an unorthodox writing style, often using characters in ways not seen before. His dialogue is usually characterized by a biting wit that is seen as much less zany than dialogue provided by longtime collaborators DeMatteis and Robert Loren Fleming. That approach has brought him both criticism and admiration, as perhaps best illustrated by the mixed (although commercially successful) response to his work in DC Comics' Justice League International (1987-1992). He also plotted and was breakdown artist for an Aquaman limited series and one-shot special in 1989 with writer Robert Loren Fleming and artist Curt Swan for DC Comics.
Giffen's first published work was "The Sword and The Star", a black-and-white series featured in Marvel Preview, with writer Bill Mantlo. He has worked on titles (owned by several different companies) including Woodgod, All Star Comics, Doctor Fate, Drax the Destroyer, Heckler, Nick Fury's Howling Commandos, Reign of the Zodiac, Suicide Squad, Trencher (to be re-released in a collected edition by Boom! Studios)., T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, and Vext. He was also responsible for the English adaptation of the Battle Royale and Ikki Tousen manga, as well as creating "I Luv Halloween" for Tokyopop. He also worked for Dark Horse from 1994-95 on their Comics Greatest World/Dark Horse Heroes line, as the writer of two short lived series, Division 13 and co-author, with Lovern Kindzierski, of Agents of Law. For Valiant Comics, Giffen wrote XO-Manowar, Magnus, Robot Fighter, Punx and the final issue of Solar, Man of the Atom.
He took a break from the comic industry for several years, working on storyboards for television and film, including shows such as The Real Ghostbusters and Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy.
He is also the lead writer for Marvel Comics's Annihilation event, having written the one-shot prologue, the lead-in stories in Thanos and Drax, the Silver Surfer as well as the main six issues mini-series. He also wrote the Star-Lord mini-series for the follow-up story Annihilation: Conquest. He currently writes Doom Patrol for DC, and is also completing an abandoned Grant Morrison plot in The Authority: the Lost Year for Wildstorm.
Giffen's first published work was "The Sword and The Star", a black-and-white series featured in Marvel Preview, with writer Bill Mantlo. He has worked on titles (owned by several different companies) including Woodgod, All Star Comics, Doctor Fate, Drax the Destroyer, Heckler, Nick Fury's Howling Commandos, Reign of the Zodiac, Suicide Squad, Trencher (to be re-released in a collected edition by Boom! Studios)., T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, and Vext. He was also responsible for the English adaptation of the Battle Royale and Ikki Tousen manga, as well as creating "I Luv Halloween" for Tokyopop. He also worked for Dark Horse from 1994-95 on their Comics Greatest World/Dark Horse Heroes line, as the writer of two short lived series, Division 13 and co-author, with Lovern Kindzierski, of Agents of Law. For Valiant Comics, Giffen wrote XO-Manowar, Magnus, Robot Fighter, Punx and the final issue of Solar, Man of the Atom.
He took a break from the comic industry for several years, working on storyboards for television and film, including shows such as The Real Ghostbusters and Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy.
He is also the lead writer for Marvel Comics's Annihilation event, having written the one-shot prologue, the lead-in stories in Thanos and Drax, the Silver Surfer as well as the main six issues mini-series. He also wrote the Star-Lord mini-series for the follow-up story Annihilation: Conquest. He currently writes Doom Patrol for DC, and is also completing an abandoned Grant Morrison plot in The Authority: the Lost Year for Wildstorm.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
November 29, 2022
This was so good omg!
So we have whats going on with different people like Silver skrull as he rescues some people and teams up with the other heralds and trying to prevent this annihilation wave and then the big change that happens with Galactus and how it will change the cosmos going forward and this one was epic and my fav part of the book easily!
Then the stuff with Super-skrull and how he gathers a rebel group to take the attack to the annihilation wave and some machine and prevent their attack because of a personal reason and its a story of betrayal and loss and maybe new beginnings and big things happen for the kree race going forward! Praxagora was a fun addition here and I liked her role here!
Then we follow Ronan and his exile sort of and how he comes to the realization he must warn the kree but will it be too late? Also Gamora and Nebula and some interesting stuff with them and an emotional ending for him for sure and it hits all the right notes I will say!
So overall a book with great focus on 3 characters and like emotional for sure but just showing the dangerous-ness of this annihilation wave and how its spreading and the next volume is gonna be even insane and great! I highly recommend this!!
So we have whats going on with different people like Silver skrull as he rescues some people and teams up with the other heralds and trying to prevent this annihilation wave and then the big change that happens with Galactus and how it will change the cosmos going forward and this one was epic and my fav part of the book easily!
Then the stuff with Super-skrull and how he gathers a rebel group to take the attack to the annihilation wave and some machine and prevent their attack because of a personal reason and its a story of betrayal and loss and maybe new beginnings and big things happen for the kree race going forward! Praxagora was a fun addition here and I liked her role here!
Then we follow Ronan and his exile sort of and how he comes to the realization he must warn the kree but will it be too late? Also Gamora and Nebula and some interesting stuff with them and an emotional ending for him for sure and it hits all the right notes I will say!
So overall a book with great focus on 3 characters and like emotional for sure but just showing the dangerous-ness of this annihilation wave and how its spreading and the next volume is gonna be even insane and great! I highly recommend this!!
December 28, 2016
Supremely dissapointed in this series after Abnett passed the reigns. The artwork is shocking. No imagination whatsoever. Drax is the only likeable character.
April 23, 2014
Silver Surfer
He's as uninteresting - as personality-free -as ever. Throughout this book it's just a tour of destruction, a few skirmishes with "his match" (who never quite seem to keep him from beating them), some other Heralds I've never heard of, and a lot of dead space. At the end there's a few pages of power bolts and fists to break up the monotony, and an encounter with Galactus that changes SS, so it's a start.
What's the deal with Thanos' little friend? She's like a cross between Tinkerbell and Jar Jar Binks (not the good parts), so you have to wade through the cutsie slang-y nattering of an irritant too. Boy, how much better can this mini series get?
Art's interesting - the contrast between the sharp foreground linework and the blurry/thick/graphite background linework makes for some interesting-looking scenes.
Super Skrull
Well now that's interesting reading. SS tells the tale of the villain who constantly met defeat at the hands of the FF, and yet lived to tell the tale. Here's he's an outcast laughingstock, and yet comports himself with a degree of dignity and humility that I never would've expected.
Compared to Nova, this one feels like a multi-layered character - not a one-note caricature. He struggles with the limitations of aging, wants to be a hero-warrior, has fits of uncontrollable anger, and ends up leading a ragtag band of fighters to wreak a little harassment on the enemy, even when it seems hopeless.
Unfortunately, the writing degrades terribly in the final issue and leaves us with a saccharine and overwritten tale of heroism that leaves me feeling like I just want to forget any generous feelings I had towards this book.
Art's pretty decent - super-clean, fun, with some great acting on the part of our new anti-hero. It's also a little sloppy and unfinished in places tho.
Ronan
Oof, writing not so great. "The deadliest woman in the universe? Well, bring her on!" The tales of Ronan the Accused are a little thin on depth of characterization - Ronan is a dick, pulls the Judge Dredd act everywhere he goes - meddling in local conflicts to the detriment of all, in his pursuit of what he myopically sees as justice.
Later, Gamora shows up to impale a warrior who was telling Ronan information of no consequence - and then they face each other and fight with great grimace and strain of shoulder muscles. Then they battle, then others, and so many grim pronouncements. So many ellipses...and so many exclamation marks!
Spoiler warning: Ronan grows a conscience. But for no discernible reason - he's just suddenly and circumstantially interested in saving people, or in helping his species who exiled him. Huh? This mini is definitely the worst of the collection. Art's just so-so too.
He's as uninteresting - as personality-free -as ever. Throughout this book it's just a tour of destruction, a few skirmishes with "his match" (who never quite seem to keep him from beating them), some other Heralds I've never heard of, and a lot of dead space. At the end there's a few pages of power bolts and fists to break up the monotony, and an encounter with Galactus that changes SS, so it's a start.
What's the deal with Thanos' little friend? She's like a cross between Tinkerbell and Jar Jar Binks (not the good parts), so you have to wade through the cutsie slang-y nattering of an irritant too. Boy, how much better can this mini series get?
Art's interesting - the contrast between the sharp foreground linework and the blurry/thick/graphite background linework makes for some interesting-looking scenes.
Super Skrull
Well now that's interesting reading. SS tells the tale of the villain who constantly met defeat at the hands of the FF, and yet lived to tell the tale. Here's he's an outcast laughingstock, and yet comports himself with a degree of dignity and humility that I never would've expected.
Compared to Nova, this one feels like a multi-layered character - not a one-note caricature. He struggles with the limitations of aging, wants to be a hero-warrior, has fits of uncontrollable anger, and ends up leading a ragtag band of fighters to wreak a little harassment on the enemy, even when it seems hopeless.
Unfortunately, the writing degrades terribly in the final issue and leaves us with a saccharine and overwritten tale of heroism that leaves me feeling like I just want to forget any generous feelings I had towards this book.
Art's pretty decent - super-clean, fun, with some great acting on the part of our new anti-hero. It's also a little sloppy and unfinished in places tho.
Ronan
Oof, writing not so great. "The deadliest woman in the universe? Well, bring her on!" The tales of Ronan the Accused are a little thin on depth of characterization - Ronan is a dick, pulls the Judge Dredd act everywhere he goes - meddling in local conflicts to the detriment of all, in his pursuit of what he myopically sees as justice.
Later, Gamora shows up to impale a warrior who was telling Ronan information of no consequence - and then they face each other and fight with great grimace and strain of shoulder muscles. Then they battle, then others, and so many grim pronouncements. So many ellipses...and so many exclamation marks!
Spoiler warning: Ronan grows a conscience. But for no discernible reason - he's just suddenly and circumstantially interested in saving people, or in helping his species who exiled him. Huh? This mini is definitely the worst of the collection. Art's just so-so too.
April 12, 2015
For those reading all three of my reviews only the middle part has new information.
This isn't a book for a casual Marvel Universe reader. If you read it and aren't a pro you absolutely must read the historical information in between scenes.
There are a lot of stories within but they blend well enough and are needed.
In book two we get focuses upon the History of Super Skrull, Skrull society, the many heralds of Galactus, Elder Gods, Titans and the Kree people with a spotlight on Ronan (something of a superhero but not a superhero . . . how is that for confusing?).
It's good but takes a while to digest and even better it's something very different from the typical Marvel superhero focuses.
OVERALL GRADE: B to B plus (just makes four stars)
This isn't a book for a casual Marvel Universe reader. If you read it and aren't a pro you absolutely must read the historical information in between scenes.
There are a lot of stories within but they blend well enough and are needed.
In book two we get focuses upon the History of Super Skrull, Skrull society, the many heralds of Galactus, Elder Gods, Titans and the Kree people with a spotlight on Ronan (something of a superhero but not a superhero . . . how is that for confusing?).
It's good but takes a while to digest and even better it's something very different from the typical Marvel superhero focuses.
OVERALL GRADE: B to B plus (just makes four stars)
December 29, 2016
Fun read though the Ronan chapters were convoluted and mehh.
March 15, 2014
One third if this collection was okay, while the other two-thirds was a huge let-down.
I enjoyed the Silver Surfer section, but only a little. It provided me with what I was missing in volume one of this event: background info on the Negative Zone and Annihilus. As an added bonus, the Silver Surfer section united Galactus' heralds, and it was a great to see such mega-powers interacting.
The Super Skrull section of the collection was my favourite even though it had the most coherent storyline, but I felt the artwork was juvenile and made no sense with the rest of the Annihilation storyline. If it wasn't for the couple of moments that have actual importance to the main Annihilation storyline I the other two titles, I would recommend only reading the Super Skrull section of this collection.
But really, REALLY, the rotten egg in the bunch is the Ronan section. Holy crow. How did this even make it to print? So abysmally boring and directionless. The Ronan section of this collection should be held up high as an example of how NEVER to write a comic.
You know, I respect the conceptual scope and magnitude of the main, Annihilation story arch, but honestly, the writing for this event isn't that great. The dialogue and the action feels forced and heavy-handed and I feel like the story is just stumbling through plot points. But even less enjoyable is the artwork! I mean, in this story we are dealing with the extinction of massive galaxies and the obliteration of ancient worlds and civilizations.... yet the background of almost every panel is a black void with a splattering of blue or green ink and a few white dots for stars! Where is the detail? Where is the sense of time or place? Where are the remains of the civilizations? The possibilities for rich, robust settings is almost limitless in this story, but all we are presented with is a flat and featureless blah! Super Skrull was really the only title in this series that visually created an exotic, alien setting, and even then it looked like a 10 year-old drew it.
Not looking forward to finishing Annihilation, but I'm going to force myself through it.
2/5
I enjoyed the Silver Surfer section, but only a little. It provided me with what I was missing in volume one of this event: background info on the Negative Zone and Annihilus. As an added bonus, the Silver Surfer section united Galactus' heralds, and it was a great to see such mega-powers interacting.
The Super Skrull section of the collection was my favourite even though it had the most coherent storyline, but I felt the artwork was juvenile and made no sense with the rest of the Annihilation storyline. If it wasn't for the couple of moments that have actual importance to the main Annihilation storyline I the other two titles, I would recommend only reading the Super Skrull section of this collection.
But really, REALLY, the rotten egg in the bunch is the Ronan section. Holy crow. How did this even make it to print? So abysmally boring and directionless. The Ronan section of this collection should be held up high as an example of how NEVER to write a comic.
You know, I respect the conceptual scope and magnitude of the main, Annihilation story arch, but honestly, the writing for this event isn't that great. The dialogue and the action feels forced and heavy-handed and I feel like the story is just stumbling through plot points. But even less enjoyable is the artwork! I mean, in this story we are dealing with the extinction of massive galaxies and the obliteration of ancient worlds and civilizations.... yet the background of almost every panel is a black void with a splattering of blue or green ink and a few white dots for stars! Where is the detail? Where is the sense of time or place? Where are the remains of the civilizations? The possibilities for rich, robust settings is almost limitless in this story, but all we are presented with is a flat and featureless blah! Super Skrull was really the only title in this series that visually created an exotic, alien setting, and even then it looked like a 10 year-old drew it.
Not looking forward to finishing Annihilation, but I'm going to force myself through it.
2/5
July 23, 2014
This is made of 3 separate volumes, each 4 issues in length. I'll start with the bad:
Super-Skrull: Dull, boring story. I really found it hard to care at all. Probably because I don't have much interest in the super Skrull unless he's fighting the Fantastic Four or the Avengers, and Skrulls are pretty much just canon fodder outside of Secret Invasion. There was a bit of betrayal, which I didn't see coming, but that was it. The art work was also poor (the Annilihation wave looked nothing like the Annilihation wave). Thankfully, this is the only weak point of the book.
Silver Surfer: This. This was pretty good. Silver Surfer is always a good read when he's done right, which he is most of the time. Returning to his master Galactus as his Herald, thus returning him to his original status quo, Silver Surfer and some other Heralds must protect Galactus from the Annihiliation wave. It's pretty simple, but it's good.
Ronan: Average story helped a lot by really good art. It's a style similar to Frank Quietly and Nick Piterra (I know comparing an artists work to an artist who has a similar style is lazy critiquing, but I'm never very good at critiquing art. Not that I'm good at critiquing in general. BUT ANYWAY). He also has a fight with Gamora, before she's Guardians of the Galaxy Gamora, which is cool. It's also interesting to me to see these characters, who are about to become movie stars, in the comics before they're stars.
2 out of 3 ain't bad overall. I think this volume is better than the first. None of it is connecting yet though. But it's probably all about to go down in volume 3.
Super-Skrull: Dull, boring story. I really found it hard to care at all. Probably because I don't have much interest in the super Skrull unless he's fighting the Fantastic Four or the Avengers, and Skrulls are pretty much just canon fodder outside of Secret Invasion. There was a bit of betrayal, which I didn't see coming, but that was it. The art work was also poor (the Annilihation wave looked nothing like the Annilihation wave). Thankfully, this is the only weak point of the book.
Silver Surfer: This. This was pretty good. Silver Surfer is always a good read when he's done right, which he is most of the time. Returning to his master Galactus as his Herald, thus returning him to his original status quo, Silver Surfer and some other Heralds must protect Galactus from the Annihiliation wave. It's pretty simple, but it's good.
Ronan: Average story helped a lot by really good art. It's a style similar to Frank Quietly and Nick Piterra (I know comparing an artists work to an artist who has a similar style is lazy critiquing, but I'm never very good at critiquing art. Not that I'm good at critiquing in general. BUT ANYWAY). He also has a fight with Gamora, before she's Guardians of the Galaxy Gamora, which is cool. It's also interesting to me to see these characters, who are about to become movie stars, in the comics before they're stars.
2 out of 3 ain't bad overall. I think this volume is better than the first. None of it is connecting yet though. But it's probably all about to go down in volume 3.
September 9, 2021
Annihilation grows more interesting in this second volume. Not exactly Starlin, but close…
A lot of cosmic fun packed into this volume: The Surfer and other heralds of Galactus, first appearance of Tenebrous and Aegis, always nice to see Gamora, Ronan’s here, and Glorian, a face I haven’t seen since the ‘70s in the pages of The Incredible Hulk and The Defenders, although he ‘s not used very well in this storyline and he’s missing those fabulous golden locks of his.
My favorite? The subplot with Kl’rt adds some dimension to the character of the Super Skrull and lets him be more here than just a punching bag for the FF.
A lot of cosmic fun packed into this volume: The Surfer and other heralds of Galactus, first appearance of Tenebrous and Aegis, always nice to see Gamora, Ronan’s here, and Glorian, a face I haven’t seen since the ‘70s in the pages of The Incredible Hulk and The Defenders, although he ‘s not used very well in this storyline and he’s missing those fabulous golden locks of his.
My favorite? The subplot with Kl’rt adds some dimension to the character of the Super Skrull and lets him be more here than just a punching bag for the FF.
February 23, 2014
As stated in my review of
Annihilation: Book One
, it was my appreciation of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning's revival of Marvel's cosmic side in the pages of Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy that drew me here, to the even that served as their launch pad. However, the more I read of this, the more I come to appreciate the man who appears to be the architect of the event: Keith Giffen.
This second volume collects Annihilation: Silver Surfer #1–4, written by Giffen and drawn by Renato Arlem (whose style is a little bit murky for my taste, but which nevertheless carries the storytelling well), Annihilation: Super-Skrull #1–4 written by Javier Grillo-Marxuach and drawn by Gregory Titus, and finally Annihilation: Ronan #1–4 written by Simon Furman and drawn by Jorge Lucas (whose style on some level, and at least in certain places, reminds me a little of Moebius).
The Silver Surfer mini introduces Tenebrous and Aegis, and also brings Galactus more deeply into the plot. At the front and centre is, naturally, the Surfer, backed by a number of his fellow heralds of Galactus, and the hunt for an answer to the potent question, posed by Annihilus, concerning how to appropriate the Power Cosmic. In the midst of all this, we also find Thanos.
In the Super-Skrull mini, the narrative threads running through the first volume, and the first third of this one, suddenly seem more or less lost. Sure, there are some minor tangents, but they are so minor that I could not stop wondering why this was actually included. In retrospect, this is a cleverly performed digression that weaves right back into the main cloth in volume three; so do not despair if you feel like I do when reading it. Take comfort in the fact that all shall be revealed, and enjoy the story of the Super-Skrull's attempt to stop an attack by the Annihilation Wave, by going to the Negative Zone to find the maker of the Harvester of Sorrow (an ultimate weapon), in its own right.
Finally, the Ronan mini introduces us to a disgraced former Kree Accuser in his struggle to clear his name. The story introduces Gamora, the Most Dangerous Woman Alive (and former ward of Thanos), into the Annihilation saga.
All in all, this volume feels a bit less cohesive than the first, but definitely serves as a build up for the finale in volume three.
Highly recommended!
This second volume collects Annihilation: Silver Surfer #1–4, written by Giffen and drawn by Renato Arlem (whose style is a little bit murky for my taste, but which nevertheless carries the storytelling well), Annihilation: Super-Skrull #1–4 written by Javier Grillo-Marxuach and drawn by Gregory Titus, and finally Annihilation: Ronan #1–4 written by Simon Furman and drawn by Jorge Lucas (whose style on some level, and at least in certain places, reminds me a little of Moebius).
The Silver Surfer mini introduces Tenebrous and Aegis, and also brings Galactus more deeply into the plot. At the front and centre is, naturally, the Surfer, backed by a number of his fellow heralds of Galactus, and the hunt for an answer to the potent question, posed by Annihilus, concerning how to appropriate the Power Cosmic. In the midst of all this, we also find Thanos.
In the Super-Skrull mini, the narrative threads running through the first volume, and the first third of this one, suddenly seem more or less lost. Sure, there are some minor tangents, but they are so minor that I could not stop wondering why this was actually included. In retrospect, this is a cleverly performed digression that weaves right back into the main cloth in volume three; so do not despair if you feel like I do when reading it. Take comfort in the fact that all shall be revealed, and enjoy the story of the Super-Skrull's attempt to stop an attack by the Annihilation Wave, by going to the Negative Zone to find the maker of the Harvester of Sorrow (an ultimate weapon), in its own right.
Finally, the Ronan mini introduces us to a disgraced former Kree Accuser in his struggle to clear his name. The story introduces Gamora, the Most Dangerous Woman Alive (and former ward of Thanos), into the Annihilation saga.
All in all, this volume feels a bit less cohesive than the first, but definitely serves as a build up for the finale in volume three.
Highly recommended!
March 15, 2010
More cosmic warfare from Marvel Comics as the Annihilation war continues! This collects three of the mini-series.
Ronan: one time accuser of the Kree Empire has been framed and exiled. Once there he tries to clear his name, fight the Annihilation War and deal with an army of amazons. Good story and great art.
Super-Skrull: This one time hero is now considered a washed up relic and so he journey's into the Negative Zone to strike the heart of the Annihilation Swarm. Along the way he gathers a rag-tag group of warriors to help him.
Liked the story, but the art was too cartoony.
Silver Surfer: when the Annihilation waved pierced the dimensional barriers, they released an ancient foe of Galactus and now the Silver Surfer must unit with several other ex-heralds of Galactus to stop them.
Lots of big space opera action.
Ronan: one time accuser of the Kree Empire has been framed and exiled. Once there he tries to clear his name, fight the Annihilation War and deal with an army of amazons. Good story and great art.
Super-Skrull: This one time hero is now considered a washed up relic and so he journey's into the Negative Zone to strike the heart of the Annihilation Swarm. Along the way he gathers a rag-tag group of warriors to help him.
Liked the story, but the art was too cartoony.
Silver Surfer: when the Annihilation waved pierced the dimensional barriers, they released an ancient foe of Galactus and now the Silver Surfer must unit with several other ex-heralds of Galactus to stop them.
Lots of big space opera action.
May 22, 2012
The highlight of this collection is probably the Silver Surfer limited series. But, probably just because I enjoyed learning about Galactus and his Heralds. Things in the Marvel Universe I never really knew about. Like I knew who Galactus was and I know who the Silver Surfer one - at least by name - and I knew Galactus ate planets. But that was about it. So learning, yay!
December 5, 2014
The whole idea behind the positive and negative universes eating each other was fun. I don't read this for the science, after all. All these big players on a big scale story is so delicious.
January 20, 2015
The best of the 3 collected series, where the story line shines the most.
February 21, 2020
3.5 Stars
This was a mixed bag.
The Silver Surfer story was more confusing than anything, with the introduction of new characters who predated Galactus..or something like that. It was kinda cool to see the Surfer and Galactus reunited against the annihilation wave, but mostly this was all over the place.
The Super Skrull story to me was the most enjoyable of the three included. The story was fairly straightforward and also had the most lasting ramifications of the stories in this volume.
The Ronan story was somewhere in the middle. Ronan is trying to find out why he was falsely accused of betraying the Kree so he's searching out the witnesses that gave false testimony against him in order to get some answers. Gamora and Nebula show up among others, and then the Annihilation Wave arrives and spoils things for everyone.
The art wasn't horrible but was a little rough in places.
Overall not quite as strong as the first volume but enjoyable enough. The Annihilation stories don't have the tightest continuity but rather are all stories on their own that cross over due to the Annihilation Wave sweeping across the universe.
Curious to see how things wrap up in the next and final volume.
This was a mixed bag.
The Silver Surfer story was more confusing than anything, with the introduction of new characters who predated Galactus..or something like that. It was kinda cool to see the Surfer and Galactus reunited against the annihilation wave, but mostly this was all over the place.
The Super Skrull story to me was the most enjoyable of the three included. The story was fairly straightforward and also had the most lasting ramifications of the stories in this volume.
The Ronan story was somewhere in the middle. Ronan is trying to find out why he was falsely accused of betraying the Kree so he's searching out the witnesses that gave false testimony against him in order to get some answers. Gamora and Nebula show up among others, and then the Annihilation Wave arrives and spoils things for everyone.
The art wasn't horrible but was a little rough in places.
Overall not quite as strong as the first volume but enjoyable enough. The Annihilation stories don't have the tightest continuity but rather are all stories on their own that cross over due to the Annihilation Wave sweeping across the universe.
Curious to see how things wrap up in the next and final volume.
March 9, 2018
Des trois c'est Super Skrull que j'ai préféré je crois. Ronan est étrange, bizarrement raconté, assez moyen. Silver Surfer pas trop mal.
September 12, 2015
The road to Annihilation is a long one, and I with this book I began to wonder when we were going to get to the fireworks factory. Well it turns out taking the scenic route there isn't all that bad.
The Ronan- and Super-Skrull-stories are intriguing close-ups of classic villains, portrayed as outcasts who make an ultimate sacrifice. Scorned by their respective Kree and Skrull empires it's ironic how these two representatives of people that are supposed to loathe each other are alike. In the end it's all about the loyalty they could've walked away from, but without which they are nothing.
The Kl'rt-material is the leaner of the two, focusing on a couple of quickly sketched but effective characters. When the final panel hits you feel like you've seen the climax of a science fiction-movie. Ronan on the other hand suffers from a plethora of thinly drawn characters, however fun it was for me to see some of the cast of Guardians Of The Galaxy in print. I always enjoy Gamora and Nebula turning up, and Korath was just the cherry on the cake. Alas the central villain is a total misfire, a guy whose every supposed emotion seems to miss the mark.
Silver Surfer is a character I've always found to be a bit self-righteous, faux noble, and whiny; so I went into this arc with impatience. The story of Galactus' Herald witnessing the destruction caused by the Annihilation Wave, and how it's both similar and different from what he did himself, is effective. The decision he makes in the end is heroic, tragic, and clever; and yet I can't seem to care about that silver guy on his surfboard.
Thanos scheming in the background is something I'm not used to, as Starlin was always way more up front about his motivations. Right now the Mad Titan seems to be spinning a web around Annihilus, who as the main baddie behind this Annihilation gets some more colour here. I still wouldn't place him beside Galactus in the gallery of cosmic villains, though. Other characters such as the other former Heralds to the Devourer of Worlds, or their counterparts in the Seekers, or Galactus' own counterparts in Tenebrous and Aegis; all get too little to do to make a lasting impression.
But luckily Annihilation itself is next, and I can't wait which story Giffen has in store for all these people, all these heroes, and all these villains. At last we get to the fireworks factory.
The Ronan- and Super-Skrull-stories are intriguing close-ups of classic villains, portrayed as outcasts who make an ultimate sacrifice. Scorned by their respective Kree and Skrull empires it's ironic how these two representatives of people that are supposed to loathe each other are alike. In the end it's all about the loyalty they could've walked away from, but without which they are nothing.
The Kl'rt-material is the leaner of the two, focusing on a couple of quickly sketched but effective characters. When the final panel hits you feel like you've seen the climax of a science fiction-movie. Ronan on the other hand suffers from a plethora of thinly drawn characters, however fun it was for me to see some of the cast of Guardians Of The Galaxy in print. I always enjoy Gamora and Nebula turning up, and Korath was just the cherry on the cake. Alas the central villain is a total misfire, a guy whose every supposed emotion seems to miss the mark.
Silver Surfer is a character I've always found to be a bit self-righteous, faux noble, and whiny; so I went into this arc with impatience. The story of Galactus' Herald witnessing the destruction caused by the Annihilation Wave, and how it's both similar and different from what he did himself, is effective. The decision he makes in the end is heroic, tragic, and clever; and yet I can't seem to care about that silver guy on his surfboard.
Thanos scheming in the background is something I'm not used to, as Starlin was always way more up front about his motivations. Right now the Mad Titan seems to be spinning a web around Annihilus, who as the main baddie behind this Annihilation gets some more colour here. I still wouldn't place him beside Galactus in the gallery of cosmic villains, though. Other characters such as the other former Heralds to the Devourer of Worlds, or their counterparts in the Seekers, or Galactus' own counterparts in Tenebrous and Aegis; all get too little to do to make a lasting impression.
But luckily Annihilation itself is next, and I can't wait which story Giffen has in store for all these people, all these heroes, and all these villains. At last we get to the fireworks factory.
January 5, 2009
Like the first book of Annihilation, this one has its ups and downs, as it's the re-printing of three lead-in miniseries by three different creative teams. The standout of the bunch is the Silver Surfer, with a gritty art style that probably shouldn't work (but mostly does) and a story that puts Surfer back in Galactus's hands and re-establishes his moral ambiguity and his power level.
Super-Skrull, by Javier Grillo-Marxuach (of Lost and Middleman fame), has its moments but can't seem to decide whether it's protagonist is a misunderstood hero or an anti-hero, which weakens it. However, as with the Drax story in the first volume, it's a key development of the character for the main Annihilation story to come.
The Ronan series is a bit forgettable, but readable, and like the others, it's important in where it leaves the character for the main story.
Super-Skrull, by Javier Grillo-Marxuach (of Lost and Middleman fame), has its moments but can't seem to decide whether it's protagonist is a misunderstood hero or an anti-hero, which weakens it. However, as with the Drax story in the first volume, it's a key development of the character for the main Annihilation story to come.
The Ronan series is a bit forgettable, but readable, and like the others, it's important in where it leaves the character for the main story.
April 14, 2008
This volume continues the Annihilation storyline and shakes the dust off several little used Marvel characters with three miniseries, featuring The Silver Surfer, Ronan The Accuser and The Super Skrull. The fates of these characters all become intertwined with the Annihilation invasion. Some of the storytelling is uneven - we don't know the fate of Galactus' heralds, for instance - but this trade pb does contain plot points vital to understanding the series. The Super Skrull miniseries is by far the best of the lot.
December 14, 2012
I really enjoyed the first Annihilation trade but this collection almost seemed pointless. The three different stories all seemed like they didn't really fit into the overall story. If anything they were afterthoughts and shouldn't have been collected as "Part 2" of the whole when they really aren't. The art of the Super-Skrull story, while not bad, didn't fit with the story at all. Overall, this could have been skipped.
June 3, 2009
There wasn't much to enjoy in this trade. All three miniseries were fairly boring, though I think the Super-Skrull mini was my favorite of the three. However, I could see how they were all building toward something bigger, so I'm looking forward to the next trade and the actual Annihilation crossover.
April 29, 2013
A mixed bag, art and story. The Surfer part was my favorite. I appreciate how Marvel makes an attempt to tie together a lot of tiny disparate parts of their universe. I'm also eager to see how this all turns out!
February 26, 2019
Cover photos by Gabriele Dell'Otto are amaziiiiing ❤️
Silver Surfer: Story: 4
Artwork: 5
Super-Skrull: Story: 4
Artwork: 3
Ronan: Story: 4
Artwork: 4
Silver Surfer: Story: 4
Artwork: 5
Super-Skrull: Story: 4
Artwork: 3
Ronan: Story: 4
Artwork: 4
May 12, 2019
Overall an entertaining volume. The section on Ronan was ass tho.
April 16, 2020
Super Skrull and Ronan The Accuser!
October 14, 2019
Pierwszy tom Anihilacji jako wydarzenia, które zachwieje posadami Marvelowego wszechświata stanowił dobrą zapowiedź na niezły rozgardiasz. Kiedy w starciu z robakopodobnym Anihilusem zginął Quasar i poczwara weszła w posiadanie jego obręczy, już było wiadomo, że uporanie się z wrogiem będzie stanowiło nieco większe wyzwanie. Dlatego też chciało by się rzec: People, it's time to team up. Avengers Asse..., chwila. To nie ta bajka.
Dlatego, że na Ziemi mamy pokłosie innego ważnego wydarzenia dla Marvel Universe, a konkretniej chodzi o Civil War, dlatego też stawienie czoła fali Anihilacji zostanie powierzone garstce mało eksploatowanych herosów. Na pierwszy plan w trzech większych opowieściach wyłonią się nieco inne postacie: Silver Surfer, Super Skrull, Ronan Oskarżyciel. Każdy z nich ma wystarczająco miejsca, aby pokazać co potrafi i na co jest ich stać. A stawka rośnie. Wraz z upadkiem Kyln na świat wydostały się dwa potężne byty, stanowiące zagrożenie dla samego Galactusa... Ten niewiele myśląc wzywa z wygnania starego herolda. Gdzieś tam na uboczy szansę dla własnych celów zauważa sam Thanos, który postanawia na jakiś czas sprzymierzyć się z robaczym władcą. Stawka zaczyna rosnąć niebotycznie. Zaczyna się polowanie na heroldów Galactusa, aby uzyskać ich moce...
Tak się zaczyna historia Srebrnego Serfera, który łączy siły z pozostałymi przy życiu, trzema innymi heroldami i stawia czoło armii Anihilusa, którą dowodzi niejaki Ravenous. Totalnie bezpłciowa postać, która ma stanowić tylko kontrapunkt dla bohaterów i doprowadzić do kilku epickich batalii. Ładnie to wygląda, ale nijak nie pogłębia charakteru jakiejkolwiek postaci. Również Surfer jest totalnie bezpłciowy. Te jego rozterki na temat, czy służyć Galactusowi w obliczu takiego zagrożenia i czy to nie będzie aby na pewno hipokryzją... Może i zamierzona sztuczka, ale... Nie ma w tym głębi. Choć jeżeli ktoś nastawił się na akcję, to dostanie jej tutaj wiele. I to efektywnie wyglądającej. Chyba najładniej wyglądająca mini-seria z całej trylogii jaką mam.
Druga historia dotyczy losów zhańbionego super Skrulla, o jakże swojskim imieniu Kl'rt. Posiada on moce wszystkich członków Fantastycznej Czwórki i autor pokazuje nam w całkiem niezły sposób metody korzystania z nich. Jego determinacja doprowadzi go aż do Strefy Negatywnej, gdzie podąży wraz jakimś mniejszym przydupasem, którego twarz aż prosi się o zachowanie "Zaufaj mi, przy pierwszej okazji się zwinę". Na miejscu uda mu się zebrać drużynę złożoną z kilku dość fajnie wyglądających postaci, choć na dłuższą metę do kanonu wejdzie tylko ta kobieta robot, kumulująca czystą energię. Celem drużyny było zdobycie wirusa, który będzie w stanie zniszczyć superbroń robali, a która wygląda jak przerośnięty ul. (seriously!?) To akurat najlepsza mini-seria drugiego tomu, gdyż pokazuje pewien kontrast. Złoczyńca musi stać się bohaterem, aby ratować to co kocha, a co nim gardzi... No i rysunki są zrobione w punkt. Takie kreskówkowe.
Trzeci fragment tomiszcza poświęcono Ronanowi i wizualnie była to najsłabsza część tego zbioru. Oskarżyciel popadł w niełaskę, w wyniku spisku wysokiego rodu Kree. Żądny zemsty podąża za jednym ze świadków, który skłamał na procesie, aby "przekonać" krzywoprzysiężce do zmiany zdania. Na miejscu wbrew własnej woli wplącze się w lokalny konflikt. Z samą Gamorrą i Nebulą. A wszystko za sprawą postaci, która trzyma się na uboczu i ma własne plany co do planety na której dzieje się akcja komiksu. Wszystkie te historie mają na celu rozstawić odpowiednio pionki na szachownicy przed finalnym starciem połączonych sił różnych kosmicznych stronnictw, w szykującym się finalnym starciem z falą Anihilacji.
Są to po części zapchaj dziury i to czuć. Dobrze przynajmniej, że całość wygląda bardzo ładnie i tym się cały tom broni. Postacie nie mają tutaj zbyt wiele miejsca na rozwój osobisty, bo fabuła gna na złamanie karku, serwując nam co nieraz jakieś zwroty akcji, aczkolwiek nie ma w tym jakichś większych emocji. Swoista przystawka przed głównym daniem.
Dlatego, że na Ziemi mamy pokłosie innego ważnego wydarzenia dla Marvel Universe, a konkretniej chodzi o Civil War, dlatego też stawienie czoła fali Anihilacji zostanie powierzone garstce mało eksploatowanych herosów. Na pierwszy plan w trzech większych opowieściach wyłonią się nieco inne postacie: Silver Surfer, Super Skrull, Ronan Oskarżyciel. Każdy z nich ma wystarczająco miejsca, aby pokazać co potrafi i na co jest ich stać. A stawka rośnie. Wraz z upadkiem Kyln na świat wydostały się dwa potężne byty, stanowiące zagrożenie dla samego Galactusa... Ten niewiele myśląc wzywa z wygnania starego herolda. Gdzieś tam na uboczy szansę dla własnych celów zauważa sam Thanos, który postanawia na jakiś czas sprzymierzyć się z robaczym władcą. Stawka zaczyna rosnąć niebotycznie. Zaczyna się polowanie na heroldów Galactusa, aby uzyskać ich moce...
Tak się zaczyna historia Srebrnego Serfera, który łączy siły z pozostałymi przy życiu, trzema innymi heroldami i stawia czoło armii Anihilusa, którą dowodzi niejaki Ravenous. Totalnie bezpłciowa postać, która ma stanowić tylko kontrapunkt dla bohaterów i doprowadzić do kilku epickich batalii. Ładnie to wygląda, ale nijak nie pogłębia charakteru jakiejkolwiek postaci. Również Surfer jest totalnie bezpłciowy. Te jego rozterki na temat, czy służyć Galactusowi w obliczu takiego zagrożenia i czy to nie będzie aby na pewno hipokryzją... Może i zamierzona sztuczka, ale... Nie ma w tym głębi. Choć jeżeli ktoś nastawił się na akcję, to dostanie jej tutaj wiele. I to efektywnie wyglądającej. Chyba najładniej wyglądająca mini-seria z całej trylogii jaką mam.
Druga historia dotyczy losów zhańbionego super Skrulla, o jakże swojskim imieniu Kl'rt. Posiada on moce wszystkich członków Fantastycznej Czwórki i autor pokazuje nam w całkiem niezły sposób metody korzystania z nich. Jego determinacja doprowadzi go aż do Strefy Negatywnej, gdzie podąży wraz jakimś mniejszym przydupasem, którego twarz aż prosi się o zachowanie "Zaufaj mi, przy pierwszej okazji się zwinę". Na miejscu uda mu się zebrać drużynę złożoną z kilku dość fajnie wyglądających postaci, choć na dłuższą metę do kanonu wejdzie tylko ta kobieta robot, kumulująca czystą energię. Celem drużyny było zdobycie wirusa, który będzie w stanie zniszczyć superbroń robali, a która wygląda jak przerośnięty ul. (seriously!?) To akurat najlepsza mini-seria drugiego tomu, gdyż pokazuje pewien kontrast. Złoczyńca musi stać się bohaterem, aby ratować to co kocha, a co nim gardzi... No i rysunki są zrobione w punkt. Takie kreskówkowe.
Trzeci fragment tomiszcza poświęcono Ronanowi i wizualnie była to najsłabsza część tego zbioru. Oskarżyciel popadł w niełaskę, w wyniku spisku wysokiego rodu Kree. Żądny zemsty podąża za jednym ze świadków, który skłamał na procesie, aby "przekonać" krzywoprzysiężce do zmiany zdania. Na miejscu wbrew własnej woli wplącze się w lokalny konflikt. Z samą Gamorrą i Nebulą. A wszystko za sprawą postaci, która trzyma się na uboczu i ma własne plany co do planety na której dzieje się akcja komiksu. Wszystkie te historie mają na celu rozstawić odpowiednio pionki na szachownicy przed finalnym starciem połączonych sił różnych kosmicznych stronnictw, w szykującym się finalnym starciem z falą Anihilacji.
Są to po części zapchaj dziury i to czuć. Dobrze przynajmniej, że całość wygląda bardzo ładnie i tym się cały tom broni. Postacie nie mają tutaj zbyt wiele miejsca na rozwój osobisty, bo fabuła gna na złamanie karku, serwując nam co nieraz jakieś zwroty akcji, aczkolwiek nie ma w tym jakichś większych emocji. Swoista przystawka przed głównym daniem.
March 23, 2020
After book one could it get worse? Could this critical darling of the geek-set get worse? Yep!! Because the Silver Surfer part was a boring drag of a story. It doesn't fit in with any Surfer I know...he would NEVER become the slave of Galactus again. And after reading Slott's Surfer it is clear this version of Surfer was NOT followed up on.
Worse than that the Super Skrull story was insanely bad.
Admittedly I didn't mind the Ronan story because I felt there was some tiny bit of a character arc and I was interested to see how it would play out.
Overall Annihilation is hands down the most over hyped series ever. People rave about it and put it on the top ten omnibuses you should buy. If I had bought the omnibus for $100+ and read these stories I would have been as enraged as Ronan and demanded retribution!
The biggest problem is - these first two volumes serve as a ramp up to the 6 issue Annihilation mini-series in volume 3 (which is still not that good) and they were not needed. It isn't like all these pages of comics and art were needed to enjoy the final event. It isn't like they were tightly plotted so when you read the final event after these first two volumes you think "Oh they were so clever how they tied everything together". It is just mass destruction, mass fighting, very little character development and characters I don't care about anyway - why do I care about Super Skrull?
Big fail.
Worse than that the Super Skrull story was insanely bad.
Admittedly I didn't mind the Ronan story because I felt there was some tiny bit of a character arc and I was interested to see how it would play out.
Overall Annihilation is hands down the most over hyped series ever. People rave about it and put it on the top ten omnibuses you should buy. If I had bought the omnibus for $100+ and read these stories I would have been as enraged as Ronan and demanded retribution!
The biggest problem is - these first two volumes serve as a ramp up to the 6 issue Annihilation mini-series in volume 3 (which is still not that good) and they were not needed. It isn't like all these pages of comics and art were needed to enjoy the final event. It isn't like they were tightly plotted so when you read the final event after these first two volumes you think "Oh they were so clever how they tied everything together". It is just mass destruction, mass fighting, very little character development and characters I don't care about anyway - why do I care about Super Skrull?
Big fail.
February 27, 2025
I am going to review each mini separately.
Silver Surfer: This mini series is the one that mists connects with the main event book which isn’t surprising because it was written by the same guy. This means that it has the most importance to the event. I also love the art of this. The rough pencil shading adds a lot of character and the silver surfer looks fantastic. The writing here is the problem. I think I am just not a fan of Giffen’s writing style. I usually enjoy the philosophical side of the Silver surfer books but here it really falls flat. Also his arc doesn’t make much sense.
Super Skrull: I really enjoyed this mini. The characters were all super compelling. Watching the older and washed up Super Skrull and the young naive R’kin. They act as foils to each other throughout this series and seeing the effects that war have on them is super interesting. Praxagora and Preak are both really fun alien designs I almost wish we got more of them but they serve their purposes well. The ending was perfect and really does a good job of hammering the themes home. It was the highlight of the book for me. It sucks that the ending is undone by the main series. The Duper Skrulls powers are quite cool and are used in interesting ways. The art is the weak point of this. The style doesn’t fit the tone of the book very well and often looks goofy. The action scenes look quite cool and there a few big moments that are quite beautiful but overall not great.
Ronan: This one is rough. The art is quite stiff and looks like an early 2000’s web cartoon in the worst ways. It really distracts from the story. Or I should say, what there is of a story. This mini feels quite empty. Ronan starts to have a character arc and then reverts back because the story needs him to. The result of this is nothing really happens. You could skip this one and not really miss anything. I like that it makes use of older more obscure characters like Glorian and Tana Nile and the annihilation wave showing up at the end is cool. Other than that this one does not have much to offer.
Silver Surfer: This mini series is the one that mists connects with the main event book which isn’t surprising because it was written by the same guy. This means that it has the most importance to the event. I also love the art of this. The rough pencil shading adds a lot of character and the silver surfer looks fantastic. The writing here is the problem. I think I am just not a fan of Giffen’s writing style. I usually enjoy the philosophical side of the Silver surfer books but here it really falls flat. Also his arc doesn’t make much sense.
Super Skrull: I really enjoyed this mini. The characters were all super compelling. Watching the older and washed up Super Skrull and the young naive R’kin. They act as foils to each other throughout this series and seeing the effects that war have on them is super interesting. Praxagora and Preak are both really fun alien designs I almost wish we got more of them but they serve their purposes well. The ending was perfect and really does a good job of hammering the themes home. It was the highlight of the book for me. It sucks that the ending is undone by the main series. The Duper Skrulls powers are quite cool and are used in interesting ways. The art is the weak point of this. The style doesn’t fit the tone of the book very well and often looks goofy. The action scenes look quite cool and there a few big moments that are quite beautiful but overall not great.
Ronan: This one is rough. The art is quite stiff and looks like an early 2000’s web cartoon in the worst ways. It really distracts from the story. Or I should say, what there is of a story. This mini feels quite empty. Ronan starts to have a character arc and then reverts back because the story needs him to. The result of this is nothing really happens. You could skip this one and not really miss anything. I like that it makes use of older more obscure characters like Glorian and Tana Nile and the annihilation wave showing up at the end is cool. Other than that this one does not have much to offer.
January 15, 2019
Probably more a 3.5 than a 4, but I marked up as the hardcover is a fine looking book, very high quality presentation.
The book collects together 3 separate mini series that all tied into Annihilation, the universe destroying maxi event of a decade ago. Although linked by the crossover, the stories are independent of each other. The story and art in each is fine, though it is a case of diminishing returns. The first story, featuring Silver Surfer, Galactus, and various heralds is the best in both story and art, though the Super Skrull and Ronan stories do manage to inject a little personality into previously quite one dimensional characters. Not heroes, but not really villains either. Just flawed soldiers doing their perceived duty.
I enjoyed the book as a whole, but did come away thinking I could have skipped this and wouldn’t have missed anything major with regards to the main story.
A worthy read, but not essential.
The book collects together 3 separate mini series that all tied into Annihilation, the universe destroying maxi event of a decade ago. Although linked by the crossover, the stories are independent of each other. The story and art in each is fine, though it is a case of diminishing returns. The first story, featuring Silver Surfer, Galactus, and various heralds is the best in both story and art, though the Super Skrull and Ronan stories do manage to inject a little personality into previously quite one dimensional characters. Not heroes, but not really villains either. Just flawed soldiers doing their perceived duty.
I enjoyed the book as a whole, but did come away thinking I could have skipped this and wouldn’t have missed anything major with regards to the main story.
A worthy read, but not essential.
December 31, 2023
Superior to Book One of Annihilation only because two of the three storylines covered in this book are decent, though Ronan, with its narrative focus on his quest to uncover why he was framed as a traitor to the Kee, has a stronger outing that almost feels worth five stars on its own weee it not for some convoluted plotting towards the the last third of his story arc. Again, as I say in my review of Book One, a person could go straight to Book Three without much worry, but if a person feels like they must read everything, be prepared for the mess of a title that is Super Skrull. The pacing and plotting problems on the Solver Surfer and Ronan titles are for more forgivable, in part to the quality of the art. The art in Super Skrull combined with uneven writing makes for a story that feels like a waste of time even if parts of it do crossover into the main event.
August 9, 2018
Three mini-series collected in this second volume. Keith Giffen's Silver Surfer is only functional - the villains lack charisma, the other Heralds don't do much, and it's not clear why exactly the Surfer had to join up with Galactus again (apparently he was at less than full power before?). The new literally big bads have some promise, but that's all. Javier Grillo-Marxuach's Super-Skrull is OK, some decent twists, and they do try to present Kl'rt with both villainous and heroic traits. Simon Furman's Ronan is my favorite of this volume, with the title character working well as an anti-hero, and good use of lesser-known cosmic characters. Although even there, the ending doesn't live up to the promise of the start. All in all, a weak middle to the saga, but it's decent enough. (B)
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