Then I saw the name of the writer and artist
- Jim Starlin - and I picked it up.
Starlin, of course, is the creator of Thanos
and the guy who put the "cosmic" in Marvel's '70s comics (especially
Captain Marvel and Warlock). He also created Gamora, Pip the Troll and the
Infinity Gauntlet.
The trick with the series is figuring out
when it takes place. It apparently falls between the last Hulk series (that had
Banner working for SHIELD, with the Hulk only having limited intelligence - not
the super-smart "Doc Green" character now at the center of his
adventures. It also takes place before the recent Thanos graphic novel.
It's nice to see that Starlin is as sharp as
ever - both in his art, which combines strange aliens, humorous encounters and
menacing villains, and in his storytelling. The issue starts with the
kidnapping of the Hulk by Pip (honest!), all tied to a major threat arising in
the Negative Zone.
Pip hopes to make amends by rescuing the
Hulk, but to do that he'll have to turn to his deadly former ally - Thanos.
The first issue is all set-up (with scarcely
a punch thrown), but it's setting up a heck of a battle - and a crazy cast -
for the rest of the series.
It's great to see Starlin back in action,
especially since he's one of the few who writes Thanos properly - he always
manages the proper mix of menace, intelligence and dark humor.
Hopefully the upcoming movies will do as
well!
Grade: A-
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