shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Aug 18, 2016 22:00:47 GMT -5
Infinity Gauntlet #4-5
There's a lot worthy of respect here. You've got Perez's art, a clear acknowledgment by all characters of the formulaic and repetitive nature of this struggle (they're trolling themselves!), some decent examination of Thanos' inner issues, and a surprise grab for power (literally) by Nebula that I didn't see coming the first time I read this and still really respect.
And yet I'm so flipping bored. I think this entire story would have worked FAR better if the amount of destruction and death were muted a bit. If California AND Japan hadn't been lost, if a ton of viable Marvel properties weren't killed off with the snap of a finger, Starlin wouldn't have tipped his hand and let us know this was all going to be undone by the close. Maybe if we genuinely worried that when these characters died fighting Thanos, that might be it, we'd actually feel something. Maybe have Erik Masterson suffocate to death and leave us thinking "Damn! I knew the new Thor wasn't working out too well, but that was HARSH!"
I think that could have made this story interesting in spite of the other challenges it faces.
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,872
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Post by shaxper on Aug 18, 2016 22:22:15 GMT -5
Infinity Gauntlet #6
Really, the one unique, NEW idea in this retread of the Thanos story is Nebula outsmarting him and attaining the gauntlet. I'm always so disappointed how poorly Starlin uses that moment. We're told she's even more dangerous than Thanos because of her emotional instability, but we never see it. She's the one who resets everything to what it was, after all. I feel like Starlin used her as a mere plot twist with no real regard for the character. Come to think of it, he really doesn't spend time on any women anywhere in this or any of his sagas, does he? Death doesn't count -- she's a mute stereotype. Anyway, Nebula could have made things more interesting.
I do like the inversion at the end -- Warlock may now be a god unworthy of our trust, and Thanos is now humbled and seeking peace. Nice idea.
Still feel like the whole story fell flat.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2016 22:53:47 GMT -5
I hadn't read Marvel Two in One #62. Clearly, there's a lot more to the Thanos/Warlock Saga than either the Avengers vs. Thanos or The Complete Warlock tpbs sought to include. I never ever depend upon tpbs before, and the one time I have, I've been shown exactly why I shouldn't ever do that again. Eh, I consider their non-inclusion in the same manner as I consider the non-inclusion of Conan stories by someone other than Robert E. Howard in the complete Conan collections out there-their not part of the vision of the original creator, are pastiches of the original's work that aren't part of the story that creator was telling, and therefore should mostly be ignored when looking at the complete story of the character as told by that creator. Whether they are good or bad, interesting or not interesting, they are something other than a part of the story as told by the creator whose work is being collected. -M |
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,872
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Post by shaxper on Aug 18, 2016 23:39:10 GMT -5
I hadn't read Marvel Two in One #62. Clearly, there's a lot more to the Thanos/Warlock Saga than either the Avengers vs. Thanos or The Complete Warlock tpbs sought to include. I never ever depend upon tpbs before, and the one time I have, I've been shown exactly why I shouldn't ever do that again. Eh, I consider their non-inclusion in the same manner as I consider the non-inclusion of Conan stories by someone other than Robert E. Howard in the complete Conan collections out there-their not part of the vision of the original creator, are pastiches of the original's work that aren't part of the story that creator was telling, and therefore should mostly be ignored when looking at the complete story of the character as told by that creator. Whether they are good or bad, interesting or not interesting, they are something other than a part of the story as told by the creator whose work is being collected. -M You'd feel differently if you read the tpb I'm discussing. It includes non-Starlin stories that have Thanos in them, as well as some Starlin-written Thanos stories, that are far less relevant than the story being discussed. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2016 0:07:46 GMT -5
I have the tpb, I would have been much happier if they excluded the non-Starlin material.
-M
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Post by berkley on Aug 19, 2016 0:29:32 GMT -5
RR has already said everything I would have had to say myself about The Infinity Gauntlet. I've rarely come across an emptier comic by creators I hold in such high regard - mainly Starlin, but even Perez's art didn't do much for me here. Perhaps part of the problem is that, like Shaxper, I read it years later in TPB form - though unlike Shaxper, I had read several of those Marvel Team-Up and Two-in-One stories that were loosely connected.
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Post by BigPapaJoe on Aug 19, 2016 4:29:06 GMT -5
I still enjoy this story despite the issues I have with it. I want to eventually try to get the omnibus.
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Post by Icctrombone on Aug 19, 2016 5:03:24 GMT -5
I really enjoyed IG ( no surprise ) and thought it all worked. The issues that Shax, has with it are okay for me.
1. Thanos depowering to mix it up with the heroes just shows how arrogant and confident he was and also that he wanted to whip them with his bare hands.
2. He thought he could handle Mephisto the way he handled the gods of the universe.
3. Perez did a great job , I can't believe he ditched it to go do the putrid War of the gods for DC. This mini still stands as my favorite of its kind - all heroes teaming up to fight.
I'd forgotten that Nebula had the Gauntlet for a while. I thought it was a nice twist. It kind of ends for me here regarding the following comics with the word " Infinity" attached to them. I'm a big Starlin fan but even I recommend that you skip Infinity War and Infinity Crusade. Although Infinity abyss had some nice bits in it and includes Starlin artwork.
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Post by BigPapaJoe on Aug 19, 2016 6:11:48 GMT -5
I really enjoyed IG ( no surprise ) and thought it all worked. The issues that Shax, has with it are okay for me. 1. Thanos depowering to mix it up with the heroes just shows how arrogant and confident he was and also that he wanted to whip them with his bare hands. 2. He thought he could handle Mephisto the way he handled the gods of the universe. 3. Perez did a great job , I can't believe he ditched it to go do the putrid War of the gods for DC. This mini still stands as my favorite of its kind - all heroes teaming up to fight. I'd forgotten that Nebula had the Gauntlet for a while. I thought it was a nice twist. It kind of ends for me here regarding the following comics with the word " Infinity" attached to them. I'm a big Starlin fan but even I recommend that you skip Infinity War and Infinity Crusade. Although Infinity abyss had some nice bits in it and includes Starlin artwork. I remember after reading Infinity Gauntlet I stopped for some reason when I got to Infinity War. I didn't find it as compelling after getting through Gauntlet. I just remember it had something to do with Magus coming back or whatever (who I had no idea who he was at the time). Maybe I'll try again after I read Gauntlet again. I know you said skip it, but I want to give it a try before Crusade. I'm stubborn like that sometimes. |
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