darkbackground's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
dkmode's review
2.0
This is a bit of a strange book.
Annihilators is pretty much straight-up garbage - lame dialogue, boring plot, and endless exposition. It completely wastes an interesting combination of characters with a forgettable, action-heavy story. The art, meanwhile, is pretty standard "house" style, without any idiosyncrasies to set it apart from countless other standard superhero comic artists. It feels like a time warp into 30 years ago, in a bad way. As my first foray into the modern Cosmic Marvel, it was completely disappointing.
Rocket Raccoon and Groot, meanwhile, is fun, silly, fantastical - everything a Cosmic Marvel book should be. There's still too much exposition in the dialogue, and there are a few attempts at sly humour that don't quite shake out, but it's a solid couple of issues. And the art, while still a bit stiff, is much more interesting, with a colourful but cartoony style that really fits the subject matter.
So - 1 star for Annihilators, 3 for Rocket Raccoon & Groot; I'll meet in the middle with a 2.
Annihilators is pretty much straight-up garbage - lame dialogue, boring plot, and endless exposition. It completely wastes an interesting combination of characters with a forgettable, action-heavy story. The art, meanwhile, is pretty standard "house" style, without any idiosyncrasies to set it apart from countless other standard superhero comic artists. It feels like a time warp into 30 years ago, in a bad way. As my first foray into the modern Cosmic Marvel, it was completely disappointing.
Rocket Raccoon and Groot, meanwhile, is fun, silly, fantastical - everything a Cosmic Marvel book should be. There's still too much exposition in the dialogue, and there are a few attempts at sly humour that don't quite shake out, but it's a solid couple of issues. And the art, while still a bit stiff, is much more interesting, with a colourful but cartoony style that really fits the subject matter.
So - 1 star for Annihilators, 3 for Rocket Raccoon & Groot; I'll meet in the middle with a 2.
trike's review
2.0
This story starts out kind of clunky then gets a bit better, then it just kind of sits there spinning its wheels. There are twists along the way, but they aren't that impressive. And the kicker is, you really only need to read the fourth chapter, because it recaps everything for you, explaining what's happened.
I don't know about you, but there's holding the reader's hand and then there's tying them to a chair and spoon-feeding them. This is an example of the latter.
A bunch of super-duper-powered cosmic-level characters who can't shake off the C-list status get together to save the universe... bit for some reason they're called "The Annihilators." That's the one thing this book never explains. I suppose if they were to annihilate bad guys it might mean something, but they don't do that.
In fact, the reason I gave this two stars instead of one is because their solution to the problem facing them isn't merely to punch it in the face (although there's a lot of that) but rather to figure out a compromise and to show compassion to characters who are doing bad things because of mental illness and misguided desires for justice. That's very atypical of these sorts of comics.
Unfortunately, it's so heavy-handed that it doesn't work. Nice try, though.
One of my main issues with the writing is that all the characters pretty much sound the same. Same tone, same inflection, identical verbiage. If you started a drinking game for every time someone said "cut loose" or "alpha-level" you'd be genuinely tipsy by the end of the book. I just can't imagine Ronan the Accuser and the Silver Surfer using "cut loose" in any context.
That's the heart of the problem here: the idea is interesting but the execution is lazy.
The second part of the book has to do with Rocket Raccoon and Groot having their own adventures. They're silly and the whole Lassie-and-Timmy-like exchanges get old after a while. "I am Groot!" "What's that? Star-Thief has mesmerized everyone and stuck them in a holodeck?" "I am Groot." "And you say we need to hatch a plan to save everyone?" Oy.
I don't know about you, but there's holding the reader's hand and then there's tying them to a chair and spoon-feeding them. This is an example of the latter.
A bunch of super-duper-powered cosmic-level characters who can't shake off the C-list status get together to save the universe... bit for some reason they're called "The Annihilators." That's the one thing this book never explains. I suppose if they were to annihilate bad guys it might mean something, but they don't do that.
In fact, the reason I gave this two stars instead of one is because their solution to the problem facing them isn't merely to punch it in the face (although there's a lot of that) but rather to figure out a compromise and to show compassion to characters who are doing bad things because of mental illness and misguided desires for justice. That's very atypical of these sorts of comics.
Unfortunately, it's so heavy-handed that it doesn't work. Nice try, though.
One of my main issues with the writing is that all the characters pretty much sound the same. Same tone, same inflection, identical verbiage. If you started a drinking game for every time someone said "cut loose" or "alpha-level" you'd be genuinely tipsy by the end of the book. I just can't imagine Ronan the Accuser and the Silver Surfer using "cut loose" in any context.
That's the heart of the problem here: the idea is interesting but the execution is lazy.
The second part of the book has to do with Rocket Raccoon and Groot having their own adventures. They're silly and the whole Lassie-and-Timmy-like exchanges get old after a while. "I am Groot!" "What's that? Star-Thief has mesmerized everyone and stuck them in a holodeck?" "I am Groot." "And you say we need to hatch a plan to save everyone?" Oy.
britterization's review
3.0
This was fun!
The first few issues tell the story of Annihilators (a bunch of cosmic heroes that I had never read or heard of really). They pretty cleverly introduced the group in the first issue, so I wasn't really lost at any time. The story itself was a nice, contained story, but it wasn't anything special. I think I was supposed to be really connecting with Quasar, but that never really happened for me. Still, good fun, though. 3 stars.
The next story follows Rocket Raccoon. He starts the story as a mail deliverer in a corporate office place, and yup, that whole situation was pretty hilarious. After he is attacked at work, he gets fired, and embarks on an adventure that ends up revealing his origin story - all of which was pretty amazing. Groot shows up, and these issues were definitely the highlight of the volume. 4 stars.
The first few issues tell the story of Annihilators (a bunch of cosmic heroes that I had never read or heard of really). They pretty cleverly introduced the group in the first issue, so I wasn't really lost at any time. The story itself was a nice, contained story, but it wasn't anything special. I think I was supposed to be really connecting with Quasar, but that never really happened for me. Still, good fun, though. 3 stars.
The next story follows Rocket Raccoon. He starts the story as a mail deliverer in a corporate office place, and yup, that whole situation was pretty hilarious. After he is attacked at work, he gets fired, and embarks on an adventure that ends up revealing his origin story - all of which was pretty amazing. Groot shows up, and these issues were definitely the highlight of the volume. 4 stars.
jshawreads's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this team up of some great heavy hitters from the Marvel universe, and the bonus story with Rocket and Groot was really funny, and just insane enough for me. A good collection, I think I will definitely be looking out for more Annihilators
jmanchester0's review
3.0
I've just read the back-up story for Rocket Raccoon & Groot. This series happens after the 2008-2010 Guardians of the Galaxy series. Rocket/Groot was a pretty extensive backup story in this mini - the total story is 80 pages. It's an interesting tale - it even refers back to the 1985 series and the 1982 Hulk comic.
caoimhin42's review
4.0
Good not great art, figures over-inked or over-sketched. Love reading again my favorite character in Quasar. Enjoying the Marvel Cosmic series, back to good writing. Nova is (Richard Rider character) is also well done and has better art.
tiedyedude's review
3.0
A pretty decent story. Fairly self-contained, with hits of past and future connections. Doesn't really make me want to explore any more, though. Bonus Rocket and Groot story was good. Unemployed Rocket was fun.
brandt's review
4.0
I still enjoyed the graphic novel, but was a little disappointed. I just expected more out of having such a powerful lineup.