Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Artist: Tom Raney
Company: Marvel Comics

Every once in awhile, a book comes along that immediately catches our attention and has a quality about it that makes each of us want to sit down and write up a full review for it. That type of thing doesn’t happen often, so to make things a little easier, on us and you, we’re going to do something a little different from the norm and each chime in on what makes the first issue of the Annihilation Conquest event such a thing to behold. So, without further ado, we bid you a hearty welcome to the Round-Table review of Annihilation Conquest #1 Note: No spoilers for Annihilation: Conquest here, but there is a spoiler for Annihilation Conquest: Quasar #4.

Nick: I don’t know where the other guys want to chime in on first but for me, what stands out most about the story put forth in this title is the writing. Everything so far, from the three four issue mini-series to the issues of Nova that tied into Annihilation, to this first issue…They have all had some of the best writing that I’ve seen lately in comics. That seems like a bold statement, and it is, but it’s the god’s honest truth. The framework for the entire event has been so solid and tight, so entertaining, that it led to a statement that didn’t seem possible, which was that the original Annihilation event paled in comparison to this second installment. Again, not something that really seemed possible as sequels are rarely as good as their predecessors, but like Godfather 2, Annihilation Conquest surprises the heck out of you with great reveals and superb action.

Randy: Like Godfather 2, Annihilation Conquest also features a surprisingly large role by Al Pacino. OK, not really. But it does look like it’s going to follow in the footsteps of the original Annihilation by using characters built up in the lead-in miniseries as its protagonists, particularly Quasar and Wraith and the retinue to characters they each built up in their climactic final issues. Quasar is doing the bulk of heavy lifting in Annihilation Conquest #1, which seems fitting given her discovery of the “savior” who is supposed to help free Kree space from the techno-organic Phalanx. But as Nick says, it really does look like this could be better than the original Annihilation, which featured Nova becoming a badass, Galactus swinging some punches and Silver Surfer unleashing cosmic hell. It’s too early to really see whether Conquest will best the original, but it sure does look possible based on the amount of awesome packed into the pages of this first issue.

Nick: To whom do we attribute this feat? For me, while there are many talented writers involved, Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning deserve a nice chunk of the credit. They have knocked it clean out of the park, time and time again, capturing the space odyssey and action extravaganza genre like few people can.

Randy: Indeed, DnA (as they’re known in some circles) are the go-to guys for cosmic action these days. They’re building on the well-known foundation of work by guys like Jim Starlin, Steve Englehart and Marv Wolfman, among others, and taking it in new and exciting directions. These guys know that when it comes to cosmic adventure like Annihilation, you’ve got to think big, like a Negative Zone baddie teaming up with the resistance to put a smackdown on the Phalanx, and that a gigantic swarm of guys on both sides is required for the scale. But they also know that you can reach into the Marvel Universe for familiar touchstones, and with just a minor tweak, they can fit in nicely with this larger-than-life space adventure story. There are two big reveals this issue, an ally and a villain, and while we won’t give away either in this review, let me say that my reactions, in order were “Wow! That’s cool!” and “Holy Shit! That’s cool!” I suspect readers who know the Marvel Universe will have much the same reactions.

Dan: I know I did. I went into the book expecting it to be awesome, but by the time I was done I was so jazzed I couldn’t believe it. It isn’t just that the big reveals were there- it was that it made sense for them to be there. I totally bought it, and then wondered why the hell I hadn’t thought of them before. There used to be this big separation between ‘cosmic’ characters and regular Marvel characters, and only in books like Fantastic Four did they meet, but it doesn’t have to be that way, and DnA are showing that big time.

Randy: It should be said, though, that Annihilation Conquest, while “cleared” in continuity with some of the other books at Marvel (and revealing which ones would again be a spoiler), does stand on its own, another aspect to recommend. You could even come to this book cold, not having read the lead-in miniseries, and you’re getting a pretty good space action epic. All you need to know is that the Phalanx, a techno-organic entity akin to Star Trek’s Borg, have taken over the Kree Empire and now a bunch of heroes, anti-heroes and even outright villains are trying to stop them from finishing the conquest and expanding into the rest of the universe. There’s the setup, cue the action.

Dan: And boy, does it have action. Beautifully rendered, by the way, by Tom Raney and Scott Hanna. That was another thing that made me so happy with this issue- it just looks so damn good. There’s a depth and emotion to it that makes what’s happening seem that much more meaningful. The splash pages look amazing, but what really impressed me were actually a few of the smaller panels. There’s one of the face of a Phalanx-infested little Kree girl that almost made me cry, for example. That credit should rightfully be shared with colorist Frank D’Armata, whose subdued but vibrant palette brings the linework fully to life.

Nick: I’m in complete agreement on the art. When the Annihilation Conquest Prequel first came out, sporting snazzy art by the wonderful Mike Perkins, I thought to myself that this was the guy to do the main series. Perkins’ art was everything that one could hope for, as it nailed the intense action, the array of alien races, and the massive worlds that you need with a style that made all of it pop. Then, out of nowhere, I heard the name Tom Raney mentioned and I was a little bummed. Yup, you heard me correctly, I was bummed. But that feeling didn’t stick around for long. Raney, previous to this, had been doing some solid work on Ultimate X-Men and before that on The Outsiders but with Conquest, there’s a significant improvement and it’s easily some of his best stuff. His renditions of the Phalanx are complex to the max but also capture the creep factor of them as well. Of course, like Dan said, it really is a team effort. Both Scott Hanna and Frank D’Armata, whose color work is always nice to look at, deserve a nice round of applause too because man, does this book look freakin’ gorgeous.

Randy: I’ll dissent a bit from the group and say that I honestly prefer Raney inked by someone with a different style from Scott Hanna, who has a somewhat cross-hatched style that makes the book look closer to Jim Lee or David Finch, and that’s a harsher quality than I usually like in Raney’s work. That said, there’s no denying that the book looks great, and I love the costume redesign for Adam Warlock, not to mention a great classic shot of (spoiler number one) and a nice Annihilation-tinged look for (spoiler number two). Also, Raney really brings the same level of scale that DnA have, doing an especially good job crowding the pages with tons of Phalanx troops and strongly presenting the notion of an overwhelming enemy with his visuals.

Randy: While Annihilation: Conquest does have its twists and turns, I don’t want to oversell… I won’t say this is a “change your life” type of comic. It’s fairly nuts and bolts in its approach, and the focus is definitely on action and space opera rather than grander notions of any kind. But if you’re looking for a solid thrill ride in the sci-fi vein, Annihilation: Conquest should fit the bill nicely.

Dan: True enough. This isn’t the new Watchmen, but then, it isn’t pretending to be. It does what it tries to do very well, and that’s exactly what I look for in a comic. Hell, in any bit of entertainment.

Nick: So to conclude…Fast paced, immensely entertaining story? Check. Detailed and impressive art? Check. Massive amounts of action and a few actually surprising twists and turns? Yet another check. A book that you should more than likely pick up? Do I even need to answer that one?