Ever wonder what kind of heroes would arise in a world where Doctor Doom is the absolute ruler?
If you guessed Thanos, you’re as messed up as that world. Your Major Spoilers review of The Infinity Gauntlet #3 awaits!
THE INFINITY GAUNTLET #3
Writer: Dustin Weaver & Gerry Duggan
Artist: Dustin Weaver
Colorist: Rain Beredo
Letterer: Comicraft’s Albert Deschesne
Editor: Nick Lowe
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Previously in The Infinity Gauntlet: In a remote section of Battleworld, all humanity is at the mercy of bloodthirsty bugs from space, including a young girl named Anwen and her family (including a mother who was a member of the intergalactic Nova Corps.) The only hope of survival is the Infinity Stones, desperately sought by everyone including Peter Quill, Gamora and the renegade Titan known as Thanos, who has the Time Stone already in his grasp. Can anyone survive until the gems are assembled?
THE COLLECTION GAME
To be honest, I wasn’t sure I wanted to read this story, given how uneven I found the original ‘Gauntlet’ series back in the 1990s, but the first couple of issues were interesting. This issue opens with the reveal that Drax The Destroyer is still haunting Thanos tracks, following the Titan with murderous intent, while Thanos ingratiates himself with Anwen’s family. Mom Eve, a former Nova, has managed to collect a few “Nova stars,” allowing each of her family members to transform into a Nova Corpsman for protection. With the mind stone in her possession, Eve is able to follow the trail of the other Infinity Gems (though, interestingly, she isn’t able to sense Thanos clear two-faced nature) and track down Star-Lord and Gamora, who have a gem of their own. Several battles with the Annihilation Wave bugs occur, and Eve has a sudden vision of a strange man, wearing a gem of his own…
A GLIMPSE OF WARLOCK
Given the events of the issue, it’s not surprising that her vision seems to be an alternate Warlock, and the strange talking tree that appears halfway through the issue is a welcome cameo, but all in all, the issue is a little bit overwhelming for me. With a family of five, three Guardians Of The Galaxy, Drax, Warlock, and the breakneck pace of running from carnivorous space-bugs, the story becomes a bit of a blur. Add to the fact that we get references to the Grandmaster and the Collector, even though in Doom’s rebuilt world there is no such thing as Outer Space, and you get a story that feels like a square pegs in a universe of hoops. The art is very well-done this issue, though, as everyone has been redesigned in a technological style and the combat sequences are quite impressive. The design of Star-Lord’s Peter Quill’s ship is excellent, too, with Weaver’s art making for a really good-looking issues overall…
THE BOTTOM LINE: ALTERNATE GUARDIANS
If you look past the fact that is all supposed to be taking place on the Battleworld, with references to Thanos’ status as a Titan (as in, a native of the MOON Titan, which no longer exists in this strange universe) as well my questions about the gems’ power in a world that Doom ostensibly recreated himself. Still, if you are willing to ignore the whys and wherefores of how it all fits together with the rest of Battleworld, it’s a better-than-average issue in art and dialogue. The Infinity Gauntlet #3 isn’t really related to the previous series to bear its name, and it has a lot of moving parts, but has excellent art and a lot going for it, earning 3 out of 5 stars overall. I’m not sure if it’s a 4 or a 6 issue series, but if next issue is the last, the elements of an excellent/explosion conclusion are all here…
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