by Seeker
The Aftermath and The Fallout…of Empyre.
Avengers: Empyre Afternath
Al Ewing: Writer
Valerio Schiti: Art
Welp! Empyre is over and while nothing happened that we will remember in its own this did set the table for future stories. Nothing we will think about until it happens but easy going none the less. This is the Avengers’s side of things although the FF was there too, Aftermath deals primarily with King Hulkling setting his house in order.
It starts with the secondary antagonist, the Skrull Queen, his grandmother, recalling to him how she sacrificed his mother once she found out about Hulkling’s existence and again saying he should have just destroyed the earth and whatnot. Riveting and some obvious foreshadowing. This leads into a reaffirming of the marriage of Hulking and Wiccan. Yes, the first outer space Jewish same sex wedding in history. Mazel Tov! The celebration featured a few noteworthy moments such as a call back to Civil War between Cap and Tony, a toast to Captain Mar-Vell, and the quitting of Abigail Brand from Alpha Flight because Captain Marvel didn’t bring them in first for this intergalactic situation. It was yet another reminder that things like Civil War and The Illuminati will remain constant themes ideologically in the Marvel Universe.
This party also featured a reunion of the entire Young Avengers roster and then some. It was a nice shot that gives one hope that Marvel starts to do more with the next generation of Marvel heroes seeing as how both YA and The Champions are inactive right now.
Lastly, the Super Skrull and Captain Glory are dealt with by Hulkling for their roles in the entire saga which leads to a flash forward of the Queen of the Skrulls being portrayed as right in her warning to Hulkling and the empire in ruin just in time to have Abigail Brand return with a team she claims is better than Alpha Flight. I cane really tell who is with her but the most visible looks like a Manifold/Gambit mix. That’s where it ends so somewhere down the line there will be an “End of Empyre” event.
Overall the book was decent enough. The story did what it had to do in wrapping up the Kree/Skrull end of things and the art was very well done as it has been for this entire series.
Fantastic Four: Empyre Fallout
Dan Slott: Writer
Sean Izaakse: Artist
The Fantastic Four focused Empyre book puts the spotlight on dealing with the other primary antagonist The Cotati.
It calls back in The newest Elder of The Universe (can that actually be a thing?)
The Profiteer so she can ascertain where the Cotati got there weapons.
In the middle of all of this we see that The Unseen a.k.a. OG Nick Fury a.k.a. This is how we treated a grounded legend to make way for his kid! has returned to see a monumental event or more at this gathering which is taking place on the moon. Of note here are things like Wolverine sensing the presence of The Unseen but not remembering who he is. In fact none of them remember who The Unseen was even though the people having this conversation were not only close to Fury but had life changing interactions with him at the time of his transformation. Wolverine, Thor, and Thing. The Unseen himself provides exposition to the readers but as in typical Unseen/Watcher form it’s very vague.
Back to the other proceedings. The Profiteer agrees to find out about the weapons provided she get back the central plot devices introduced to the FF universe by Slott this year in the prologue to this event Empyre FF zero: Jo-Venn the Kree and N’Kalla the Skrull. Children used by The Profiteer to reenact the battles of the Kree/Skrull war for profit. The children are in the care of the FF and of course they refuse once her work is done and she names her price. She has a contract for their lives that was signed by the empires of Kree AND Skrull. Just as the fireworks are about to begin Hulkling renders her contract null and void as he has united the empires and it is now simply “The Alliance”. He calls her “Karen” and sends her on her way but not before she mentions that the weapons predate even the elders of the universe.
So with Quoi and the Cotati not forthcoming about the weaponry, Thor and Franklin Richards transport the Cotati to a barren rock world in uncharted space to keep them away from the rest of the universe. Quoi is enraged until Thor showing himself to be the hero he is, divest himself of the power given to him by his mother Gaea (forgot about that didn’t ya?) to make the rock planet into one that can support and sustain the Cotati. This will of course come back to bite him and the Marvel Universe in some future event but that’s the beauty of comics.
Meanwhile back on the moon Hulkling has to determine where the children will end up for care. The obvious choice is the Fantastic Four but while Reed and Sue assume the responsibility, King Hulkling clarifies that their care would instead go to the newly (kinda) married Thing and Alicia Masters. This was apparently the event The Unseen was there to witness.
Ok.
When all the heroes leave….he uses his power to inquire about the weapon’s origins. He finds out they were made by “the first race” but that’s all he can get out of his mouth before….Uatu comes exploding out of Fury’s eye and gives an ominous warning about the future.
Fade to black.
Overall it was a good wrap up story that does its job of setting up the future and supports it with great art.
All the antagonists for this event minus the plant Swordsman are now safely put away for the next writer to play with.
This all started in the pages of Marvel 1000 but split off without dealing with the primary character to that book nor the team that came out of it. The Masked Raider and The new Three Xs so that event seems to still have it’s story continue and that’s how it goes.
Hope you all enjoyed the series. I’m not sure of what grade I would give the entire series but it didn’t knock my socks off nor tick me off so maybe a B minus?
Yeah….well….see you guys later! Lol!
