Annihilators: Earthfall #1: I thought this issue was a great starting point. DnA make it clear that this group works well together, mainly due to Cosmo coordinating its members' attacks, but they're not exactly in it for the comraderie and the fellowship. They've got a mission to do and they do it, regardless of whether they like one another. I liked DnA having Ikon and the others take Quasar to task about how he feels different about "breaking things" when it's his homeworld and not an alien planet. DnA do have a point: comic-book authors (including DnA) generally kill billions of people when they're writing about a messy galactic war, but Fraction had to retcon the murder of everyone in Paris in the "Fear Itself" epilogue because it was just too much. I'm excited about Annihilators v. Avengers next issue, even if I know Quasar will eventually explain the whole situation to the Avengers and they'll be on each other's side by the end. On the secondary feature, what can I say? I've always said I wanted a Rocket Raccoon series, and I sort of get one here! DnA don't disappoint. Rocket Raccoon + Groot + Mojo = awesome. Sure, maybe it would be a stretch for Rocket to get his own series, but I would thoroughly enjoy him and Groot having a secondary feature to any new "Nova" or "Guardians of the Galaxy" series we (hopefully) will eventually see.
Annihilators: Earthfall #2: As predicted, we have a fun battle between the Annihilators and the Avengers before the Avengers realize that the Annihilators didn't so much invade Earth as try to stop the destruction of, like, the Universe. I know it's a cliché -- the two teams of heroes fighting one another in the second issue of a four-issue mini-series over a misundersatnding -- but, I have to say, I did rather enjoy it. I mean, yes, the Avengers seemed to be a mix of the Avengers, the New Avengers, and the Secret Avengers, and, yes, you'd think the Avengers would've paused when they saw Quasar working with the Annihilators before deciding they were an enemy and attacking. But, it was still a good time, and it sets up a spectacular Annihilators/Avengers v. Magus/Truthers battle royale next issue. As I've often said, I can forgive continuity errors and plot inconsistencies if the writing is good, and I think this issue is a great example of that. The only bad part about this issue is that, thanks to the introduction page stating that Rocket Raccoon and Groot's ship was a fake, the surprise of the secondary feature -- that they're on a set -- was somewhat spoiled. Pet peeve #2 is pet peeve #2 for a reason, people. I hadn't guessed it was a fake ship or a TV set last issue, so it sucked to have that spoiled before I got the chance to realize it on my own.
Annihilators: Earthfall #3: Whoa, this series gets dark quickly. First, Huat draws possibly the creepiest comic-book page I've ever seen with the image of the child-like Magus sitting on a folding chair in a holding cell. Second, DnA give us a second action-packed issue, with the Annihilators and the Avengers now working together to battle the forces of the Universal Church of Truth. Finally, as they usually do, DnA also make us think in this issue. They continue the theme from last issue, having the Annihilators (particularly Ronan the Accuser) accuse (heh) the Avengers of engaging in moral relativism. The Avengers were perfectly willing to watch the Kree and the Shi'Ar decimated during the Annihilation Wave and the War of Kings but now suddenly care about a cosmic-scale threat because it directly threatens Earth. I liked how Ronan called Cap's bluff, responding to Cap's question about whether he'd be willing to sacrifice Hala to save the Universe by noting that he's already done so. It makes you actually think a little less of Cap, who, again, allowed the various cosmic wars of the past few years to happen without intervention. I mean, DnA successfully question the Avengers and Cap's integrity. You don't see that every day! Moreover, I loved Gladiator and Quasar's looks in the last panel when Ronan announces he's willing to destroy the U.S. mainland. They're definitely having a bad day at the office. On the secondary feature, the only thing I'll say is: I WANT THOSE ACTION FIGURES!
Annihilators: Earthfall #4: OK, so, it was pretty clear DnA weren't going to kill off everyone in North America. But, they did keep me guessing for most of the issue about how they were going to resolve the situation. It felt a little anti-climatic, unfortunately, with Gladiator suddenly realizing he could convince Magus to take control of him so that the Annihilators could destroy him (rather than North America). I'm still not entirely sure how it worked in the end. It appears that Ronan used his Universal Weapon to draw the faith energy from the Font (where Magus was located) and embed it into the Sentry who had been wired to faith receptors to receive the faith energy. But, why did the energy wind up trapped in the Sentry? Did it have something to do with the cocoon? Why didn't Magus just control the Sentry? The answer to this question is key, because I'm assuming it's the fact that Magus is trapped and, therefore, removed from connection to the Font that severs his connection to his followers. DnA probably could've spent a little more than six panels on that, given that the resolution of the whole mini-series depends on it. But, it's still a pretty successful end, leaving unresolved the lingering moral questions that the battle raised and opening up several new avenues for future stories. The secondary feature wraps up brilliantly. I mean, how good is it that Mojo gets defeated by Groot's animated action figures?
Final Thoughts: To be honest, I really don't know how much potential this team has as a full-time series or frequent mini-series. I think the "Guardians of the Galaxy" were still a more viable series, since it had these sorts of cosmic stories plus some comic relief that made it less...dreary. I mean, let's face it, this group, the Annihilators, isn't exactly a fun bunch. But, for a mini-series, it worked well enough. DnA make sure Ronan gets some lumps in the last issue, reminding us that his accusations (heh) that the Avengers couldn't put aside Earth concerns could be aimed just as squarely at him, given that he seemed particularly motivated by revenge for Earth's inaction during the various recent cosmic wars. Great action, social commentary, occasional wisecracks: all in all, a good time.
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