War Of Kings #3 – Review

By Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (writers), Paul Pelletier (pencils), Rick Magyar (inks), Will Quintana (colors)

The Story: War of the Kings rages on as Vulcan tries to rebound from the devastating counter attack  by the Kree and Inhumans. The Star Jammers and the Guardians of the Galaxy make their move to rescue Lilandra from Gladiator and the rest of the Imperial Guard. All of this transpires while in the background the Inhumans struggle with their leadership over the Kree.

What’s Good: The only good thing to come out of Secret Invasion is whatever is happening in the Marvel Cosmos. War of the Kings is at the top of that bracket and this issue doesn’t disappoint. Between Vulcan’s craziness, the Inhuman’s suspiciousness, and the Star Jammers’ boldness, there is a lot to like about this issue. It reads like a block-buster movie; or should I say, a GOOD block-buster movie.

Gladiator has always been one of my favorite characters and in this issue we learn a ton about his personality as he quickly becomes the star of this series. His decision at the end of the issue, though expected, will have an enormous impact on this series. I’d like to see him more involved in the greater Marvel Universe. Perhaps he could visit earth and, I don’t know, like, kill the Sentry. Dead. Forever. Oh well,  just an idea.

It’s obvious that Abnett and Lanning are spinning a winner here. Their pacing, dialogue, and scripting are almost flawless. Additionally,  the art style is perfect for this series. Paul Pelliter’s pencils and Rick Magyar’s heavy inks are fabulous.

What’s Not So Good: It’s basically non-stop action in these pages. I would have liked to have seen more development with what’s going on with the Inhumans. The scenes involving Crystal were interesting but a little frustrating in their ambiguity. Also, Crystal’s character is on one hand  to be an intelligent and measured diplomat, but on the other, innocent and gullible to the true intentions of the rest of her royal family, which is a little contradictory.

Conclusion: If you’re looking for a fun and engaging read, then the War of Kings is for you. No doubt what transpires in these pages will shape the Marvel U for the foreseeable future. However, if your into cosmic Marvel than this will cement your convictions. But if not, this series won’t convert you.

Grade: B+

-Rob G