There are things about this title I really enjoy, and then there are those other elements that I... that I do not. Jim Starlin has managed to craft a cosmic adventure that's inventive and interesting, that celebrates the Marvel Universe with an accessible script and that brings demi-gods down to earth, allowing the reader to relate to them. Where he goes awry with this issue, though, is in the narration that dominates the first few pages. The villain breaks the fourth wall, involving the audience directly in the story for no apparent reason, and the sequence spells things out far too plainly... for no apparent reason, since the information is repeated for the reader later on in the issue.
Thanos is gathering the six Soul Gems together, but he doesn't plan on crafting an Infinity Gauntlet as Thanos once did in a bid to become the supreme power over the entire universe. No, Galactus instead seeks to curb the cosmic hunger that forces him to devour planets by satisfying his appetite with the endless energy of the gems. What Galactus doesn't know, though, is that he's being manipulated by an extra-dimensional entity that calls itself the Hunger. Meanwhile, Thanos begins to clue in to what Galactus is up to and that there's more to the plan than meets the eye.
Starlin and Milgrom's work here is spectacular. There's a sense of wonder and energy to be found in every panel. The diversity in character design on display is delightful as well. I'm also pleased to find that Milgrom's inks -- which have brought a sketchy quality to linework in past efforts with other pencillers -- are smooth and solid here. The strength in the linework would be for naught, though, if it weren't for the dazzling colors. Scheele imbues the art with energy and life.
The opening sequence -- featuring the Hunger soliloquy to the audience -- is more than a little irksome. The new, corrupt character spills the previously unknown beans on the whole plot for the reader directly, and if the fourth-wall shattering script weren't annoying enough, the story is robbed of its sense of mystery in the process as well. It makes Thanos's discoveries later in the issue rather redundant as well.
I have to admit I'm warming to the Galactus plotline. Presenting him as a real character instead of a force of nature doesn't seem like such a bad idea anymore (even though I thought so while reading the previous chapter). I also enjoyed the brief subplot that explored Adam Warlock's insecurities over his newfound mortality. His fear of an uncertain future humanizes him.
