Not that kind of ghost

You all seemed to like the voice announcements. I think. It was harder to tell than I expected, though I maintain that this should be a place for unfettered debate and discussion. Don't mind me, anyway, I'm feeling grouchy because the Hussar kept me awake all night by making yapping noises like a wounded fox. Or maybe it was a wounded fox. Though I don't know why there'd be a wounded fox inside my house.

Today, I'll be sharing with you two more things to pick the bones out of. First of all, a letter, because it made me happy:

Dear Messers Abnett and Lanning,

When I was a teen in the 80’s I was absolutely loving the Marvel Cosmic under the direction of Jim Starlin (Infinity Guantlet, War and Crusade, Warlock and the Infinity Watch, etc.). I enjoyed them enough that I went and bought back issues of the Cosmic Powers limited series and then bought the Infinity Abyss and Marvel: The End that came out a few years back.

I left comics for a while from the mid/late nineties until the mid naughts, and when I returned I was glad to see a Marvel Cosmic comic called Thanos. When it was ‘cancelled’ after the 12th issue I learned of the pending Annihilation and the prequels. I bought them mostly on a lark but have been pleasantly surprised at the stories that this has led to (Annihilation Conquest, Guardians of the Galaxy, War of Kings, Realm of Kings, etc).

I have most recently been greatly enjoying the Guardians of the Galaxy, with them consistently being my pick of the week for the weeks they are released. You have been hitting every single beat with regards to what I so loved of the 80’s Marvel Cosmic. Warlock, Gamora, Drax, Moondragon are now only part of a much wider tapestry of most intriguing, developed and entertaining characters. Heck you even made Jack Flag into someone interesting.

You are also channelling the ‘magic’ that was the Infinity series, as you are filling your comic events rife with twists and turns and plans within plans within deceptions within illusions. You kill off the team, and write it so we, the audience, accept their apparent deaths. And when we get comfortable with the new status quo, you expertly pull the curtain away to reveal that they’re not really dead. And this isn’t a cheap r trick but an actual well designed plan and concept that is expertly executed.

It reminds me of Penn and Teller once showing how they did this involved magic trick. Their showmanship and craftsmanship were so perfected the revealed trick was just as amazing and entertaining as the original illusion. Your writing has this quality of taking the typical tropes of death and resurrection and making them valid and sound.

And just when I think you will be letting me (and my wallet) breathe, as Realm of Kings winds down, you drop another concept to make me beg for more. THANOS! Again, you killed him years ago and made me hate you for it, then I’ve gotten comfortable with the idea and now he’s returning. And am I mad or do I feel betrayed, quite the contrary. I have complete faith you will execute this with the flair and skill you’ve demonstrated until now.

There have been many times where I’ve wondered at the solicits or images for coming issues and have been worried that you’d ‘jumped the shark’, only to find that my fears were so unfounded that the actuality greatly surpassed my possible expectations and only left me enjoying the book more and more.

With the coming events and cessation of others in other areas of the Marvel Universe, I am happy that you are continuing with the cosmic corner of the Marvel Universe and will not be adversely effected by those other events (The Heroic Age and the Return of Hope). In truth those events are not as nicely or coherently handled as your events are, and as such I’ll be dropping my comics in those events with the intention of moving those monthly purchases over to what is sure to be a greatly enjoyable ride (The Thanos Imperative). This is both a function of my disappointment in those events/characters and a statement in my enjoyment and desire for yours.

The only thing I am missing from my 80’s Marvel Cosmic that I’ve yet to see in the current tales is one of my favourite miscreants, Pip the Troll. His exclusion does in no way diminish my enjoyment of these tales, but he just seems ‘missing’. Also is there any chance we’ll be seeing an appearance by the Goddess?

In closing, all I can say is thank you ever so much for such an excellent ongoing series of events and series. I wish you the best of success, and hope that will include many more years of enjoyment of your stories (wherever they may be).

Sincerely,

Trevor Chapman
CANADA

Thanks, Trevor. *warm glow of satisfaction* activated.

And then there's this rakish fellow. Seems like everybody's got an opinion about something.