World Famous Comics: Infinity Crusade Volume 1 TPB (v. 1)
Infinity Crusade Volume 1 TPB (v. 1)
By: Jim Starlin Publisher: Marvel Comics Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Marvel Comics Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 248 Publication Date: December 31, 2008
Product Description: She's come to stop crime across the globe and bring peace to the universe. Captain America and Spider-Man are on her side; Thanos and Mephisto stand against her. So how can she be the bad guy? Jim Starlin's 1990s cosmic collection culminates when the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Avengers, the Infinity Watch, the New Warriors, and most other super-hero teams of the time are split by a universal crisis...of faith! Also featuring the Mole Man, the Absorbing Man, and other classic characters! Collects Infinity Crusade #1-3, Warlock Chronicles #1-3, and Warlock and the Infinity Watch #18-19.
Could be better As a teen in the 1990s I remember the Infinity trilogy as it originally came out in serialized monthly form as a series of "event" books from Marvel in Summers 1991-1993.
The first book, Infinity Guantlet, from 1991 is quite a good story and highly recommended. In fact, it is still fondly remembered even today. Less so are the Infinity sequels: Infinity War from '92, Infinity Crusade from Summer '93, and the much later (and rarer, back to the well follow up) Infinity Abyss form the early 2000s.
All are by written Infinity architect and Marvel's cosmic master storyteller, Jim Starlin. Artwork in the original Infinity Guantlet was by legend George Perez & Ron Lim of early 1990s Captain America and Silver Surfer fame. Lim also picked up art duties on War and Crusade.
Infinity Crusade opens with the Godess (the totality of good in Adam Warlock's soul) returning to our solar system to recruit many of the then-present day Marvel heroes to her cause and help eleminate all crime and evil in the universe. Sounds like a good idea right? Maybe. Read the book to find out.
All in all, I'd only give this book a 3 out of 10. The story is fairly preachy, overdramatic, and just plain predictable times but the real killer is the artwork. In places it is so bad it's an actual detraction from the storyline. Especially in the "tie in" issues from Warlock Chronicles, and Warlock & the Infinity Watch.
Nothing against Ron Lim, in his day he was a fine enough choice for an event book. But judged against today's uber-detailed hyper stylized artists such as Bryan Hitch or Ed McGuiness there's just no comparison.
During the cosmic scenes I just found my mind kind of wandering off. The scope was just kind of "ho-hum". The figures look stiff, and the layouts just plain boring. Also, if you look at the anatomy and faces of book's characters they're pretty much all identical if not for their respective costumes.
On the positive side, the book contains plenty of early '90s grimacy, angry, clenched teeth, lots of mullets and dramatic poses thrown in for good measure!!
I never read Infinity Crusade back in the day, only picking up Infinity Guantlet and the first couple issues of Infinity War. I'd always wondered how the entire saga played out. Turns out, I wasn't really missing much. I would only recommend this collection to completists wanting to get their hands on the full trilogy. Your money, in my humble opinion, would be best spent elsewhere.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
