DCU Comic Book Reviews

RANN/THANAGAR  HOLY WAR #8

Sacrifice and Loss

February 2009

Written by Jim Starlin

Pencils by Ron Lim and Jim Starlin

Inks by Rob Hunter and Al Milgrom

Cover by Jim Starlin

Synopsis

On Rann, the forces of the Adam Strange battle against the forces of the Synnar the Demiurge.  As Adam Strange fights to reach Synnar’s complex, Prince Gavyn (aka Starman) joins the fight.  Together they clear a path for the Weird to enter Synnar’s complex.  Meanwhile, Lady Styx manages to land on Rann.  She attacks Tigorr, but Starman attacks and kills her for her role in the destruction of his homeworld.  Meanwhile, the Weird taps into Synnar’s energy source, absorbing the power for himself.  Elsewhere, Synnar orders Deacon Dark to retreat.  The Weird’s power has increased greatly.  When it reaches its apex, he teleports and literally merges with Synnar.  The combined power destroys Rann.  Later, Prince Gavyn awakens on his homeworld to realize that all Rannians are now living there.  Prince Gavyn welcomes them to New Rann!  On Old Rann, the Weird is reborn, although it is not as it should be.   

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

I can’t quite put my finger on how I feel about this ending to this mini-series.  I can’t decide if I like it or if I am just annoyed.  On the one hand, I like this issue and felt it was a nice conclusion with a fairly satisfying plan to defeat Synnar.  Overall, Starlin wraps up the major plot points, pushes the narrative and the plot forward to a logical place, and at the very least provides a nice satisfying conclusion for the characters.  On the other hand, there are a lot of plot points that were introduced within this mini-series that are left unresolved, particularly with the Aberrant Six.  And even though the Rannians find a new home, it is not really a happy ending for them.  I can guess that this was done to set up the next mini-series, which is the part that I find somewhat annoying.  I say “somewhat” because I can understand why DC would want to do this; they are hoping that fans will want to pick up the next mini-series to find out what happens next.  However, this is a mini-series.  It should have an ending, not unresolved plot points.  I think if Starlin had left some of the ideas on the cutting room floor, this issue would’ve made for a more satisfying ending. 

Prince Gavyn’s sudden decision to forgive Adam Strange, or at the very least to not destroy him, seemed to occur very quickly.  Not that I disagree; I think that Lady Styx is the person to blame.  But I would have liked to have seen more with Prince Gavyn to learn his thought process and how he went from hating Strange to hating Lady Styx. 

I would like the think this is the last we have seen of Lady Styx, but somehow I doubt.  And I don’t mean in the sense that some writer will pull the character out of mothballs 5 to 10 years down the road.  I just get the feeling that Starlin is going to bring her back for the next mini-series. 

 

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