Giant-Size Silver Surfer #1 // Review
Terrax the Tamer--herald of the world-devourer Galactus rests in the shadow of....Galactus’ best-known herald. And he’s kind of sick of it. So when he arrives on our planet that hasn't quite gotten the news that he’s the current herald, he’s going to try to make a point with them and call for Galactus’ better-known herald. He answers that call in the first story of Giant-Size Silver Surfer #1. Writer Mat Groom tells the tale of Terrax in an opening story Brough to page and panel by artist Tommaso Bianchi. Terrax also shows-up in a second story by writer Ron Marz and artist Ron Lim in a reprint of Silver Surfer #80 from March of 1993.
Terrax has been looking for an opportunity to take Silver Surfer out for a while. He even has the with which to do so. It's a belt that would completely negate his ample powers. All he has to do is get the hero to wear it. And if he can hold the entire population of a planet hostage, there's a pretty good chance that he would be able to do what he needs to do. However, things are never as easy as they appear. And certainly Terrax has no idea what he’s up against,
Groom manages something that's actually kind of impressive for a traditional superhero comic book. Silver Surfer is shown as being heroic for his level headed even tempered nature. He is seen as being heroic because he doesn't give into the aggression that the villain does. There's a really beautiful kind of pacifism that works in this particular story that seems as refreshing as it would have at any other point in the character’s history. What's more? It's actually really appealing to see the more intelligent response to brutal aggression being the one that ultimately wins the day.
Bianchi has a very firm grasp on what makes cosmic level action work in the Marvel Universe. there is an overwhelming sense of powerful aggression that punches out of every panel when it needs to. And when it doesn't need to, tension is either being established or resolved. It's quite an impressive alternation between calm, intellectual detachment and brutal cosmic level aggression. And it ends up being a lot more fun than it has any right to be given the fact that it's a simple conflict between a hero and a villain, and not much more beyond that.
Marvel continues to celebrate the 50th annual of the giant sized format with an appealing issue. It's nice to see vintage work from the early 90s and a talented guy like Ron Lim. It’s fun without being totally revolutionary or anything like that. And it's nice to see a relatively unsung villain like Terrax getting a bit more of a central look in this latest outing for Silver Surfer. It also serves as a pretty solid showcase for the Surfer himself, who once again manages a distinct brand of heroism.
