Annihilation Scourge: Beta Ray Bill Review

by Nick Devonald on December 11, 2019

Writer: Michael Moreci
Artist: Alberto Alburquerque
Colors: Jay David Ramos
Letters: VC’s Joe Sabino

So we have another one shot in the Annihilation: Scourge series, this time focusing on Beta Ray Bill. If you’ve read the previously released Nova or Fantastic Four you’ll know the gist of what’s happening here. We’ll meet Beta Ray Bill, he’ll encounter the Scourge and battle them, then by the end he’ll be ready to take the fight to them in the concluding Annihilation: Scourge Omega one shot. It’s beginning to feel a little paint by numbers here. We’ve even got a couple of great double page spreads, present in each of the one shots, which really let the artists show off their skills.

I’ve really been enjoying this, as a big fan of Marvels Annihilation events, but I’m already at the stage where I’m glad there’s only four one shots like this because if there was any more I’d worry they’d be feeling stale before we got to the end.

It’s nice to see an issue focusing on Beta Ray Bill here though. He’s featured quite heavily in a lot of Donny Cates work recently, namely Death of the Inhumans and Guardians of the Galaxy, and it would be nice to see him getting a solo series of his own. He’s teamed up here with Lockjaw, following Death of the Inhumans, and they make a great team. I look forward to seeing him team up with all the other characters in the conclusion to this series.

They both get a chance by the end to show just how heroic they are. It makes for entertaining reading, even if it is following a now familiar pattern. Each one shot has also introduced a new threat from the Cancerverse, and it’s been nice to see the twisted versions of the heroes we all know and love. This issue is no exception to that.

Is it an outstanding issue? No, like I mentioned before these one shots are beginning to feel very paint by numbers. Is that a bad thing? Not overly, but holds it back from really standing out for the crowd. Good set up for Annihilation Scourge though, and it was good seeing Beta Ray Bill taking the lead here.

Our Score:

6/10

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