True Believers: Empyre - Quoi #1 (re:view)

Welcome to a whole new adventure with... a comic for your dollar! This time I'm bringing you a family affair realness as Mantis returns to the planet of their former love and their son as Thanos works up a storm in the background. Let's dive in!

This is part 3 of Celestial Quest but I could kind of get the gist of what's going on... Scarlet Witch is so "over" Vision, Vision gets jiggy jiggy with Mantis and Thanos gets their freak on. It's a mellow storyline that blends Star Wars action with high galactic storytelling rooting into Mantis's past as they try and mend her relationship with her child. It's a nice departure from the clap-bang action and brings it back to a subtleness in the quiet pace of the family drama.

Vision "envisions" (hey? Uh... I'll see myself out) life in space as he tantalises on the relationship formed with Mantis and a fresh outlook in life. He talks sex ed with Scarlet Witch (the words s-e-x was said - shock, horror!) and gives no chill when describing the details to his former bar. I just don't understand in this world where android display such human emotion as Vision does (jealousy above all) that they're still so discriminated in the current stage of the world but hey ho.

Mantis is the main staple and to be honest, I've never known about her much in the Marvel Universe (which comes to show how rich the universe is I guess!) that she has such wondrous powers in that she can call upon the stars to strike down spaceships with ma-hoo-sive concussive energy blasts. Who'd that funk it?! It's nice to see the character fledged out as she catches up with her former bae the Swordsman and reconciles with her son. A gentle reminder of the very human (or alien) nature of storytelling which is beautifully done. It's kind of funny as there was an Avengers issue where both the Vision's and Mantis's origin are done in the same issue. Get that full circle!

Thanos is another character imbued with incredible powers to grant other powers. Their story fits in that I'm sure is going to collide in Mantis's path in proportionate ways especially when Death comes knocking on their door.

Subscribe? Yes!

It's a refreshing departure with the constant crash, clang, bang of actions as it takes it back to family drama realness.

True Believers: Empyre - Quoi #1 (originally printed as Avengers Celestial Quest #3)
Stainless Steve Englehart - author
Jorge Santamaría - pencil artist
Scott Hanna - colourist
Sharpefont's Paul Tutrone - letterer