Quasar: Cosmos in Collision

Quasar: Cosmos In Collision by Mark Gruenwald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Can Quasar prevent a cosmic assassin from killing his mentor, Eon?

There was a time Quasar was my favorite comic. The storyline at the end of this volume kicks off that period of my comics fandom so I had no choice but to revisit it in trade paperback form.

Quasar: Cosmos in Collision collects issues #10-25 of Quasar with the last seven issues being one epic storyline, the one this volume was named for. In Cosmos in Collision, Quasar takes on the Over-Mind, the Stranger, At-Las and Minerva, Squadron Supreme, and Maelstrom. Mark Gruenwald was playing the long game during the first year and a half of stories on Quasar and it all came to a head in Cosmos in Collision.

Before I get to the epic scope of the second half of this collection, Mark Gruenwald did a lot to flesh out Quasar and the role he plays in the Marvel Universe. The supporting cast is greatly expanded, adding Makkari of the Eternals and Moondragon and Quasar encounters various cosmic beings before the big battle with Maelstrom. The Runner hosts a race between Marvel's greatest speedsters and a certain Scarlet Speedster that died in a certain Crisis makes an appearance. The Stranger's origin is not what it was purported to be and some long forgotten characters like Jack of Hearts are brought back into the fold.

Partway through the story, Mike Manely hands the art reigns over to young Greg Capullo. Maybe you've heard of him? Anyway, things come to a head in issues #19-25. Maelstrom wants to destroy Eon in order to destroy the cosmos and very nearly gets his wish. Cosmos in Collision is an epic on a cosmic scale and it really made me buy into Quasar as a character the first time I read it and it reaffirmed that feeling almost thirty years later.

I don't know what else to say. I really hope Marvel puts out another trade paperback where Cosmos in Collision leaves off. Four out of five Quantum Bands.

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