Realm of Kings

War of Kings #2

by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Leonardo Manco (Illustrator)

The War of Kings leads to new adventures for the Inhumans, the Imperial Guard, the Son of Hulk and Quasar! In the final confrontati on of the War of Kings, the wicked Vulcan and the Inhumans' Black Bolt both disappeared in a violent explosion. And though that epic conflagration brought sudden order to the Shi'ar and Kree galaxies, it also ripped open a wound in the stars a galaxy wide. Now, the power players in the new order - Medusa and the Inhumans royal family, Gladiator and the Imperial Guard, and Hiro-Kala, the son of the Hulk - must face the threat of a dangerous realm known as The Fault in their own unique ways...or die trying!

Collecting: Realm of Kings, Realm of Kings: Inhumans 1-5, Realm of Kings: Son of Hulk 1-4, Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard 1-5

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Graphic Novels Comics, Superheroes, Science Fiction, Fiction

368 pages, Paperback

First published November 18, 2009

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

The rather underwhelming sequel to the War Of Kings - telling the story of how these non-Earth worlds and people cope with the new Kings (and Queens) and the Fault created at the end of War of Kings. 4 out of 12. I read comic books Realm of Kings, Real of Kings Inhumans # 1-5, Realm of Kings Imperial Guard #1-5, Realm of Kings Son of Hulk #1-4, Nova #32-35 and Guardians of the Galaxy #20-24.
Guess who else is in it... here's a clue!

A 4 out of 12, Two Star read.
2011 read

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, Realm of Kings was as patchy as I remembered it. Unlike the previous 'cosmic Marvel' crossover events, this one failed to come together in a satisfying way. All the various heroes were dealing with the rip in spacetime known as 'the Fault' but it felt like the Fault was a different thing in each book.

The Son of Hulk book felt particularly out of place here and was definitely the low point of this collection. The highlight was Kev Walker's artwork on the Imperial Guard issues; very nice work indeed.

Ultimately, this entire event ended up feeling like just a prologue to The Thanos Imperative and at twenty six issues that's one heck of a long prologue!

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sadly not as good as Realm of Kings.

This is the Inhumans trying their best to run shit without their leader Black Bolt. The first half is actually really interesting, and the lies told my Madusa is pretty bad. I also really like Crystal and Ronan's relationship, as weird as it might seem. The first story and even the royal guard story, while not great, is solid enough.

Then we get this very weird Son of Hulk story and...yeah it's pretty bad. I honestly gave little to no shits about anyone in this story.

So for a solid first half, a 3 out of 5.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.37 stars. This book was pretty good until the Son of Hulk story happened. That hurt the book.

Realm of Kings one-shot 4stars
Quasar was out investigating the Fault and got sucked into another realm with these “alternate” Avengers. Once he figured they were on some BS, he got out of there as fast as he could.

Realm of Kings Inhumans 3.5 stars.
Medusa pulled some trickery here. A big lie that if the truth came out, it could undo what they had done so far with the Kree empire.

Realm of Kings Imperial Guard 4 stars.
This was my favorite story from this book. The Imperial guard get into some wicked battles with stuff coming out of the Fault.

Realm of Kings Son of Hulk. 2 stars
Man this story was barely making sense. Bunch of nonsense. The way it was written made it hard to know who was talking at times and it seemed like you needed to know some back story on Son of Hulk to make more sense of this.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh, what the hell is with Inhumans and terribly boring comics? Even with the (supposedly) kick-ass Starjammers (at least, that's the rep these dudes gave themselves, once upon a century ago), and a visit from a Hulk-wanna-be, I suffer from acute memory loss and a complete loss of fucks to give. I have no idea what this story was about, why it matters in the least to Marvel history or continuity, and it has absolutely killed my desire to read up on any more Inhumans history.

If I'm gonna sustain any enthusiasm for the 2019 movie, it's going to have to ride solely on the backs of the events unfolding in Marvel's Agents of SHIELD. These "cosmic" stories just suck every drop of breezy enjoyment out of what is already an enjoyment-impaired branch of Marvel: these isolated, don't-give-two-shits-about-humanity (or any sense of adventure, enjoyment or emotional struggle) statues masquerading as heroes in my spandex-fisted fun-o-verse.

As much as it pains me to say it, I might have to go back into the 20th-century archives to find anything about these folks to cheer about. And if you know anything about me, I might better wish to be tied to a hill of tiny fire ants.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the bits with the Inhumans and the Starjammers, even though I didn't quite understand everything. The Son of Hulk story didn't do much for me. It was weird and uninteresting.

[Judah Radd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently interviewed the writer Dan Abnett and it was fucking awesome! Check out part 1 here https://youtu.be/vWI5mkTn8Ws and part 2 here https://youtu.be/A_VQ0ieJvhg

One Shot? Decent
Inhumans? Great!
Imperial Guard? Good
Son of Hulk? Ok.

These are all mostly stories dealing the with political and cosmic fallout of Realm of Kings. There’s not much of a connecting tissue bringing them together, besides political upheaval and the fault (or cancerverse or whatever.)

This is mainly setup for the Thanos Imperative and The Annihilators.

Why is Son of Hulk here? Seriously, someone else please tell me, because I have no idea. The last Hulk thing I read before this was Planet Hulk/World War Hulk and some of Skaar. Not really sure how SoH relates to the Kree/Shi’ar/Inhumans/Fault whatever.

The Inhumans stuff was the highlight. Some very Game of Thrones-esque political shit made for an intriguing tale of lies and maneuvers. I really dug it, even if personally I’m ready to murder all of the Inhumans.

Some outstanding art throughout. Truly. I wish there was a more cohesive narrative to tie the art together.

Overall, this has some great parts, but suffers from a clunky execution, despite an ambitious vision.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Realm of Kings one-shot is a well-told, beautifully illustrated story, but I'm a bit sick of the whole heroes-gone-bad alternate universe schtick [6/10]. The Inhumans story has good art, a plot that keeps you guessing, and strong characterization [8/10]. The Imperial Guard story is good, though it's mostly just fighting against things in the Rift [7/10]. The Son of Hulk series that ends things seems to have nothing at all to do with the Realm of Kings, but is an interesting look at the microverse continuity [7/10]. Overall, the disjoint nature of these stories is a bit distracting, as everyone seems to have their own Fault.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun stuff, but everything else is pretty required reading in order to get much out of this. Everything, as usual, is pretty epic.

These iterations of comics are one with the rest. Great tales, very extended storylines, and fantastic art. Taken separately, sometimes baffling, but together, a wonderful tapestry.

[Sonic · Rating 2 out of 5]

Will I finish this? I dunno.

It was going along good enough, then we got to the last part with Son Of Hulk Hiro-Kala, and it is just bland, bland, bland.

I want to support Abnett and Lanning's cosmic intentions, ...

but I feel there is better stuff out there to read...

[Rocky Sunico · Rating 3 out of 5]

This really wasn't much of an event, and more just an extended wrap-up of War of Kings and a lot of hinting at what was to come with the Thanos Imperative. It collects a weird set of books, the titular Realm of Kings issue (just Quasar discovering the Cancerverse), the Inhumans mini-series (Medusa makes Hard Choices as a ruler), The Shi-ar mini-series (Gladiator hates being a politician) and the Son of Hulk mini-series (WTF).

They don't really tell a single story but instead, just show us what's going on around the universe and within the Microverse. The Microverse adventure in Son of Hulk is the most far-out and feels totally disjoint from everything else.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Realm Of Kings is the continuation of the Marvel cosmic epic. Here there are three stories collected and the results are very good. The first story involving the Inhumans was very good but a little predictable. The next story centering on the Imperial Guard and the changes in their ranks was very good. The concluding story involving Hiro-Kala, the son of the Hulk, was less than special. While the art was beautiful, the story was less connected to the overall story and didn't resonate with me. Overall, the collection was very good with a weak third act.

[Peter De Kinder · Rating 3 out of 5]

The aftermath of the Kree/Shi'ar war, this book has as a main thread the creation of the Fault as a result of the clash between Black Bolt and Vulcan. This book really is two books: one about the Inhuman royal family taking over the Kree empire, and one dealing with the Son of Hulk and they have very little to do with each other. Still a pleasant read, if not the greatest thing ever to come out of the Marvel Studios

[Paul Hasbrouck · Rating 1 out of 5]

This collection in fill a handful of stories about universe after the events in the War of Kings story event. After the massive war of star empires, a rip has open in space and time and Lovecraft monster coming through. I should care, but I don't, most are ruthless Imperialists and mass murderers.....some heroes!
Also a lot of talk, talk, technobabble and mystical mumbo-gumbo and then everything falls flat.

[Judith Groen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read the Son of Hulk story to be honest. I have no affinity with him, and with all characters he gets involved with. The Inhumans one and Imperial Guard were very exciting. I dislike the "we are the same heroes but bad versions", but the tension is built up very well. It were completely different stories that had little to do with eachother, but then again also part of the same. It was a good read.

[Kamil Zawiślak · Rating 2 out of 5]

'War Of Kings' with all its tie-ins was pretty good, definitely liked how it started with X-men, but ended up with Guardians, Nova and Gladiator, who btw got a great, interesting arc, which is rare in Marvel, especially if you shuffle heroes right and left. But this. Inhumans are again, boring. The one-shot is interesting, but doesn't go anywhere. Again, on a glance, the least developed characters make for a great comic. The son of hulk only makes sense, if you ever read its previous stories.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a big one 14 comics, 3 separate mini-series. One of the best parts was that 4 issues included some of the Micronauts (I'm a huge fan). I love reading Marvel Cosmic stuff, all these lesser known heroes are sometimes more interesting than reading yet another story about Spider-Man or Cap or Tony. Oh yea and Thanos is back.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darker, less fun than the preceding War of Kings, but meaningful continuations from what we saw previous. Many characters develop and we see the fruits of seeds planted issues ago. Plans are connected and losses are suffered, as the Guardians try to guard a galaxy that doesn't know it's in need.
Note: what we see on the cover (which is actually an allusion to the succeeding Thanos Imperative)

[Martin Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

The initial one shot is interesting and the Inhumans and Imperial Guard minis solid but boy is that Son of Hulk story terrible. While I like the idea of the Fault, this doesn’t have the same cohesive feel and drive of the previous cosmic events and doesn’t really have a conclusion (until the separately branded Thanos Imperative).

[Ondra Král · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nápad na lovecraftovský Marvel je skvělý, škoda že je realizován prostřednictvím nudných minisérií.

[Kurt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars for the Inhumans & Son of Hulk, three for the Imperial Guard - opposite of what I expected.

[Daniel Jantulík · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kdyby zde nebyla nudná část se synem Hulka dal bych i 3*.

[Doyle Stricker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did I miss something

It's been ages since I've read a comic. I feel as if this one didn't really have a conclusion. Did I miss something?

[Holliferous · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the inhumans issues, though the rest were sort of meh.

[Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the exception of the Son of Hulk series everythings blends together in one cohesive story. This is really well planned and executed.

[Tiag⊗ the Mutant · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely the weakest entry on Abnett and Lanning's saga, but the art is pretty good throughout the whole book.

[Judy Easton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Inhumans was the best storyline.

Just don't read the Son of Hulk part...save yourself the misery. It made absolutely no sense.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stuff I Read: Realm of Kings

For the purpose of this, I’m talking about Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard, Inhumans, Son of Hulk, and the one-shot. I don’t read Nova so I’m not covering that, and I read Guardians of the Galaxy, but that seemed rather unrelated to these others. In fact, so does Son of Hulk, so I won’t touch that much on that.

But besides that, Imperial Guard and the one-shot seem to spring to the forefront of what is important to the not-quite-an-event. And for what is there it is an extremely successful endeavor. With these we see what’s happening inside the Fault. And it is threatening and immediate. The last stand feel of the Guards’ fight and the pending threat of the false Quasar give the Fault a feeling of danger that Inhumans never really gets. So there is a ship of creature things that attack, but really Inhumans is about the Kree and Inhumans, with little emphasis put on the Fault.

And I’m a sucker for a good science fiction fight, and Imperial Guard and the one-shot deliver. The characters that are presented, of before superfluous characters, is excellent. Fang and Plutonia and all the rest are given face time and are found surprisingly human and real. Along with Cho’d and Gladiator we have an excellent look at characters who are always on the other side, always there for the fights but nothing more. And they carry the issues. I mean, important things happen. The stuff with the Raptors, for anyone that was following that thread in War of Kings, is something that made me cringe because I could see what would come from it. And it was nothing good.

With Inhumans there is, in my mind, less of a story to tell. This is really a mini series about Medusa and how she has fallen to, or perhaps always been, a rather villainous character. She is ruthless and deceitful at a time when that can only be a bad thing. It is a decent examination of the Inhumans, though in no way surprising. With Black Bolt gone, things stay much the same. It sets up the lack of trust that will open the next event, but on its own it is a bit lacking.

Finally I am left with a feeling that this all does well to set up the next event, which is what it was supposed to be. The players are more understood, and there is an incredible amount of things that are going to go wrong. With the Raptors, the Fault creatures, and the shaky morality of fhe Inhumans, the galaxy seems poised to loose, especially with Magus in play. But at the same time, with the Guard, Quasar, Crystal and Ronan still around, there is hope. At the very least this has made me excited for what comes next. A 7/10.

[Joe Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Scott Redd - writers
Leonardo Manco, Mahmud Asrar, Pablo Raimondi, Mahmud Asrar, Pablo Raimondi, Wellinton Alves, Tim Seeley, Kevin Walker, Miguel Munera - artists

The epic space opera continues! At the end of the War of Kings, Blackbolt detonated the Terrigen bomb in a desperate attempt to defeat Vulcan, the bloodthirsty, warmongering leader of the Shi'ar empire. The Shi'ar were defeated and Vulcan was apparently destroyed, but at great cost - an enormous tear in the fabric of space and time was rent by the bomb, and Blackbolt is missing and presumed dead

In the aftermath of the Terrigen explosion the survivors of the War of Kings are left to deal with the dangerous tear in space-time, commonly referred to as "the fault", while picking up the pieces of shattered empires. Medusa rules the Kree in her missing husband's stead, but a series of mysterious attacks and sabotages from a strangely familiar source threatens the Inhuman rule of the interstellar empire. Kallark, the Strontian Imperial Guardsman known as Gladiator, has assumed leadership of the Shi'ar empire following the defeat of Vulcan. To prevent further fracturing of the empire, Kallark leads the Imperial Guard in several actions designed to reinforce his rule. Meanwhile, the unknown son of the Hulk, Hiro-Kala, approaches the fault on his journey to confront his father on Earth. Hiro-Kala is mistakenly transported into the microverse by Jentorra, niece of the slain Jarella - a one-time ally and lover of the Hulk. Although Hiro-Kala defeats the malevolent Psyklops, the scattered presence of the Old Power in the microverse spurs him to claim and absorb that energy, threatening the lives of billions. Arcturas Rann reluctantly opposes Hiro-Kala, in an attempt to save the oft-imperiled microverse.

All the while a monstrous and malignant intelligence waits on the other side of the fault. An unnatural universe where "life won" sends corrupted versions of familiar heroes to infiltrate and prepare our dimension for invasion. What is coming next threatens to overwhelm all civilization and destroy all life as we know it. If our universe is to survive the "Cancerverse", ancient enemies must become allies and heroes must rise from unlikely origins.

Excellent, engaging, big-idea space opera from the master Dan Abnett. I would rate this a straight 5/5 if not for the mess of a story involving Hiro-Kala. If you're a fan of cosmic Marvel, this book is highly recommended.

4.5/5

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

A dutiful follow-up on the implications of the War of Kings. This volumes looks in on the Inhumans, currently ruling the Kree Empire, the Sh'iar Imperial Guard, and a son of the Hulk I'd never heard of who visits the Microverse, which I've only experienced in a couple mostly forgotten fifty-cent-bin issues.

The Hulk story was frankly baffling; it didn't have any connection with the cosmic saga Marvel had been offering since the original Annihilation series. Maybe it works for Hulk fans, but I didn't find any characters to care for in that one.

The Kree and Inhumans storylines were inventive enough spin-offs. The former has Medusa, in full Machiavelli mode, instigating crises to win over the faith of the people she now rules. I haven't liked her character development in the series as a whole--her patrician ruthlessness seems forced and counterproductive. The relationship that's developed between Crystal and Ronan the Accuser feels more natural, surprisingly, and I would enjoy seeing their future developments.

The Sh'iar storyline has Gladiator struggling with the transition from man of action to ruler. After putting down an insurrection, he has to send the rest of the Imperial Guard on a possible suicide mission into the new "rift" that's opened. They encounter the "life run amuck" armies of the cancerverse, which makes for a good threat, although the new Darkhawk mythos Abnett and Lanning introduced is tossed in here as well, where I think the story would do better without it.

All in all, the stories illuminate some cosmic characters that don't always get a space in the spotlight. It's good enough, but pales compared to the stories Abnett and Lanning were telling in their Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy runs at the same time. I wish those were still going.

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