Silver Surfer: Rebirth #1: Review

Jan 2022

Ron Marz, Ron Lim

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Silver Surfer: Rebirth #1 Review by Rob Johnson (November 11, 2023)

The issue opens by saying this is the past. But it doesn't mean that it starts with a flashback, but that the whole issue and indeed the whole series is set in the past. This is the 1st of 3 retro-miniseries by Ron Marz set in the period when he was writing Silver Surfer and collaborating with Jim Starlin to tell stories of SS, Thanos, Adam Warlock, the Infinity Watch and his own creation Legacy.

Captain Marvel and the Skrulls seen here are in an alternate reality, probably only a temporary reality created by the villain behind this series (and it's not Thanos).

Legacy won't be seen again in this series until the end of the final issue.

Silver Surfer is here after meeting Lunatik in Marvel Comics Presents #172-175 and Adam Destine in ClanDestine #1-3. These followed his last meeting with Legacy in SS Annual #7.

Legacy is here after SS An#7 and his own backup tale therein. Before that he was in the Cosmic Powers series.

Thanos comes here directly from the CP series where he 1st met Tyrant (OK, spoiler, *he*'s the big bad villain of this series.)

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Silver Surfer: Rebirth #1 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

A Kree Destroyer is being pulled inexorably towards a black hole when Legacy (Genis-Vell son of Captain Mar-Vell) tries to save them. But he's not strong enough and he's failing until he's joined by the Silver Surfer. SS tells him to leave it to *him*, and he uses the Power Cosmic to pull the spaceship out of the deadly grip.

Afterwards Surfer says that he roams space seeking people to help in order to make amends for the planets he led Galactus to kill. Legacy says he's just trying to live up to the legend of his father. He asks what Mar-Vell was like, and Surfer advises him to visit Earth and talk to the many heroes who knew him.

Then reality rips ...

... and SS finds himself flying alongside the aforementioned Captain Marvel, astonished to see the man alive. In return Mar-Vell is confused by Surfer's reference to the son he doesn't have. But they have to park such discussions to fight a Skrull armada invading a helpless planet. The Skrulls seem to defeat the Skyrider Of The Spaceways but not for long. CM happens to mention that he survived cancer (that he died of in the main reality, in the 1st of Marvel's Graphic Novel series). Then someone else arrives with a concussive blast that seems to wipe out the Skrulls. Mar-Vell recognises the newcomer and faces up to him, but another blast kills him.

It's Thanos, who now tells Norrin Radd that CM wasn't real.

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