Because publishers want you to buy their product every month, comics are typically serial in nature. However, occasionally (and more often nowadays than ever before) publishers launch a comic title that is only meant to last for one issue. While ongoing series often have multiple chances to hook in new readers, the comics highlighted in this ongoing investigations only had One-Shot At Greatness!
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Date: June 2009
Cover Price: $3.99
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Dan Brereton
A sect of an alien race of beings has renounced their god-figure and decided that they would create a new religion. They deemed Beta Ray Bill their new deity and were cast out of ther society by those who clung to the established religion. Now that they’re being pursued and persecuted, by the rest of their race, they turn to Beta Ray Bill to save them. Soon after defeating the religious persecutors, our hero will have to determine if he’s comfortable with his new status as their god.
Gillen uses a cosmic super hero story to pose some interesting concepts and questions about religion. It’s also just a cool Beta Ray Bill story, which I can always appreciate (especially since Beta stories seem so few and far between these days – and are usually pretty nifty [especially that Godhunter mini series]). I was excited to see Brereton‘s name on the cover because I can always count on him for very unique and wonderful painted art. However, I was a bit let down to discover that this story featured his pencils, instead – which don’t nearly live up to the quality of his painted art. On the other hand, the Marko Djurdjevic cover is sure nice to look at.
On Ebay: Beta Ray Bill | Kieron Gillen | Dan Brereton
On AtomicAvenue: Beta Ray Bill