The Cosmic Quest Volume 2: Aftermath by Brandon T. Snider fell short of my expectations. The story, featuring less desirable characters such as Darcy Lewis and Dr. Selvig, explores the aftermath of the snap. However, the execution lacked the impact of the first volume, making it a less compelling story.
A deadly threat emerged from the cosmos-and it was fulfilled. In the wake of Thanos’s horrifying success, the people of Earth are left reeling in despair and confusion. Without any logical explanation for the blip-out event, those remaining must pick up the pieces.
Doctor Erik Selvig and his associate Darcy Lewis are determined to find and understand the cause of the devastation. With a team of friends both old and new, they embark on a pursuit of knowledge, eager to discover the links between their own pasts and the stones that decimated half of humanity–the Infinity Stones. Little do they know that a new foe who threatens to destroy them all is looming…
The first volume of Brandon T. Snider’s The Cosmic Quest series, Beginning, used the fantastic characters of The Collector and The Grandmaster to recap the events surrounding the Infinity Stones leading up to Avengers: Infinity War. However, in Aftermath shifts to focus on Darcy Lewis and Dr. Selvig. While these characters have their appeal to some and have been somewhat impactful in the greater universe, they lack the desirability of the siblings in the first book, making Volume 2 fall short.
My expectations were hight following my love for the first book. Unfortunately, this book doesn’t deliver the deeper exploration I had hoped for. A global event such as the Snap–the loss of half the world’s population–should result in profound and well-documented consequences; however, the story doesn’t fully unpack this monumental shift. Part of this limitation may stem from the book’s role in riding the gap between Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Understandably, it avoids revealing too much, positioning itself as filler rather than a standalone story with its own stakes.
All this said, The Cosmic Quest Volume 2: Aftermath does have a spot for those Marvel Cinematic Universe super fans. It has its place in giving a bit an extra content and story surrounding the MCU, delivering an enjoyable experience–even if it pales in comparison to The Cosmic Quest Volume 1 or even Thanos: Titan Consumed. In the end, these books will continue to be part of my rewatch of the Infinity Saga.
Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War: The Cosmic Quest Volume 2: Aftermath is available at bookstores everywhere from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
