Lords Of Empyre: Celestial Messiah #1
| Event\Storyline | Empyre |
| Writer | Alex Paknadel |
| Artist | Alex Lins |
| Cover Price | $4.99 |
The eve of Quoi's ascension is at hand! But when the trials are interrupted by an unexpected interloper-Mantis-who will win this battle of wills?
Don't miss out as mother and son go head-to-head, revealing secrets that will shape the course of the galaxy!
Rated T+
CRITIC REVIEWS Back to Top
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9.0
But Why Tho? - Charles Hartford
Aug 05, 2020There was a lot more in Lords of Empyre: Celestial Messiah #1 than I expected. The confrontation between mother and son hit home extremely well. There is a lot of emotion in these pages. If you find yourself enjoying the larger Empyre storyline I would strongly recommend picking this book up. It gives a great background for one of its key players in a manner that hits home in an all too familiar way. After all, what person hasnt screamed at their parent from a few parsecs away? Read Full Review
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9.0
Major Spoilers - Christopher Rondeau
Aug 10, 2020Sequoia is an interesting villain because the Celestial Messiah seems almost secondary to the Cotati people as a whole. Now in this issue, we get to the root of the character and his motivations. Read Full Review
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8.8
Weird Science Marvel Comics - Aaron Anderson
Aug 05, 2020This was the most enjoyable, needed, and the best-written issue of Empyre thus far for me. I feel a connection to the villains now and a deeper connection between Mantis and Quoi. The art served the story very well with detailed backgrounds and great panel to panel progression. The sad personal stories Mantis told her son I found heartwarming and heartbreaking. Especially the flashback scene to Quoi's childhood. I for one will be keeping my eye out for any comics written by Alex Paknadel he has some kind of Je ne sais Quoi about him I like. Read Full Review
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8.5
AIPT - David Brooke
Aug 05, 2020Lords of Empyre: Celestial Messiah has the difficult task of humanizing Quoi while also reminding us he's the villain we're rooting against. There's just enough here to seed his redemption and make him much more complex than the main-line event could ever do. Read this for a full primer on the main villain of Empyre and to get a clearer sense of how deep Avengers history goes into the roots of this event. Read Full Review
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8.5
Multiversity Comics - Christa Harader
Aug 10, 2020"Lords of Empyre: Celestial Messiah" #1 gives us more nuance and backstory out of an event one-shot than we usually receive, and the emotional weight works. Read Full Review
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8.0
Bleeding Cool - Theo Dwyer
Aug 12, 2020Quoi, the Cotati Celestial Messiah, gets a chance to be more than just a villain in this one-shot. Read Full Review
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6.0
ComicBook.com - Christian Hoffer
Aug 05, 2020While not necessary to enjoy "Empyre," I think this is one of those comics that helps bridge the gap for longtime readers, or helps new readers understand where "Empyre" fits in the grander scheme of the Marvel Universe. Read Full Review
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5.0
Newsarama - Robert Reed
Aug 05, 2020Despite the title of 'Celestial Messiah,' Quoi is still no more interesting than any other would-be despot " but to this creative team's credit, that's a problem hanging over 'Empyre' as a whole. Alex Paknadel, Alex Lins, and Matt Yackey make the most of what they've been given, but there's a sense of been-there, done-that to the story being told. Event comics are hard. Creating new, effective villains is hard. But unless you're really enjoying the Empyre event, this tie-in doesn't have much to offer. Read Full Review
USER REVIEWS Back to Top
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8.0
Holy shit, this was actually good. I was not expecting anything from this. Just a cash grab tie-in, but this felt like more necessary than the Hulkling one. It told a good story. Color me surprised.
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8.0
One of the better tie in out of the 30+ plus slug-fest Marvel is shaking out with Empyre. Far superior to that of Hulking. I learn a great deal about Quoi, who he is, where he came from, and more about his parents, Mantis and Swordsman and who they were. The art, its not bad persay, but I just don't think it fits with the story we got going on here. It probably would have worked back in the 80s, but with Empyre, it kind of feels out of place. Who knows, at the same time, it gives me a nostalgic Marvel feel when reading this, and that is good I guess. Issue is kinda out of sync with the main event though, which does hinder the reading experience for me. What really carry this is the writing. Quoi has to figure out where he stands, with h more
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8.0
It really deepens the tone it is set on and how war can affect both sides. I like the distinction between Mantis and her son. And a clear fact that, Swordsman's delusional mind affected Quoi.
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7.0
Quoi and Mantis dialogue hits in the feels and everything is perfect for new readers who don't know Marvel history. Not great, but a solid issue.
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6.5
I thought this one was pretty good in the sense that now I know a lot more than I did about these characters.
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6.5
Sorry, I'm a little too familiar with the original Celestial Madonna/Messiah stories and at this point I've got flashback fatigue.
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10
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10
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10
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10
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8.5
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8.0
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8.0
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7.5
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7.5
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7.5
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7.0
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