Retro Review -- Having a Cow!
The early 1990s were a time of overproduction and experimentation in comics. Mark Gruenwald's run on Quasar was during such a time. He got to write a comic the way he wanted to and though it was a low selling book, I hope he had a good time writing it. I didn't!
You would think the man who wrote Squadron Supreme and when he died had the sense of humor to have his ashes mixed with the inks in the next Squadron Supreme printing (true story) would write this kind of strange dreck.
The cover is fake and metaphorical, a very pregnant Quasar, attracts (or in this case repels) the reader.
The rock lyric references are particularly silly. "Having my baby?" "Momma never said there'd be days like this?" Oh my corniness!
Besides the overbloated story, very talkie, we have the less than stellar art. It seems Quasar and a few of his friends in the Avengers got these pods stuck on their backs by an entity called Her, which is Her's attempt at reproduction and getting a mate.
Most of these pages are mostly about the Avengers chatting with each other and trying to figure a way of taking the pods off their respective backs. If I heard Hercules say "Smite me" one more time, I thought I'd croak.
Mark's lousy dialogue and art & pencils by Capullo and Candelario, respectively, make for a pretty dull comic, despite the in-jokes and talkative characters. Even the ending does not end well for Wendell Vaughn.
Some appearances by Jack of Hearts and Captain are pretty ordinary.
Gruenwald's 60 issue run isn't well-liked on Overstreet Price Guide, either. Near Mint for No. 29, originally a $1.00 cover price, is $2.50, not exactly a loved collector's item!
Not recommended.
The life & times & origins of Quasar can be found here: http://www.comicvine.com/quasar/29-3319/