The Secret Wars landscape features a number of different settings and inspirations for the various characters.  Some of those settings try to stay close to the source material and other diverge somewhat from it.  In both cases there have been examples where staying close or diverging has been the source for a pretty good story, but in the case of Infinity Gauntlet the diversion is quite a bit more.  As previously shown, this section of Battleworld is one which is overridden by giant bugs with the few survivors striving to stay alive.  If not for the timely intervention of the Nova Corps in the previous issue the lone family in the spotlight might not have made it, but they were saved and for a reason.  The Nova Corps member is the mother of the small family.

This follows upon that development, as Eve meets back with the family and after protecting them gives them unlikely upgrades, as each of them becomes a Nova Corps member themselves, including a cute moment where the dog also figures out how to become a Nova Corps member.  As the family departs by sky they are attacked once again by the bugs, although this time they manage to fight back and are successful despite the odds.  Their success is due to the use of the mind stone which has fallen into Eve’s hands.  After the attack they return to the Nova Corps base, where things get kind of weird with the arrival of both Star Lord and Thanos.  From this point onward the issue becomes a bit more confusing as the two vie for control of the stones in a non-sequential end to the story.

The initial setup of this story might be conventional but it manages to work.  It takes the common plot from many pop culture properties to survive against a world ending calamity and gives it an interesting twist with the entire family becoming Nova Corps members.   At the same time the inclusion of cosmic heroes confuses the second half of this issue as it is not clear how one can be stuck on Battleworld but also be based in outer space.  Combined with the odd approach to telling the story in the second half takes what was a pleasant story and confuses it.  That is not to say that this was a bad issue, only that it is confusing, and that answers are needed soon in the next issue so that the reader can figure out what is going on, but the issue being divided into rough halves in terms of both pacing and quality makes this one a bit of a misfire.

Story: Dustin Weaver and Gerry Duggan Art: Dustin Weaver
Story: 7.6 Art: 7.6 Overall: 7.6 Recommendation: Read