Following the detonation of the T-Bomb and the surrender of the Shi'Ar to the Kree, this issue addresses the concern of who will be deemed worthy to rule the Shi'Ar. With Black Bolt presumed deceased, Medusa rules the Kree as their Queen. Vulcan, Majestor of the Shi'Ar and the madman who initiated the War of Kings, has also seemingly perished. The Shi'Ar, now under Kree command, need a ruler who will serve the greater needs of the galaxy in rebuilding the Shi'Ar and helping defend the T-Bomb-created Fault from those beyond.

Abnett and Lanning jam so much story into these pages that it only occurred to me midway through that there is little in the way of fights or action. A skirmish at a funeral for Lilandra provides the most dramatic action of this issue, but the drama is present throughout, regardless of the lack of battle action. Intended as an epilogue to the "War of Kings" story, this issue sets up the next event in the cosmic corner of the Marvel Universe -- after all, 2010 is a new year, and there has been a cosmic event every year since Abnett and Lanning have set up shop in the Marvel cosmos.

This issue is well-told, splitting time between two extremely reluctant candidates to the throne of the Majestor -- Crystal of the Inhumans and Gladiator (Kallark) of the Imperial Guard. The resolution is not surprising, but the path the story takes to achieve that resolution is entertaining.

Pelletier makes the most of the opportunity to bring the Inhumans, Kree, Imperial Guard, and Shi'Ar together. All of these factions have visible exhaustion from the toll the war has placed upon them and all are ready for resolution. Granted, the resolution declared herein is by no means final, but it certainly seems as though it is rife with story opportunity.

This issue could easily have been "War of Kings" #7, but is not a necessary read to comprehend the landscape of the Marvel cosmos from this point forward. The story of the new Shi'Ar Majestor is sure to be told in future issues of various titles, but here is where Abnett, Lanning, and Pelletier are afforded the opportunity to put a bow on the "War of Kings" story. The Marvel Universe has changed forever. How those changes affect the greater universe beyond the titles Abnett and Lanning handle remains to be seen. There are plenty of story leads to be picked up on from here. Thankfully, it appears as though Abnett and Lanning will be picking up some of those threads.