September 29, 2004
Everybody Wants to Rule the World
1,000 Steps to World Domination
Creator: Rob Osborne
AiT-PlanetLar, 136 pages, black-and-white, $12.95
So? Rob Osborne makes no excuses for his desire to take over the world. The fact that plans to do so through cartooning is, at the very least, an odd choice. But while he won’t be crowned God Emperor of Earth anytime soon, he does make a very funny comicbook about success, creativity and cartooning. Osborne began this project as a minicomic that won the Isotope Award for Excellence in Minicomics in 2003, before expanding it to this edition for Ait-PlanetLar. A series of mostly single-page cartoons, Osborne mixes sometimes odd daydreams about monkey, fables and abusive generals with real life monotony to create the comicbook equivalent of a Spalding Gray monologue. Drawing cartoons may not be the best way to take over the world, but in this case it is a benign ruler that makes for a very entertaining read. Grade: B+
Threads of Time, Vol. 1
Creator: Mi Young Noh
TOKYOPOP, 192 pages, black and white, $9.99
So? Teenager Moon Bin Kim has the usual dreams of a teenage boy: Girls, girls, girls. But he also dreams about a parallel life as the son of a 13th century warrior family. And going back and forth between the two isn’t exactly easy. Mi Young Noh does what so much manga does so well: Connect with young readers. Whereas, 20 years ago, kids who read comics were outcasts who identified more with the angst-filled mutants of Chris Claremont’s “X-Men,” today's manga appeals to kids for whom the fantasy of manga and videogames is as normal as getting a zit. While “Threads of Time” is no great innovator in craft or content, it shows how reliable a form of entertainment manga has become for 21st century kids. Grade: B-
Sep 29, 2004 at 05:34 PM by Tom McLean in Reviews | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 28, 2004
Movie deal cut for 'Samurai Girl'
TOKYOPOP is taking manga to the big screen, announcing deals with actress Melissa Joan Hart and screenwriter Dan Gordon to adapt "Samurai Girl: Real Bout High School."
The story, about a samurai warrior reincarnated as a sushi-bar hostess who has to save the world from vicious beasts, caught the attention of Hart's company, Hartbreak Films. They signed on Gordon, who describes the script in a press release as "a delicious action/comedy mix of 'Clueless' meets 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.'"
Hart is no stranger to comics characters, having starred in "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," the ABC sitcom based on the Archie Comics series. Gordon has penned such pics as "Wyatt Earp" and "The Hurricane."
The Florida auction of bankrupt CrossGen's assets has been delayed due to Hurricane Jeanne. The bid deadline has been extended to Oct. 4, with the auction now set for Oct. 5.
Sep 28, 2004 at 05:21 PM by Tom McLean in Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (0)
Spy Games
Subatomic
Creators: Patrick Neighly, writer; Jorge Heufemann, artist; Anne Marie Horne, colors
Mad Yak Press; 136 pages, color, $16.95
So? “Subatomic” works very hard to be cool. Its tale of a young worker at a secret government spy agency called Atom who decides to quit a job where it’s not an option is a lot like “The Prisoner” with a dose of “Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD” set in the post-9/11 world. Where it works is in taking the protagonist, Mark, into very normal situations in small towns and blue-collar jobs. Mark appears to find some of the simple pleasures he’s looking for even though he knows he’s endangering everyone he befriends along the way. Where this tale works less well is in the action and motivation department. That the worst thing we see Atom doing is reading people’s mail doesn’t do much to pump up the org as a scary foe. A little more action also would have been wel-come, especially in a medium where budget is no object. Heufemann is a solid artist who evokes a lot of influ-ences from Frank Miller to Frank Quitely, and the production values on the book with its slick paper and cool cover are impressive. The end result is an interesting character study that’s pleasant enough, but it still lacks the punch that would have made it truly stand out. Grade: B-
Sep 28, 2004 at 04:54 PM by Tom McLean in Reviews | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 27, 2004
Dim Bulb, Bright Future
Feature rights to "Groo the Wanderer," the very funny comicbook by legendary Mad magazine artist Sergio Aragones and veteran comicbook and TV toon writer Mark Evanier, have been bought by Marc Toberoff's Intellectual Properties Worldwide. "Groo" about a less-than-bright, cheese-dip-loving barbarian has a long comicbook history. It debuted in 1981 and has been published for more than 170 issues by Pacific, Eclipse, Marvel/Epic, Image and Dark Horse. Evanier and Aragones will script and exec produce the pic.
Director Ali Russell, who recently sold comicbook pitch "Isis" to Grammnet Prods., has launched production company Elysium Entertainment with two comicbook properties: "The 10th Muse" and an untitled Rob Liefeld project. "Muse" reunites Russell with comicbook creator Darren Davis, who created the "Isis" pitch as a comicbook. Liefeld, the Image Comics co-founder, former jeans pitchman and creator of "Youngblood," is developing "Spin," "The Mark," "Planet Terry" and "Shrink!"
Tomorrow will see the auction of the assets of CrossGen. John Taddeo, who had been involved with early 1990s Florida-based comics house Tekno Comics, has the only confirmed bid so far. Competiting bids were due today and if any were received an auction will occur in court tomorrow. If not, then the sale will go through to Taddeo, who bid $500,000.
ICV2 reports that Tokyopop has surpassed DC Comics in the trade paperback backlist category, with more than 800 titles in print compared to 700 for DC. Tokyopop also will release a Cine-Manga edition of Disney's "Bambi."
Brian Michael Bendis continues to take over the publishing world, this time with a recent cartoon in the New York Times business section. The strip, which is in the style of Bendis' true-life Hollywood tome "Fortune & Glory," relates how he as a writer has become a small company that provides a specific service to corporations.
The phenomenon that is "Star Wars" had a few comicbook related moments in the DVD release of the original trilogy last week. The documentary, "Empire of Dreams," mentions the way Lucasfilm marketed the original film through fans via the Marvel Comics adaptation and a presence at the San Diego Comic-Con. The doc includes images of former Marvel editor Roy Thomas and artist Howard Chaykin from the "Star Wars" presentation at the 1976 con and a table full of Chaykin's original poster selling for a paltry couple of bucks. Check it out.
Artist and former DC publisher Carmine Infantino's lawsuit against the company over the origins of the Silver Age "Flash" has been dismissed, according to Newsarama. The dismissal came from Infantino himself with agreement from all involved parties and he could revise and refile the complaint at a later date.
DC Comics is going back to press on Identity Crisis #1, with the second printing featuring a negative image of Michael Turner's original cover.
A benefit auction has been organized to help out comics cover painter Dave Dorman, best known for his work on the various "Star Wars" comics for Dark Horse, whose house was damaged in Hurricane Ivan. The auctions will run on Ebay starting Thursday and running for 10 days. Details can be found here.
Alex Ross' original art seen in the opening credits of "Spider-Man 2" is being auctioned to benefit cancer research. If you're interested, you'd better have some deep pockets. Starting bids on two of the four lots are $6,000 and one of the pieces is already up past $22,000. The auctions continue through Oct. 20.
Devil's Due Publishing has begun a contest for readers of its popular "G.I. Joe" comic to vote on which character will become a Hasbro action figure.
Sep 27, 2004 at 04:16 PM by Tom McLean in Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 23, 2004
Excellent espionage
Queen & Country, Vol. 6 - Operation: Dandelion
Creators: Greg Rucka and Mike Hawthorne
Oni Press, 128 pages, black-and-white, $11.95
So? It's no secret that this is one of our favorite series. This is a spy world with realistic politics that imposes immense physical, emotional and psychological strain on its characters and remains a taught, tense action story at the same time. And Tara Chace is definitely one of the sexiest spies in any medium. This time out, Rucka takes the Minders into internal politics as Paul Crocker uses Chace to vet an exiled African politician as a way to protect his job. The artist this time out is Mike Hawthorne ("Three Days in Europe," "Whiskey Dickel") and he is yet another excellent match with Rucka and the story. It can't be easy for the artists on this series; yeah, they get some cool action and a great heroine, but there's also an awful lot of talking scenes in offices — especially in this volume. The story is no less compelling for it and the final result is a seamless and tremendously entertaining comic that should be topping the sales chart each and every month. Grade: A+
Sep 23, 2004 at 06:23 PM by Tom McLean in Reviews | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 21, 2004
History and Fantasy
Union Station
Creators: Ande Parks, writer; Eduardo Barreto, artist
Oni Press, 120 pages, black and white, $11.95
So? Historical adventure is always fun, especially when its as well executed as "Union Station." Researched and annotated by writer Ande Parks, whose name normally appears in the inker slot in comics credits, "Union Station" tells the real-life story of a 1933 massacre at the Kansas City train station where a petty crook named Frank Nash was being brought back into town and remanded to FBI custody. An intrepid reporter is on the scene, but no one really knows who fired the first shot or why. The search for answers gets more complicated as it ensues. Parks keeps this story moving along at a crisp pace, but it at times feels a bit cramped, as though he's struggling to condense the story into the page count. Eduardo Barreto's classic comicbook style is tight, realisitic and well-suited to this story, which should be no surprise to anyone who remembers his work at DC and Marvel way back in the 1980s. This remains an obvious pet project for Parks and evokes other great films and comics from the period, namely "The Untouchables" and "Road to Perdition." Those who aren't fans of those projects may find in the end that while this is an ambitious project, it needed a slightly larger canvas to connect on an emotional level. Grade: B-
The Hollow Grounds
Creators: Luc Schuiten, writer; Francois Schuiten, artist
Humanoids/DC Comics, 192 pages, color, $19.95
So? A trilogy of shorter stories set in a strange world of planets within planets, "The Hollow Grounds" is an absolutely breathtaking and frustrating experience all at the same time. Artist Francois Schuiten is an outstanding artist, whos creates images that are alternately strange, beautiful and erotic, but alwasy convincing. The art is truly the reason to read this volume as the stories take no time out to explain who's who, what's going on and why. Plot and character become secondary to the immersive and seductive world created by the artwork, and it will no doubt polarize people who read comics for different reasons. What material like this brings to the American market is a completely different take on sci-fi and fantasy. Where most sci-fi comics are almost indistinguishable from "Star Wars" or "Star Trek," "The Hollow Grounds" is truly alien and truly entrancing — even if you don't really know what's going on. Grade: B+
Sep 21, 2004 at 05:26 PM by Tom McLean in Reviews | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 17, 2004
The Meaning of Isis
Darren Davis' comicbook "The Legend of Isis" has been optioned by Kelsey Grammer's Grammnet Prods. for feature and TV development. The project came to Grammnet through a pitch from director Ali Russell, who says she sees the character as a female Peter Parker. And no, this isn't the same character who appeared on the live-action Saturday-morning TV show with "Shazam!" in the early 1970s.
Variety sister publication Video Business reports Marvel has announced a nationwide open casting call for voice actors to star in its upcoming Avengers animated DVD project. The project is being produced in conjunction with Lions Gate, which produced Marvel pic "The Punisher." Just released on DVD, "Punisher" sold 1.4 million units its first day, most of them to the rental market.
Diamond's sales rankings for the direct market in August are out, with Joss Whedon's "Astonishing X-Men" knocking DC's "Superman" and "Identity Crisis" off the top spot. This despite writeups on "Identity Crisis" and its writer, "Jack & Bobby" co-creator Brad Meltzer, in the Associated Press and New York Times. The paperback collection of Alan Moore's second "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" series topped the graphic novel sales rankings, while Dark Horse's "Trigun Maximum, Vol. 2" was the bestselling manga volume.
Toy Biz prexy and CEO Alan Fine will take on the same responsibilities for Marvel's publishing division. He replaces Gui Karyo, who recently left the company. Fine's background is in toys and he has been with Marvel since 1996. The company also hired David Cho as chief information officer, filling part of the role Karyo held.
Former Marvel prexy Bill Jemas has launched a new company called 360ep, an entertainment properties management company. While not a comics publisher, a report at Newsarama doesn't rule out comics being a part of the company's future.
John Taddeo has made a $500,000 bid for substantially all of the assets of CrossGen comics. Taddeo played a role in 1990s comics venture Tekno Comics. A hearing on the proposed sale is set for Sept. 21 in Florida.
ICV2 reports in its Retailers Guide to Graphic Novels #3 that the graphic novel business continues to expand, though not as quickly as the number of new releases. The guide includes information from graphic novel distributors and retailers.
The fourth annual Free Comic Book Day will be held May 7. The date was determined by a vote among retailers.
The board of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has announced two new additions: Diamond Comics Distributors prexy Steve Geppi and DC prexy and publisher Paul Levitz.
Sep 17, 2004 at 05:09 PM by Tom McLean in Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 16, 2004
Going to Extremes
Return of the Elephant
Creator: Paul Hornschemeier
AdHouse Books, 48 pages, 2-color, $6
So? For all the bombast of the dominant superhero genre, comicbooks can be extremely disturbing and revealing when the volume is turned down. "Return of the Elephant" is the quiet tale of a man who takes the afternoon off work to meet his "cousin" at the bus station. After an awkward meal, they sit to watch a couple of videos and agree to a transaction to which the details are left up to the reader but is certainly lewd. Hornschemeier uses the vertical shape of the book to good effect, with no more than two panels per page and plenty of white space (though the pages aren't exactly white) to evoke a haunting sense of isolation. While this is an excellent example of craft, the story does suffer from being an awful thin read for $6 and for using techniques and the sort of sordid subject matter that are almost a cliche in alternative cartooning. Grade: B-
STONe, Vol. 1
Creator: Hiromoto-Sin-Ichi
TOKYOPOP, 224 pages, black-and-white, $9.99
So? This is a wild sci-fi tale that borrows enough Hollywood genre references for the editor to mention it in the introduction. So expect heavy doses of everything from "Star Wars" to "The Matrix" and beyond. The story is set in a future where the world is covered by a "sand sea" called the Sakai. Enter Zizi, a teenage girl with an uncanny ability to see and maneuver in the Sakai, which makes her an excellent hunter of the many predators in it. When Zizi is exiled from her meager island tribe, she hitches a ride with a pirate named Suv and fight for survival on the treacherous stone sea. Hiromoto-Sin-Ichi is an excellent artist and he gives "STONe" a gritty, believable look. He also gives it a pretty strong injection of sex and violence, with Zizi at the center of both. That's sure to make this a favorite with teen boys, though older readers will find there's more than that at work in this bizarre-yet-familiar fantasy world. Grade: B+
Sep 16, 2004 at 05:06 PM by Tom McLean in Reviews | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 15, 2004
Out of the Shadow of 'Maus'
In the Shadow of No Towers
Creator: Art Spiegelman
Pantheon, 42 pages, color oversize hardcover, $19.95
So: Since creating the first ever comic to be awarded a Pulitzer Prize ("Maus"), Art Spiegelman has shied away from actually making comics. Illustrating covers (for The New Yorker) as opposed to complete comicbook stories was easier money for far less work, resulting in an effect Spiegelman compares to "a farmer being paid not to grow wheat." After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, however, the callings of having lived through his own personal tragedy brought him back to the medium.
While the material in the book was cutting edge when initially published (The New York Times and The New Yorker declined to publish them at the time) some of Spiegelman's criticizm doesn't seem as biting in 2004 as it did in the days after the towers fell. This doesn't matter though. As with "Maus," the best parts of "In the Shadow of No Towers" are not always the parts dealing with the retelling of horrific events, but rather the personal observations and insights from moments Spiegelman witnessed that make this worth reading.
The book is printed on a thick cardstock (think twice the thickness of bristol board) with each cartoon a full double-page spread. The second half of the book features an essay on full-page newspaper cartoons of old and then gives samples from works such as Little Nemo and the Yellow Kid.
Grade: A
Sep 15, 2004 at 04:04 PM by Jeff Siedlik in Reviews | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 14, 2004
Tribal Conflict
Tokyo Tribes, Vol. 1
Creator: Santa Inoue
TOKYOPOP, 208 pages, black and white, $9.95
So? Hip-hop culture and manga may not be an obvious combo to American readers, but Santa Inoue does it so well in "Tokyo Tribes" it makes you wonder why not. This is the story of rival gangs in Tokyo, focusing mostly on Kai and the Musashino Saru gang, who come into personal and "professional" conflict with rival tribes. When Mera, leader of the Wu Ronz and Kai's former best friend, kills two Saru, Kai is drawn into a conflict that includes sex slaves and Mera's grotesque boss, Big Bubba. Much of the material is pretty graphic and keeps the portrayal of gang life appropriately dangerous and repulsive. Inoue, who attended this year's Comic-Con Intl. to promote the book, was greatly inspired by movies such as "Boyz N the Hood," "Goodfellas" and "Star Wars." It was the latter that led Inoue to keep as much control of his work as possible and he has his own line of hip-hop clothing he sells in Tokyo. His attention to detail as an artist is excellent, and much of the artwork is crammed with convincing details from videogames, fashions and magazines to the grime of the street and the various body types and facial expressions of his characters. Inoue takes a look into a world both familiar and alien, making "Tokyo Tribes" a fascinating reading experience that won't be soon forgotten. Grade: A
Sep 14, 2004 at 05:57 PM by Tom McLean in Reviews | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 10, 2004
Good Eggs
Egg Story
Creator: J. Marc Schmidt
Slave Labor Graphics, 44 pages, black and white, $3.95
So? This is a hard one to describe, but here goes: A bunch of sweet, young eggs (yes, eggs, like you'd eat at Denny's) escape from the fridge and try to find a home in a hostile world. Along the way, they deal with a hostile world made for humans, but manage to go on a spending spree and have fun. That is, until one of their number, who cracked his shell in their escape, goes rotten, loses his mind and commits suicide. It goes on from there to include ninjas, but you get the idea. Schmidt, an Australian creating his first comics work, has created a sweet, silly and funny story about growing up. His art is simple (eggs with smiley faces) and effective. The writing is heartfelt and the humor is the sort of thing you might expect from Pixar, though with a slightly darker edge. Grade: B+
Sep 10, 2004 at 03:09 PM by Tom McLean in Reviews | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 08, 2004
Catching Up, Part 2
You may have noticed the reviews that went up last week were a little dated. That's because they were prepared in advance and put up while I was on vacation. That means that there's some interesting things that happened during that time that deserve a mention:
One of the better books to come out of CrossGen prior to its implosion into bankruptcy was Abadazad, by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Ploog. The creators, who published it under the company's Code 6 arrangement, have filed papers to reclaim the rights to the series, according to Newsarama. The report states that the creators are asking for their contract to be rejected by the court because CrossGen defaulted by not publishing all the material the document calls for. A hearing is set for Sept. 26.
DC is giving Fallen Angel a push by giving away a free reprint edition of the first issue. The series, by scribe Peter David and artist David Lopez, has earned plenty of critical acclaim but has struggled to find readers.
Marvel announced it was going with Diamond Comics Distributors as its supplier to the book trade, replacing CDS, effective Oct. 1. This email came from Andrew Lis, our publicity contact in the House of Ideas, who announced Tuesday he was leaving his job at Marvel. And Heidi MacDonald over at The Beat reports that Marvel will be moving into new Manhattan offices not too far from their current headquarters.
A New York Times article (it's now archived, so you have to pay for it) profiles Disney consumer products chief Andrew P. Mooney and states the company has sold 650,000 copies since June of its "W.I.T.C.H." book, which features a prose novel and a comics insert.
Tokyopop has promoted company co-founder Mike Kiley to the position of VP and editor in chief.
The eighth annual Ignatz Awards nominees have been announced. The awards will be presented at the 10th annual Small Press Expo, which will be held Oct. 1-3 in Bethesda, Md.
Police in Toronto shut down a booth that sold replica weapons at the recent Canadian National Comic Book Expo, arresting six booth operators for selling prohibited weapons. The company, SwordStaff.com, had attended the convention the previous five years.
Sep 8, 2004 at 04:26 PM by Tom McLean in Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 07, 2004
Catching Up, Part 1
Catching up after the long weekend (and the end of an even longer vacation in the northlands) ...
Aftermath, Devil's Due Publishing's new superhero line has been picked up for vidgame and Hollywood development, even before the books' debut. Producers Adrian Askarieh and Daniel Alter licensed the line from Devil's Due, headed by Josh Blaylock and so far best known for licensed comics such as "G.I. Joe."
Vidgame maker and former comics publisher Acclaim has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, meaning the company will be liquidated to pay off creditors. The company had been working on several comics-related games including The Red Star and 100 Bullets. Acclaim jumped into the comics game in the mid-1990s by acquiring Valiant Comics, the company co-founded by former Marvel editor in chief Jim Shooter. Valiant found great success in the early 1990s with revivals of old Gold Key characters such as Magnus Robot Fighter, Solar and Turok before it stumbled badly with the rest of the market. Whether the rights to original Valiant/Acclaim comics series such as X-O Manowar or Harbinger will be made available has yet to be seen.
Comics scripter, screenwriter and director David Goyer has signed a new first-look deal with Warner Bros. Goyer will be moving over from New Line, where he has penned the Blade films and directing the upcoming "Blade: Trinity." Goyer, who co-wrote with helmer Christopher Nolan next summer's "Batman Begins," is expected to develop a few DC Comics properties for the studio. Goyer's comicbook work includes a lengthy stint on DC's JSA series.
Filmmaker and sometime comicbook scribe Kevin Smith will be returning to his roots with "The Passion of the Clerks," a sequel to his 1994 breakout film "Clerks." Film starts production in January. Smith also has launched an online short film competition that will culminate in the MoviesAskew Film Festival next year. The winner will reportedly receive an apprentice-style job on Smith's next pic.
More catching up tomorrow ...
Sep 7, 2004 at 04:05 PM by Tom McLean in Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 03, 2004
Demystified
Ultimate Elektra #1
Creators: Mike Carey, writer; Salvador Larocca, pencils; Crimelab Studios, inks
Marvel Comics, 32 pages, color, $2.25
So? Elektra’s popularity is sometimes confusing. The character as created by Frank Miller as a love interest for Daredevil back in the late 1970s was mysterious, reappearing to torment Matt Murdock after a years-long mysterious absence. Her death at the hands of Bullseye was a classic story and her subsequent resurrection was connected with the mysterious ninja group, The Hand, giving her an almost supernatural element. Since then, it’s been hard to make the character work; she’s had two ongoing series but neither lasted more than three years. The movie version and this subsequent Ultimate Marvel version have tried to simplify her backstory, but in excising the supernatural and ninja elements, are left with another angry teenage crimefighter from New York. Carey sets up a decent plot, with Elektra’s shopowner father turning to family to help out his struggling business only to get in over his head with the wrong people. There’s nothing bad about it — to be fair, Carey didn’t have a hand in creating Ultimate Elektra — but Ultimate Elektra lacks the mystery, grandeur and the sex appeal that originally made her such a sensation. Larocca has long been an underrated artist and his work on the various X-Men books has been excellent. He does another superlative job here, but the underlying problems with the Ultimate version of Elektra keep this in truly average territory. Grade: C
Sep 3, 2004 at 04:12 PM by Tom McLean in Reviews | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 02, 2004
Savage Fun
Conan #7
Creators: Kurt Busiek, writer; Cary Nord with Thomas Yeates, artists; Dave Stewart, color
Dark Horse Comics, 32 pages, $2.99, color
So? The long history of Conan in comics makes the fervor this new version has received a bit surprising. After decades at Marvel, the property has resurfaced at Dark Horse, where Busiek an Nord have started over with a young, savage Conan. Busiek, best known for his superhero work, invests this story of revenge with nice elements of realism and a believable version of the Hyborean Age the barbarian inhabits. Most striking is the art, which is reproduced from the pencils and colored in soft and rich colors tht make the book look like it was painted. This is perhaps the best use so far of the technique, which has been creeping in through various books such as NYX and X-Treme X-Men the past few years. While savage, this is still fun and the young Conan, who easily falls into a single-mindedness of purpose that borders on obsession, is easy to like and interesting to read about. Grade: B+
Sep 2, 2004 at 04:25 PM by Tom McLean in Reviews | Permalink | Comments (1)
September 01, 2004
Legends Take a Fall
Avengers #500
Creators: Brian Michael Bendis, writer; David Finch, pencils; Danny Miki, inks
Marvel Comics, 48 pages, $3.50, color; Director’s Cut edition, 64 pages, $4.99, color
So? This is the long-awaited kickoff to Bendis’ run on Marvel’s premiere superhero team, and the first thing he does is start tearing things apart with a story called ‘Avengers Disassembled.” This anniversary issue is a bit confusing, though intentionally so. The team is unexpectedly assaulted at its New York mansion base with lots of destruction, a death and no idea as to who’s behind it. On top of that, Iron Man, a recovering alcoholic, feels drunk and gets belligerent at the U.N. even though he hasn’t had a drop; and a bunch of new Ultrons show up, but don’t put up enough of a fight to be the real thing. Finch draws the carnage well, though the darkness of the coloring makes deciphering the panels harder than it should be. Who is behind this assault is the big question and the answer will radically change the team by the end of this four-issue arc. With plans for two replacement series, “New Avengers” and “Young Avengers,” set to debut this fall, Marvel is making a serious effort to put Avengers back into the spotlight.
The Director’s Cut edition of the book has some interesting material in it: an interview with Bendis, previews, Finch’s commentary on for key pages, a funny Fred Hembeck cartoon of the Hulk remembering his role in the early days of the team, and a collage of every Avengers cover to date. That gives you more value for the special edition than just the cover, which is very dark for a foil cover and unfortunately doesn’t do much to show off the nice John Cassaday art it features. Grade: B
Sep 1, 2004 at 03:32 PM by Tom McLean in Reviews | Permalink | Comments (1)
