The Longbox

The Avengers

issue: 1

writer: Brian Michael Bendis

artist: John Romita Jr.

publisher: Marvel

Siege is over after what seems like four long months of event and tie-in books.  Now Marvel begins what it calls The Heroic Age with a relaunch of one of its core titles, The Avengers.  This first book in the series does not give the heroes much time to breathe before their first big threat is thrown at them.

The book starts out with a strong two pages as we see Immortus taken down by a group of heroes that bear an uncanny resemblance to the youngsters from the Next Avengers animated movie.  Elsewhere/when, Steve Rogers, having taken over the position vacated by Norman Osborn and Tony Stark before him, is assembling a team of Avengers once again to protect and inspire the world.  It isn’t long though before a super villain shows up to crash the party, namely Kang the Conqueror.  It seems that Kang’s lifeline and all of reality are in jeopardy because the children of The Avengers (guess it really is the Next Avengers team) are wielding some kind of ultimate power.  Kang charges the new team with building a time machine and stopping their offspring before all is lost.

I’m not as familiar as some are in regards to Avengers history, I’ve mainly been an X-Reader when it comes to Marvel books.  Having said that, I found this new Avengers book to be instantly accessible and invoking a feeling of grand adventure that calls back to days gone by.  There’s also that cool factor of having so many A-list heroes in the same room, on the same team.  Bendis skillfully blends his brand of chummy super hero dialogue with some really great moments (the Spider-Man/Hawkeye exchange is pretty nice).  Thor’s response to Kang’s arrival reminds us just what level of hero this team is on.

Here’s where I’ll probably get murdered by fanboys, but I’m just not a big fan of John Romita Jr. when he’s doing these kinds of super hero books.  I love it when he handles more street level kinds of characters, like Daredevil, but with something like this, I’d prefer the talents of a George Perez or an Oliver Coipel Both of whom are just amazing at rendering heroes and action.  Also, I’ve always thought Romita’s women look funny.

In the end, I liked how this book sets up not one, not two, but three different possible threats for the new team right out of the gate without it feeling strained or rushed.  I’m looking forward to seeing what the other new Avengers titles bring to the table this month.  Also, I might just have to check out Next Avengers.


Here is Jon's review of Next Avengers from last year.

Longbox Special: Under Siege

Last week, Marvel gave me a break by not putting out any Siege stuff and this week they went easy on me again by just putting out the one book to talk about.  So without further ado, let’s get back to it...

This week, we return to The Sentry with Dark Avengers #14, but not until we get to see Norman Osborn and Victoria Hand have it out a bit.  They get into a debate about Osborn talking with a psychotherapist and Ms. Hand winning out.  This was one of my favorite parts about this book just because Bendis handles the exchange skillfully and also manages to make me feel sympathetic for Osborn.  The whole scene portrays him as a real man who, while certainly working his own agenda, has more complicated things going on inside his head.  Hand is presented as a person who not only thinks that Osborn has done some good work but who is also compassionate towards his history and situation and doesn’t want to see him fall into being a super-villain again.

Following another great scene with Hand putting her foot down with Moonstone (Osborn’s Ms. Marvel), we pick up where last issue left off with The Void preparing to level the world as a way to punish Robert Reynolds and his wife Lindy, who tried to kill him fearing where things were going.  Osborn suits up and takes off to have a chat with Sentry’s alter ego/nemesis in an attempt to talk him down.  This is another great scene, mainly because of the juxtaposition with the previous discussion Osborn had with Hand.  If anything, this is a manifestation of Hand’s fear of Osborn becoming the Green Goblin again and losing everything.  Having finally talked things out, Osborn begins to put things in motion to solve what he sees as the big problem with Sentry... Lindy.

This week’s tie in material really doesn’t move forward the events in Asgard in that they take place three days before.  However, this book does seem to be presenting the method by which Osborn gains the level of control over Sentry that he exhibits in the main book.  There’s also a lot of development with Hand and Osborn’s professional relationship and I’m really interested in seeing if Hand has an agenda of her own in all of this.

The Longbox

Siege
issue: 1 of 4
writer: Brian Michael Bendis
artist: Olivier Coipel
publisher: Marvel

Siege #1 left me hopeful but also somewhat worried at the event Marvel tells us has been “seven years in the making.”

Bendis delivers a tight script, great dialogue, and some spot on pacing. The now seemingly standard “The Story Thus Far” segment on page one and a verbose opening allow new readers to pick up the book without needing too much from other books. Coipel’s pencils with Mark Morales’s inks are sharp and dynamic.

For those not in the know, since the conclusion of the Skrull invasion of Earth, Norman Osborn has been placed in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D, now H.A.M.M.E.R, and has assembled a cabal of super-villains to take advantage of the situation. In the time during Osborn’s “Dark Reign”, his cabal has begun to disintegrate and the tenuous hold he’s maintained on his own sanity has begun to slip. Now, Osborn has begun to conspire with Loki to launch an attack on Asgard, but to do so they need an incident to justify the attack, something big.

Siege #1 opens with this incident where Volstagg, one of the Asgardians, is lured into a fight that leads to the destruction of Soldier Field during a football game and the deaths of those in attendance. Osborn assembles his Avengers as well as the Initiative and makes his move on Asgard against the orders of the President of the United States. Armies clash over Braxton, Oklahoma where Asgard floats and a comatose Tony Stark lies in the care of Dr. Donald Blake. Blake takes to the battle as Thor where he is quickly taken down and an angry Steve Rogers (Captain America) watches on via televised news coverage.

Everything in this issue is delivered in big budget action movie style. A building story and beautiful visuals punctuate every moment of every page. My worry, though, is the four issue count they’ve decided to go with. I’m sure Bendis can deliver the goods in four issues but just how good will they be? With the promise that this storyline will bring together Captain America, Iron Man, and Captain America for the first time in years, I wonder if four issues can do a story like that justice?

In the end, Siege #1 does what any good first issue of an event should do. It sets the stage, draws lines, and teases of great things to come.