See Part I...
http://www.statueforum.com/showthrea...266#post141266
wktf's Reviews (Cont'd)
Avengers Under Siege TPB
Marvel Comics
Written by: Roger Stern
Drawn by: John Buscema and Tom Palmer
In “Avengers Finale,” the closing chapter to Bendis’ mediocre “Avengers Disassembled” arc, Hank Pym turns to Tony Stark to ask him what he thought was the team’s “best moment.” This precipitates a trip down Avengers memory lane as this issue’s assemblage recounts some truly significant stories from Avengers history. Edwin Jarvis, the team’s butler and dear friend, speaks of the “Avengers Under Siege” story: Avengers # 270-271 and 273-277 which is packaged in a “Marvel’s Finest” tpb.
Bendis did his homework. No other story could have the same personal impact on Jarvis as this one. Back in the 1980s as Walt Simonson, John Byrne, and Frank Miller were making Thor, FF, and DD history, respectively, Roger Stern was quietly creating some of the best Avengers and Amazing Spider-Man stories ever published. You have to wonder why Marvel hasn’t given this guy his own line of “Visionary” trades. While I haven’t created a Top 5 list, I am confident that this particular Avengers story would be in my top 5 comics stories ever published from any publisher. I clearly remember reading these Avengers issues when they first were published, how shocked, horrified and thrilled I was and that I knew, at that time, that I was reading something historically ground-breaking. This thought is validated in Stern’s 1998 introduction to the book in which he says, “We received a flood of mail at the time, and – even now – whenever I run into longtime AVENGERS fans, [this] storyline is the one most often mentioned.”
The Avengers have battled nearly every cosmic menace imaginable from Thanos, to the Kree-Skrull War, to Korvac/Michael. This story, though, is a shockingly brutal street fight taken straight to them that brings the entire team to its knees and nearly succeeds in being the true “Avengers Disassembled” story. Baron Zemo, out for revenge against Captain America and Cap’s Avengers family for the death of his father during Cap’s earliest days with the team, has assembled the most powerful and brutal Masters of Evil team ever formed. They include the Wrecking Crew, Goliath/Power Man, Mr. Hyde, Tiger Shark, the Absorbing Man, and Titania. Also present are Blackout, the Fixer, Moonstone, and the Grey Gargoyle, among others. For a seven issue story, Zemo’s recruitment process and the build up to the Master’s assault against the Avengers takes a full three issues! Talk about tension!
Despite the power in the Avengers numbers, which included Hercules, Thor and the Captain Marvel/Photon, this Masters of Evil team is superior in numbers and strength. Zemo organizes this group of headstrong villains, keeps them in check, and achieves the unthinkable: he divides and conquers the Avengers by preying on their emotional or physical weaknesses (for example, Hercules’ resentment of the Wasp’s leadership, the Black Knight’s jealousy of the Wasp’s affection for Paladin, or Captain Marvel’s inability to cope against Blackout’s “Darkforce”), attacks and defeats Avengers individually, and through sheer brute force breaks into the mansion through the front door and takes over the place. The mansion then is destroyed from the inside. Hercules is drugged and brutally beaten into a coma and Mr. Hyde pummels both the Black Knight and poor Jarvis nearly to death. Captain America is captured, bound and forced to witness both Jarvis’ beating as well as endure Zemo and Hyde’s emotional torture as they destroy pictures of Bucky, his mother and his original shield. How the Avengers (and, in particular, Cap and the Wasp) deal with these defeats, come back to win, and cope with their losses is some of the best graphic story telling in comics history.
Buy this book. You won’t regret it. Now, if only Marvel would package the follow-up story where Zeus strikes back at the Avengers for the indignities and harm the Masters of Evil inflicted on Hercules. One can only hope they will.
Sam Wilson’s Comic Reviews 3/16/05
Hello ya’ll, I’d just like to start off by saying my pick of the week is Black Panther issue #2, but I won’t be reviewing it, my esteemed colleague WKTF will. The reason being y’all know the love I have for the Panther, and I feel you guys deserve a more objective review. Just make sure you buy it, or I’ll rip up all your X-men! That being said, here are my reviews for this week:
The Ultimates 2 #4
Marvel Comics
Written By: Mark Millar
Drawn By: Brian Hitch
The Ultimates, America’s darlings, at least that is what their PR person Betty Ross would like everyone to believe. It turns out though their first major victory was cleaning up their own mess (I think even Lizzie Grubman would have a problem polishing up that black eye). Issue four takes us to the aftermath of the Hulk’s supposed execution for crimes against humanity, and into a regular day in the life of our heroes. Cap and Iron Man spend some time with their women (the Wasp and the Black Widow respectively) and then get called in with the rest of the team to take out an apparently crazed hippie Thor who decided to get a little too involved in world politics.
So far in the second Ultimates series we haven’t got a lot of action, but there is definitely some major character development going on. Cap, Iron Man, and Thor have all come forward in leaps and bounds. Issue four also introduces us to the European version of the Ultimates, lead by Brian Braddock (aka Captain Britain). All of this makes one think Millar is setting us up for something big, which is the way it should be. It’s the Ultimates, not the Ordinaries, we would expect major, Korvacian sized battles from these guys, not quite dinners and long walks in the park. As always, Millar’s writing is over the top, yet personal (when he gets in to character development). Hitch’s art is clean, but I think a tad over inked at times. He can almost draw a crowd as well as George Perez (who is the master). I would recommend purchasing this title.
Captain America #4
Marvel Comics
Written By: Ed Brubaker
Drawn By: Steve Epting
Once again we are given a new Captain America series from Marvel. I personally don’t see why they just can’t go back to the original numbering; maybe it’s a WorldCom type thing, trying all these fresh starts to mask an inferior product. Well, maybe I shouldn’t go that far. This new cap series is moving alright, for now.
Our new Cap series started out with the supposed death of the Red Skull in NYC. Some nasty Russian character apparently whacked him for the low-on-juice cosmic cube. Then there is this thing about an AIM splinter group trying to set off WMD’s in major metropolitan areas to help charge said cube (not for the Russian guy, but for the Red Skull). To help sort out this mess Cap is hanging with his old bud Sharon Carter and Nick Fury. In this issue Cap tangles with an old enemy, and Sharon Carter and Nick Fury do some more investigating into the Skull’s murder. I’m liking the new Cap series so far. I like the supporting cast of Sharon and Fury. Epting’s art is much crisper than his balloon type style from the ‘80’s. Brubaker is so far doing a good job of keeping the story suspenseful. I think this new iteration of Cap deserves to be given a chance, the story is engaging and I honestly can’t say I know where this one is going, but I plan on finding out.
The Incredible Hulk #79
Marvel Comics
Written By: Peter David
Drawn By: Lee Weeks
Let me start this review by saying Peter David is one of my favorite comic writers. I was first turned on to him late in High School, during his first lengthy run on the Incredible Hulk. The Hulk was operating as the Hulk, but with the intellect of Banner, and was bigger and stronger than ever (this era being dubbed as the “smart hulk” era). He was hanging with Rick Jones again, and Betty was there too. The hulk was part of a group of superhumans known as the Pantheon, who fancied themselves pseudo Greek gods and went around the world doing good deeds. There were great stories, great art, and it lasted quite awhile. I grew quite attached to the Hulk and his colorful supporting cast, and was heartbroken when Peter David moved on to other projects.
Recently Peter David has come back to the Hulk with the new storyline “Tempest Fugit”. He takes over from the last writer, who left the Hulk quite a mess. I won’t lie to you, even though I have been reading the Hulk since the early ‘90’s, for the last few years I couldn’t tell you what was going on with him if I tried. There was the Abomination, Emil Blonsky’s wife, some weird government suit types, clones (I think), and a resurrected crazy Betty Ross. Oh yeah, Doc Samson was in there somewhere too. I was overjoyed when I heard Peter David was coming back. Finally, coherent stories.
Which leaves me saying this, Peter, what the hell are you doing? Again, I have no clue what is happening. In this issue we get some more weird flashbacks, some characters whom I have no idea who they are or what there significance is, and Fing Fang Foom. Yes, I said that correctly, Fing Fang Foom. Seriously, this issue has an appearance of Fing Fang Foom in it. I’m not saying it again.
Lee Weeks art is ehh. I could live or die without it. What is most frustrating is the incoherentness of the story. If are the casual reader interested in reading the Hulk, don’t get this issue. Wait until the next storyline starts and hopefully the Peter David we all know and love will come back. Me, I’m going to stick it though (it’s that loyalty thing we talked about last week). But damn if I’m really confused.
Please see Part III of this thread for the rest of Sam Wilson's reviews.
