Welcome to “Avengers Week” for this week’s comics reviews. As we mentioned in a prior posting, Sam Wilson and I were cooking up an Avengers-themed set of reviews for the week New Avengers #4 was to be published. Now that it’s delayed a second week (Boo!), Sam and I decided to go ahead anyway considering all the Avengers-related Marvel titles being released this week. So, we’ll be reviewing titles for Avengers characters past (Hulk, Black Panther), present (Captain America), future (Wolverine), surrogate (Beta Ray Bill), and alternate universe (Ultimates), plus hitting you with reviews of two classic Avengers trades/GNs. And away we go…
Wktf’s Reviews 3/16/05
Wolverine #26
Marvel Comics
Written by: Mark Millar
Drawn by: John Romita, Jr. and Klaus Janson
“Enemy of the State” wrapped up last issue, and it was a wild ride. Murdered, resurrected, and turned into an evil agent by the Gorgon, a powerful new mutant with the abilities to kill anyone with whom he makes eye contact and turn people to stone, Logan went on a killing spree and tangled with the likes of Elektra, the FF, Daredevil, his fellow X-Men and Captain America. The marquee guest stars and brutal Wolverine made this arc a great read.
Now we’re into “Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Part 1 of 6. Wolverine’s been captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. (well, it was Cap who ultimately took him down), Elektra’s been defeated by Gorgon and turned by the Hand, and Gorgon now leads the combined Hand/Hydra forces. Elektra has been sent out to murder as many super beings as possible (heroes or villains) only to have them resurrected, like her, into evil servitude. And she’s racking up quite a body count of B-list (and lower) players, like Slyde and the Spot in addition to last issues Northstar. Romita Jr.’s art is great; especially the brutal and chilling opening flashback sequence which shows Gorgon’s introduction to the Hand. The action and the colors, provided by Paul Mounts, are wonderful. And JR JR depicts Elektra at her maximum deadly and evil self. Nick Fury will regret ever enlisting her to hunt down Logan now that she’s been turned against him. This story moves at a swift pace as Elektra creates her massive army of the newly-dead and S.H.I.E.L.D. works to deprogram our feral hero. Even though I couldn’t name more than a few of the minor characters in the army heading toward the Heli-Carrier at the end of the book, and their assemblage seems a little silly as a result, Fury’s fear is palpable and you know Nick’s hoping Wolverine snaps-to in time for next issue. This title’s scale is big, Millar is continuing to produce a fun read in this second arc, and Romita Jr and Janson also keep delivering the goods with terrific artwork.
Black Panther #2
Marvel Comics
Written by: Reginald Hudlin
Drawn by: John Romita, Jr. and Klaus Janson
My pick of the week. Looks like Romita Jr. and Janson (my favorite Frank Miller inker) are getting around this week! This second Black Panther issue validates what we could only guess at last issue, that this series represents a true reboot of the Black Panther character. Here we see how the Panther we all know from Lee/Kirby lore (yes, complete with cape!), T’Challa, ascends to the Wakandan throne. And this T’Challa looks like a teenager! This makes me wonder if this is a flashback sequence but, I guess, the next issue will tell me for sure. Last issue we saw some of Wakanda’s history, under the leadership of multiple generations of Black Panthers, and how they summarily crushed all would-be conquering forces seeking to colonize them. Well, it turns out that the Black Panther must defend his title in the same martial manner, in hand-to-had combat, every year against any would-be comers. This event makes for some fun Romita Jr. fight scenes that lead to this issue’s central plot turn: the Wakandans now have themselves a new ruler.
Hudlin has reestablished Wakanda as a spiritually-based, high-tech, culturally advanced African civilization that lives by the strictest warrior code. They are supremely powerful, insular, and untouchable…not that other folks still don’t want to get to them. Wakanda’s station in the world has attracted the attention and suspicions of the U.S. National Security Agency as well as the Panther’s legacy villain, Klaw. But now Klaw’s got some new gear and a deadly new partner and they’re gunning for the Panther. Hudlin is giving us a slow build that promises to be satisfying once the inevitable action heats up. We’ve been promised by the Marvel editorial big-wigs that what goes on in this book will eventually influence the entire Marvel Universe. Despite the unsettling continuity break (the more mature Panther participated in the Avengers Disassembled story a few months ago, right?) I’m enjoying the reimagining of the Panther story, all the set up and the slow build in anticipation of its impact in the future. And, by itself, it’s a great read too!
Stormbreaker: The Saga of Beta Ray Bill #3 of 6
Marvel Comics
Written by: Michael Avon Oeming & Dan Berman
Drawn by: Andrea Divito
This issue was a major let-down after the strong showing in the first two issues. Beta Ray Bill’s peoples’ planet was just destroyed by the world-devouring Galactus (apparently this takes place before last month’s FF story). The Big G’s new herald, a being called Stardust, is after the life forces of the surviving Korbinites but, to get them, he has to go through BRB. This leads to some pretty intense action as Bill and Stardust duke it out in space and, I have to say, Divito proved he could deliver the goods in “Thor” and he does so here again.
In fact, Bill turns out to be more than a match for Stardust (not too surprising as the Silver Surfer admitted Thor, or at least Mjolnir, was more powerful than he in the classic Silver Surfer #4, on which this issue’s cover is based and appropriately attributed to John Buscema). Despite some snappy dialogue between Bill and his faithful ship, Skuttlebutt, this issue is little more than a long slug fest between Bill and Stardust and nothing else much interesting happens. A new, powerful space being enters the fray at the end but I really found myself too under whelmed and unimpressed to care. I’d lost interest in the book before the end and this new threat to set up the next issue didn’t bring me back.
Please check out Part II of this thread for the rest of wktf's and Sam Wilson's reviews!
http://www.statueforum.com/showthread.php?t=7582
