Avengers Prime – Graphic Novel Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Alan Davis (pencils), Mark Farmer (inks), Javier Rodriguez (colors), and Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

The Story: Steve Rogers, Iron Man, and Thor find themselves trapped in a strange, Asgardian realm and under attack from Hela.

The Review:  Sometimes you get a comic that is not at all what it was advertised as.  Judging from the preview of the first issue of Avengers Prime, as well as Marvel’s hype around the miniseries, you’d think you were getting a comic that was heavily reliant on the aftermath of Siege.  You’d also think that you were about to get a thrilling comic focused on Steve, Tony, and Thor yelling at each other about the events of the last ten years of Avengers continuity.

Oh, thank God that this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Funnily enough though, for the first few pages, that’s exactly what you get.  And really, those first few pages are by far the weakest portion of the book.  Then out of nowhere, the comic entirely shifts and you end up getting a continuity light (Steve Rogers falling in love with an elf chick), high fantasy comic that is barrels of old school fun for everyone.

Of course, when you say “high fantasy,” Brian Bendis most likely isn’t the first writer that comes to mind.  In fact, he’s probably not the last one either.  However, Bendis actually acquits himself really well here.  There’s something about the new setting and genre that revitalizes Bendis’ work, giving freshness to it.  You don’t really get any of the usual Bendis foibles of mischaracterization and irritatingly repeated lines of dialogue.  Instead, you get a comic that’s all fantasy ass-kicking and when there are “moments” between the Big Three, they feel genuine and sincere, and certainly more than enough to put a smile on your face.

Avengers Prime #5 – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Alan Davis (pencils), Mark Farmer (inks), Javier Rodriguez (colors) and Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

The Story: Thor, Tony and Cap make a final stand against Hela, leading the diverse group they’ve managed to recruit in a giant, all-out battle. The outcome is far from certain, and even if they win, who knows if they’ll ever find their way back home?

What’s Good: What a great read this was! Taken on its own merits, the exciting battles and witty interplay between the characters make for an exciting and fun time. Bendis does a very good job capturing the feel of a large scale, old school Avengers adventure, and Alan Davis backs him up beautifully on pencils with excellent detail and some truly gorgeous splash pages. While I’m not a huge fan of contrived-feeling moral dilemmas like the one Thor faces at the end, Bendis treats it seriously enough, and treats the characters involved with enough respect, that it didn’t irk me nearly as much as it could have. That alone speaks volumes about the books overall quality.

Avengers Prime #2 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Alan Davis (penciller)

The Story: The Avengers’ Holy Trinity of Iron Man, Thor and Captain Am- er, Steve Rogers, have been separately transported to somewhere in the Nine Realms of Asgardian lore.  As they do their best to survive and find their way to each other, Thor is confronted by his old foe (and flame), the Enchantress.

What’s Good: Avengers Prime once again proves that it’s by far the most successful of Bendis’ Avengers offerings so far.  The writer channels some of the best Avengers’ writers of yore and tells a nice, old-fashioned tale of the Big Three stuck in a fantastical world they know nothing about, yet the plot and execution never feel old-fashioned in a negative way.  The writer especially seems to be having a blast with Iron Man’s scenes, playing up the arrogance and cockiness of Tony Stark and then throwing him into a conversation with trolls and a big lizard guy who have no patience for either.  Bendis’ cross-cutting between the three heroes’ scenes toward the end, building up to a big reveal, was also a nice touch and significantly amplified the suspense.  No easy feat when all three scenes were filled with talking heads.  Selling Bendis’ script and making this issue work in a way that no one else could have is, of course, Alan Davis.  The penciller’s work, along with Mark Farmer’s inks, looks better than it has in years, and it’s never not looked great.  Davis’ energetic figures and faces are the foundation of this comic book, and I’m elated that such a fine artist is supplying the visuals for this.

Avengers Prime #1- Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Alan Davis (artist), Mark Farmer (Inker)

The Story:  Thor, Iron Man, and the original Captain America try to iron out their differences in the aftermath of Siege when the trio are pulled into the Nine Realms against their will.

What’s Good: Bendis and Davis deliver a first issue that will prove to be a blast for any Avengers fan out there.  While Avengers #1 a few weeks ago proved to be a mixed bag for many readers and felt much like Bendis doing his best impersonation of a traditional Avengers tale, Avengers Prime fires on all cylinders and succeeds where it’s much more hyped sister title faltered.  Much of this is due to Alan Davis’ and Mark Farmer’s amazing artwork.  Davis’ renditions of the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ Big Three just feels right.  He brings the perfect amount of grandeur to the proceedings.  One only needs to open this issue to the initial double-page splash that opens the story to see what I’m talking about:  the fallen city of Asgard, burning in the distance, while our three heroes watch in grief.

It’s not only an awe-inspiring image, but appropriately sets the tone for rest of the plot.  Not only does the artist efficiently sell the big set pieces and action scenes, but he does a hell of a job with his character work.  For example, there’s a scene where Tony and Steve get lost in an argument that’s been brewing for years, and Thor solemnly asks them to please leave if they’re only there for his sake.  Davis close-up of the God of Thunder’s eyes as he speaks says everything that Thor isn’t saying with words, and it is a sobering moment.  Another wonderful beat in the story that is all artwork in it’s success is the silent page where Steve, having just defeated a small army of troll-like creatures, spies a shield on the ground, and as he picks it up, there’s a small hint of a grin that crosses his face.  It’s a great capper to a fun little scene that Davis knocks out of the park.