Defenders #2 – Review

By Matt Fraction (writer), Terry & Rachel Dodson (artists), Sonia Oback (colorist)

The Story: Dr. Strange gets a new nickname.

The Review: In my review of The Defenders #1, I complimented Fraction’s use of that issue as a way to introduce the team rather than diving into a dense plot right away. It presented a good foundation to build some group chemistry and highlighted the group’s diversity. Now, however, I’m a bit confused as to why he went through all that effort, as he doesn’t seem interested in building on it.

The heroes are remarkably dull, which is really an accomplishment when you consider the group Fraction is working with. Worse, they sound very much the same as one another. There are still some token reminders that these are distinct individuals—Dr. Strange drops some mystical history on the group, and Namor shouts “Imperious Rex!”—but it all feels oddly shallow. Even the narrator and the villains sound eerily alike. They’re like skittles; each character has a different veneer, but they’re really just different degrees of tart, and don’t actually taste a hell of a lot like the fruits they’re meant to.