Avengers: The Initiative #27 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Christos N. Gage (Writer), Rafa Sandoval (Pencils), Roger Bonet (Inks), and Edgar Delgado (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I enjoyed Rafa Sandoval’s work for Incredible Hercules quite a bit. I look forward to seeing how the artist handles all the characters that appear in The Initiative.

The Story: Chapter 1: Learn the origin story of Johnny Guitar (and his pal Dr. Sax) and about how they got involved with the Initiative program. Chapter 2: The Initiative members try to take back the Negative Zone prison currently controlled by King Blastaar.

What’s Good And What’s Not So Good: As far as the writing by Christos Gage goes, the latest issue of Avengers: The Initiative is a great example of everything that’s right about the series as a whole. Pretty much any character can show up in the spotlight and, more often than not, truly make an impact on some sort of level (emotionally or during an action scene). Case in point: Johnny Guitar. His journey is very well-written and, while a bit heavy-handed, definitely makes you feel for the character whether you had any intention of doing so or not.

If Gage takes center stage during chapter one, then the whole Negative Zone battle is the art team’s show. The fight is chaotic, colorful, and quite fun to look at as far as crazy superhero battles go. Rafa Sandoval, thanks to help from Roger Bonet and Edgar Delgado, manages to put a whole hell of a lot on every page, and it works to great effect. While faces tend to look similar and some of the action is a bit hard to follow, the artwork, as a whole, really gets the job done far better than it has any right to. There’s a LOT going on in the Negative Zone, and Sandoval makes sure that the reader knows it.

Conclusion: Avengers: The Initiative #27 doesn’t amount to a whole lot (it’s basically a character highlight reel followed by a fight scene), but it delivers a whole lot of entertainment. Johnny Guitar’s story and the Negative Zone rumble combine to make the latest issue of The Initiative an example of what happens when a creative team makes the most of the series concept.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

Avengers: The Initiative #26 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Christos N. Gage (Writer), Rafa Sandoval (Pencils), Roger Bonet (Inks), and Edgar Delgado (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Now that the great Dark Reign shakeup has finally finished, it’ll be interesting to see what Christos N. Gage has in store for the Initiative.

The Story: Tigra, Gauntlet, and some of the New Warriors desperately try to escape one of Norman Osborn’s Initiative teams. When they do, Tigra has a plan to gain some measure of revenge of one person that has wronged her in the past. Meanwhile, Camp H.A.M.M.E.R. officially opens and Taskmaster and The Hood go to work, making sure things are in order. The Hood explains the current situation to some recruits, Taskmaster explains the Penance situation to Trauma, and Trauma tries to get…anything out of Penance.

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: Writer Christos N. Gage clearly has a lot to tackle in the first true Dark Reign Initiative book. It’s loaded with characters, slightly cluttered, and seems to jump all over the place at times. But you know what? Gage handles the challenge extremely well. The storytelling is fairly tight, the character work is effective (especially the stuff with Trauma and the final scene with Tigra), and Gage will constantly remind readers why they pick up a book like Avengers: The Initiative in the first place; to dive into the giant sandbox that is the Marvel Universe. While it’s still early, the Initiative and Dark Reign look to fit together quite well. I wonder if Gage will be able to make the most of it?

As for the visuals, Rafa Sandoval’s artwork gets the job done in the ways that matter. Characters look distinct, expressions are appropriate, and the action looks decent enough. Note that I said “decent enough,” because the action is probably the weak point of Avengers: The Initiative #26. It seems to lack any sort of comfortable flow and gets overwhelmed by all the characters taking part in the action. Also, what’s with Tigra having giant paws for hands? Is that supposed to be like that? I’m not too familiar with the character so if you know if Sandoval’s take on her is actually how it’s supposed to be, leave me a comment.

Conclusion: Not all that it could be, but certainly good enough, Avengers: The Initiative #26 is a worthy chapter of a series that keeps on moving forward at a nice pace.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Avengers: The Initiative #24 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Christos N. Gage (Script), Humberto Ramos (Art), and Edgar Delgado (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Avengers: The Initiative is downright reliable. The storylines are a perfect fit for the style of the series, the artwork is almost always solid, and the character work is handled in a way that manages to impress each and every month.

The Story: Bengal’s wife comes to Gauntlet looking for answers about her husband, Bengal’s whereabouts. As you probably know, he’s in Madripoor with the other members of the Shadow Initiative, desperately fighting to survive the night. But Taskmaster has an idea that just might help them deal with Hydra…

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: It’s cool to see an issue dedicated almost entirely to the Shadow Initiative. Especially one that’s as entertaining, funny, character-driven, and intelligent as Avengers: The Initiative #24. The book has some nice twists and turns, a few surprising guest stars, and best of all, it sets things up for the future in a very interesting way.

Christos N. Gage’s character work is some of the best he’s written, though from time to time he tries a bit too hard to bring the funny. Most of the humor and sarcasm is spot on, especially the way he handles Typhoid Mary’s personality and the banter between Taskmaster and one of the guest stars, but a few lines feel slightly forced. Another thing worth mentioning about Gage’s work is how well he uses the Dark Reign concept to elevate both his storytelling and his character work; partiulary the way he writes Norman Osborn the politician and the Dark Reign period for the Initiative. Everything has far been better than I expected it to be.

The artwork by Humberto Ramos and Edgar Delgado is solid all around. While the kinetic, cartoony style may not be for everyone, it definitely does the job. Of particular note is the way that the muted color scheme that Delgado uses allows Ramos’ work to stand out a bit more than usual. I think it does wonders for Ramos’ style, as I’ve seen it completely overpowered by the color work in the past.

There is one thing I must ask though. What’s the deal with showing Typhoid Mary’s nipple? While I have no problem with seeing some (drawn) skin, I found it rather odd considering that the book is rated “Teen +” and not even “Parental Advisory.” Maybe I’m weird for noticing, but I just had to bring it up.

Conclusion: Despite a flaw here and there, Avengers: The Initiative #24 is a damn fine chapter in a very good series. I highly recommend it.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

Avengers: The Initiative #13 – Review

Christos N. Gage (Writer) and Steve Uy (Artist)

Available 5/21/08

After reading Avengers: The Initiative #13, the first feeling that came to mind was relief. As regular readers may know, I was not a fan of the previous issue and was left wondering whether one of the better books out there had finally lost its magic. Things felt underdeveloped and rushed while the artwork left me wondering what had happened to the Caselli and Rudoni pairing. As it turns out, issue #12 was really just a bump in the road and this series is, thankfully, back on track.

With the start of this new arc we are introduced to the next batch of Initiative recruits: Prodigy, Annex, Gorilla Girl, Batwing, Sunstreak, and Emery “Boulder/Butterball” Shaub. On the bus ride to Camp Hammond, we get a taste of each characters personality, a little bit of background, and lots of amusing dialogue. From there, we see the staff deal with the hilarious complications that stem from Emery Shaub’s unique power set before the recruits sneak out of camp for some down time. If you haven’t noticed from the description, this is the very definition of a light, amusing, and fun story. Everything here works extremely well and because of that, this series reclaims its spot near the top of my reading list.

It was surprising for me to see Christos N. Gage completely take over writing duties for this issue, but he does an excellent job bringing the fun back to Camp Hammond. The dialogue is solid across the board and Gage shows he has quite a knack for writing dry humor. Each character is given some time to shine – something this series has excelled at – and I hope this new group of recruits continues to get a equal amount of face time.

Another welcome surprise is Steve Uy’s artwork being considerably stronger than his previous effort. The panels flow really well and with the exception of some slightly cluttered action, I can’t really say anything negative about the his storytelling. If I have any complaints with this book, it’s regarding the character work and the use of colors. Everything has a very washed out look to it and the lack of distinction in character expressions is a bit distracting. The Taskmaster continues to look quite strange, and many of the costume designs could use more detail, as everything looks rather bland. As I said before, everything is a step up from the last issue, but I wish the colors were more vivid and the characters less drone-like.

I am fully back on board with the Camp Hammond training initiative. This issue brings back the pure fun that put this series on the map in the first place. The dialogue is sharp, the artwork (while it still could use some improvement), is something I’m adjusting to, and the newest batch of recruits show a lot of promise. All in all, a very nice start to the next chapter of The Initiative. (Grade B+)

– Kyle Posluszny

A Second Opinion

I won’t lie, I was severely disappointed with this issue. After last issue’s events, I knew we would see much less of the main characters that made the first act so enjoyable, but I assumed that they would be replaced by just as engaging characters. The “star” of this issue is a new recruit code-named “Boulder,” but Taskmaster quickly dubs him with the name of “Butterball.” I understand that he is supposed to be based off of the stereotypical comics nerd: he’s overweight, weak, a loser, and he probably has that annoying nasal voice, but that doesn’t make him a likable character. He’s actually annoying. Not wanting to ruin too much, I’ll just say that by the end of the issue Butterball has to leave the Initiative, and I’m assuming the things done for him in the end were supposed “heartwarming,” but I personally don’t really care.

The other cadets don’t hold too much promise either, and are perhaps the most disappointing part. In the first issue, we not only meet a dynamic cast, but there is a shocking event that not only draws the reader into the story, but sets up the events for the next eleven issues. None of the characters presented here are people that I really want to read about, and there weren’t any important events to speak of. If this is supposed to be an introduction issue, it is extremely weak. The only hope I have is that Gage is only writing one or two issues before Dan Slott returns to the team-up and we get more of the strength he brings to this book.

Perhaps the only thing I have enjoyed is Steve Uy’s art, and believe me, I’m surprised to be saying that. Up until now, I haven’t enjoyed anything he has done, but in this issue he has finally pulled away from his usual drab and presents us with several pieces of great work. I especially enjoyed the one (and only) fight scene toward the end. Just make no mistake: I still will be extremely glad when (and if) Caselli returns to the book. (Grade: C-)

-M. Staples