Avengers: The Initiative #25 (Dark Reign) – Capsule Review

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

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’ve been enjoying the transition that’s taken place as Avengers: The Initiative heads full force into Dark Reign. That said, I’m pretty glad that the latest issue of the series finally marks the end of the transition…it’ll be interesting to see how the series fares with a new status quo.

The Story: The Initiative program is reborn under Norman Osborn. The new bosses? They aren’t the same as the old ones! Avengers: The Initiative #25 is all about establishing the future, if there is a future, for many of the regular Initiative cast members.

What’s Good And What’s Not So Good: The latest issue of The Initiative, while a bit slow and wordy, packs more of an emotional punch than I had expected. And that’s because of the tricky situations the Initiative members find themselves in. Thanks to the strong handle that Christos N. Gage has on the various personalities that make up his large cast though, Avengers: The Initiative #25 reads very well for a comic that’s so heavy on text. Norman Osborn’s scenes (one of which could be seen as very controversial) are a particular highlight as the character’s chilling dialogue is written in a way that feels just right.

As for the artwork, Edgar Delgado’s muted color choices go a long way towards helping Humberto Ramos’ lively, animated style fit the story being told. Considering the tone of most of Gage’s script, Ramos’ work could have easily come across as completely inappropriate. Instead, the visuals in Avengers: The Initiative #25, while not perfect, work far better than you might think.

Conclusion: The creative team behind The Initiative handles a necessary transition in a natural, entertaining, and surprisingly emotional manner.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

Avengers: The Initiative #23 (Dark Reign) – Review

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

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Avengers: The Initiative is almost always a sure thing as far as quality is concerned. Nearly every issue feels like a trip to a giant Marvel sandbox filled with all sorts of different characters. While recent issues have not been all that new reader friendly, the series is strong enough that I have no problem saying that it’s well worth taking the time to catch up with things if you are at all interested in jumping on board.

The Story: Camp Hammond is under fire as controversy rages. With the cover-up of Michael Van Patrick’s death now out in the open and part of a major city in shambles, the Initiative’s future looks shaky. Meanwhile, the Shadow Initiative finds Hydra operating in Madripoor and soon learns that things are more serious than initially believed.

What’s Good: Avengers: The Initiative #23 scores big points for simultaneously dealing with both the past and the future in a successful manner. It ties up loose plot threads that have been lingering for quite some time, while dragging the Initiative fully into the Dark Reign period of the Marvel universe. Fans of the series, both new and old, should find something a lot to like.

Christos N. Gage’s writing is very good throughout the issue. He effectively captures the transition of the Initiative through some fantastic character work. As for the artwork, Humberto Ramos and Edgar Delgado do a very nice job capturing the tone of the time and the emotional ride the various cast members are going through.

What’s Not So Good: As a long time fan of the series, I couldn’t be much happier with issue 23. That said, the comic isn’t perfect. A few of the scenes suffer from awkward visuals and, in some ways, the Shadow Initiative storyline seems sort of shoehorned into the plot until the last few pages. It seems like it might have been better off in another issue because both storylines in the issue suffer from breaks in momentum as the focus shifts back and forth.

Conclusion: Avengers: The Initiative #23 is just an extremely solid comic book all around. I highly recommend it, especially if you have been a fan of the series for a while.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

Avengers: The Initiative #11 – Review

By Dan Slott & Christos N. Gage (writers), Stefano Caselli (art), Daniele Rudoni (colors)

Dan Slott isn’t one of those writers who can do high levels of drama, tension, or controversy (at least from what I’ve read). He’s not Ed Brubaker or Grant Morrison. But what he lacks in those aforementioned areas he makes up in providing pure entertainment. When you buy a Dan Slott book you know you’ll be getting a whole lot of bang for your buck. The guy sees the Marvel Universe as his sandbox and he’ll not hesitate to use all the toys he can find. Issue #11 wraps up plot points that have been going on since the first issue. Indeed, if the series were to be canceled tomorrow I’d be content with the story we’d been given. Luckily for us, the show will go on!

In this issue, we finally get the showdown with KIA. The guy’s gone completely out of control, murdering a bunch of Initiative heroes, and really, who knows what he’ll do next. Teaming up with The New Warriors, the Avengers try to overpower KIA with brute force. The problem is, with the Tactigon (an omega class weapon), he’s virtually unstoppable.

Dan Slott, Christos N. Gage, and Stefano Caselli deliver pay off after pay off. I honestly thought I might find myself getting bored with just a “slugfest” of an issue, but the way the whole situation is approached makes the battle very engaging. Even characters that I normally hate like Rage and Slapstick step up to the plate and deliver some excellent performances. Stefano Caselli’s art brings this book to life, but with colorist Daniele Rudoni, the art almost feels like stills from an animated feature. This title may be the furthest thing from an Avengers book, but let me tell you, it ranks up there every month with the best of them. (Grade: A)

– J. Montes

Avengers: The Initiative #10 – Review

By Dan Slott & Chris Gage (writer), Stefano Caselli (art), Daniele Rudoni (colors)

Dan Slott should write every Marvel comic. He loves to play with continuity and history all while bringing fresh, fun stories every month. And even though I was hoping this story would have been wrapped up this issue, it’s still a strong showing and incredibly entertaining.

In a way, this book is a mess of sorts. There’s so much going on, and so many characters to keep track of that you almost feel like Dan Slott’s got some form of A.D.D. Personally, I think he just loves playing in the sandbox. I mean, there’s absolutely no real reason why The New Warriors should even be in this story, but there they are. I’ll admit, I’m not a fan of the New Warriors and probably never will be. But what Slott does with them ain’t too bad, thankfully. However, had he excluded them, this story most likely would have been wrapped up.

I love how there’s a billion versions of MVP running around. From issue #1, we knew the character was special. But with the advent of KIA, who’s now armed with the Tactigon, well, you’ve got one of the toughest bad guys around. I really hope he’s not killed off. As mindless and as robotic as he is now, with a little brain tweaking and charisma, he could be one of the best villains around. Think of it? An evil Captain America!

Anyway, this book’s worth buying just for the scene between Ant-Man and Taskmaster alone. It just wouldn’t be right without mentioning Stefano Caselli’s incredible artwork. This guy can do no wrong. (Grade: B+)

– J. Montes

Avengers: The Initiative #9 – Review

By Dan Slott & Chris Gage (writers), Stefano Caselli (art), Daniele Rudoni (colors)

Wow, the Taskmaster as a trainer for The Initiative? I didn’t see that coming! But then again, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised after seeing the post Civil War Thunderbolts team. A new Skrull is introduced right off the bat, which is more than I can say for the other Avengers books. It’s about time we saw more of these guys – especially with Marvel hyping about the Secret Invasion for months now. That being said, there’s a lot that happens in this issue. The on-going story of MVP, which has been running since issue #1, finally climaxes with lots of blood being spilled. There’s also a line from Ant Man that actually made me laugh out loud.

There’s so much death in this issue that I have no idea how the series will recover from it. It’s crazy, but oh so daring! Big kudos to Dan Slott and Chris Gage for going all out. Now, I have to admit, Slott’s Skrully dialogue is a little silly – reminding me of stuff I’d read were this a book produced in the 1980s. And then there’s the subtle stuff he brings to the table like his deep history of the Marvel Universe. He draws subtle elements from old stories to the forefront, educating the reader while still entertaining. It’s a great balance. It’s also part of Slott’s charm.

As usual, Stefano Caelli brings the goods on art chores. I really dig his art style. Some might say this book is over-colored month in and month out, but I believe it’s perfect. It completely matches the diverse personalities that dominate this book. And while it carries the Avengers title, don’t be fooled – it’s the most different book of the Avengers line, and dare I say it, the most entertaining. (Grade: A+)

-J.Montes