C2E2 Report: Marvel – The Next Big Thing

 

 

Not to be outdone, Marvel had me scrambling out of the Batman panel to secure a spot in Marvel: The Next Big Thing. While the X-Men, Spider-Man, and Batman still rule the roost, Marvel’s made huge strides with some of their less famous characters lately and this was the place to hear about it.

Nick Lowe, our moderator and editor of Spider-Man and Moon Knight, took a moment to thank the Chicago fans before introducing the panelists. The first was Mike Marts, an Executive Editor, newly returned from DC’s Batman office. Lowe asked him what it was like to be back. Marts replied that it felt like slipping on an old shoe. Lowe was not entirely thrilled with the analogy, leading Marts to amend his statement, “A shoe that makes a lot of great movies.” Next up was Joshua Hale Fialkov, the writer of Ultimate FF. After him came Charles Soule, the writer of Thunderbolts, Inhuman, and She-Hulk, the last of which received particular applause. Then came James Robinson, writer of Fantastic Four and All-New Invaders. A trio of artists rounded out the panel; Mahmud Asrar, Wolverine and the X-Men; Ryan Stegman, Wolverine; and Skottie Young, both writer and artist on Rocket Racoon.

Avengers/Invaders #6 (of 12) – Review

By Alex Ross (Plot), Jim Krueger (Plot & Script), Steve Sadowski & Patrick Berkenkotter (Pencils), and InLight Studios (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’m going to be honest here and just admit that the only thing that made me purchase this issue is the fact that I already own the first five. I figured I might as well at least finish out what I presume to be the first trade volume before dropping the series. While visually impressive at times and interesting enough, the overall plot has yet to hook me in any serious way. Also, I can’t shake the feeling that nothing of consequence is ultimately going to come out of Avengers/Invaders, despite reports that it will have an impact on Marvel continuity. With all that said,  somehow, I still hold a small bit of hope that the halfway point will prove to be a turning point for the series.

The Story: Dr. Strange and the rest of the underground New Avengers find the past and present versions of Paul Anselm, the regular soldier pulled into the time travel, in an effort to sort out what exactly caused the time disruption. Meanwhile on the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, where the Mighty Avengers are trying to take control of the situation, Human Torch of the Invaders begins a Life Model Decoy revolt over the nature of the L.M.D.’s.

What’s Good: As a student of philosophy, I’d be lying if I acted like I didn’t enjoy the concepts thrown around regarding the nature of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Life Model Decoys. It brought an interesting (if somewhat throwaway) dimension to the superhero battle. Also compelling is the way the plot is really starting to tie into the death of Captain America and touch upon some of the inherent (though generic) problems/consequences of time-travel. As for the visuals, they continue to feature a nice level of detail and solid direction.

What’s Not So Good: As with the other issues in the series, Avengers/Invaders #6 suffers because it never really brings the various ideas together in a way that forms a well-rounded package. The emotional drama feels a bit heavy handed, and it occasionally falls a bit flat. On top of that, the philosophical crusade of the Human Torch, while interesting, feels like nothing more than a distracting addition to the overall plot. Also, there is still very little indication that anything of consequence will result from this storyline. I expected something relevant to the current state of the Marvel universe to have happened by now. Disappointingly, that is not the case.

Conclusion: The problem with the series falls on the idea that far too many characters are in play to make a single chapter feel satisfying. It really drags the entire project down and makes the plot move at an extremely slow pace, despite characters expressing the urgency of the situation. That is why I am going to consider this latest chapter to be my jumping off point. As for Avengers/Invaders #6? It is entertaining and decent enough to look at, but far from a must read. As such, it is worth picking up if you have stuck around this long, but I doubt many will feel the need to see this series to its end.

Grade: C

-Kyle Posluszny

Avengers/Invaders #3 – Review

By Alex Ross, Jim Kreuger, (Plot) Steve Sadowski, (Pencils) and InLight Studios (Color)

Three issues in and I have to admit that I’m starting to feel as though this series is completely unnecessary. The latest issue of Avengers/Invaders firmly establishes where this story fits in the Marvel Universe time line and as a because no other books seem to knowledge its existence it lacks tension. Unless Jim Kreuger and Alex Ross have some large twist planned, there just doesn’t seem to be enough story to support this series for 12 issues. However, with all that said, issue #3 is still an enjoyable read thanks to some fun moments with Namor and nice looking artwork by Steve Sadowski.

There are four main plot elements at work here and, to be honest, it makes this a pretty fast read. The first involves Invaders Namor coming face to face with his future self while visiting what amounts to the ruins of Atlantis. The second storyline thread at work involves the New Avengers’ plan to free Invaders Captain America by using some Dr. Strange magic. The third features the one lone soldier to get caught up in the time travel having a talk with his future self. It’s a touching highlight thanks to some poignant dialogue and complementary artwork. The final thread involves Bucky breaking Invaders Captain America out of his cell on the SHIELD helicarrier. While I have no real complaints about the overall story, it feels like things barely move at all due to the bloated ensemble cast. Each plot thread gets some time, but not much happens in any of them. If things progress like this, maybe the series can sustain 12 issues just by inching forward bit by bit, though I hope that is not what winds up happening.

The writing in this issue is serviceable, but only really shines when the WWII soldier is talking to himself. The characters are written well, but it seems as though the writers enjoy bringing certain characters down a notch. In the first issue, the Thunderbolts were quickly dismantled and then late in this one a key character just comes across as plain stupid. It just lessens things as opposed to heightening, and that irritates me. Also, every line of Spider-Man dialogue is some attempt at wit or humor and while I understand that is a staple of the character, Spidey just comes across as “that guy” dying for some attention. With the exception of the soldiers’ talk, the writing here is average at best.

I honestly think I would be harder on this series if I didn’t enjoy Steve Sadowski’s pencils as much as I do. He does some great work with the characters and scenes in this issue, in particular the stuff involving the two Namors. While a few of the smaller panels feel a bit rushed, I can easily forgive when everything else looks so nice. I do wish the coloring job was a bit better, as it actually has a negative effect on the quality of the pencil work from time to time.

The Avengers/Invaders series is weighed down by the very concept that it hinges on and, as a result, very little comes across as truly memorable. There is some good dialogue from time to time, the artwork is impressive, and it is fun seeing two versions of the same character interact, but as a whole there is nothing here that makes me truly care about what is happening. If you really need a “heroes out of time” fix, you would be better off investing in the excellent series The Twelve. (Grade: C)

– Kyle Posluszny

A Second Opinion

Wow, I actually enjoyed this issue more than the previous two. The nods given to current Marvel continuity are a definite plus. I was actually surprised to see Namor visit Atlantis, given how not too many read last year’s excellent Namor: Revolutions mini-series. But having young Namor beat down old Namor? C’mon now! We also finally get a small connection to Secret Invasion, but despite all these connections to Marvel continuity, this book, like the Invaders themselves, is horribly displaced.

No other Marvel title acknowledges the events taking place in this book and because of that, it feels like a hollow read. Making this series a sprawling 12 issue “epic” is a horrible decision that might have been better served as its own event for 2009. But hey, that’s just my opinion.

As a stand alone issue, I enjoyed what I read, but I do agree with Kyle in that there’s just too many characters and too little happening. This is the same problem that’s plaguing Kreuger and Ross’ Project Superpowers title (but on a much worse degree). Their next project really needs to be scaled down. Enough with the huge casts of characters and just work on telling a story, guys. (Grade: C+)

– J. Montes