Post by goldenfist on Jan 31, 2008 9:35:38 GMT -5
Here's a review of Avengers The Initiative #9 from ign.com
With this week delivering us installments from all three ongoing Avengers books, my belief that The Initiative is the best of the three is only reinforced even further. Despite the lack of A-list characters or a deep connection to the Secret Invasion build-up, Dan Slott manages to rock my world month in and month out. The current storyline isn't my favorite effort from Slott (who is now working with Christos Gage) so far, but it still makes for one of the best Marvel books you'll read all week.
One of the many things I appreciate with this series is that Slott has avoided standard six-issue arcs, instead allowing his plots to unfold in an organic fashion. Both this issue and the previous one dealt with a split chronology, presenting a surprising twist in the near future before returning to the present to lead us there. By the end of this issue, you'll have a very good idea of what led to the chaos at Camp Hammond. What's more, while said chaos seemed like a fairly drastic departure from the series' storyline last month, the revelations this month make it seem like a natural development.
Easily the biggest improvement with the current arc has been the introduction of a handful of new characters, both trainees and instructors. I've had a Taskmaster-sized void in my life ever since the end of Civil War, and Slott manages to fill it nicely. A little more off-the-wall but no less welcome is the new Ant-Man, Eric O'Grady. While not technically a new character, Thor Girl finally gets a chance to shine this month, and I find myself enjoying her character much more than I expected.
At this point, I only have two complaints to throw at Initiative. One is that even the minor connection to Secret Invasion at this point seems forced and unnecessary. Suffice it to say, there's a Skrull at Camp Hammond, and Slott is anything but subtle about it. While I've enjoyed Stefano Caselli's art immensely in the past, I'm starting to wonder if he's really the best fit for the series. In this case his cartoony facial expressions feel out of place in what is largely a very serious issue.
Other than that, I see no reason not to give Avengers: The Initiative a big recommendation. Few series manage to blend the light and dark elements of the Marvel universe with such grace.
Review Score:8.4 Impressive
With this week delivering us installments from all three ongoing Avengers books, my belief that The Initiative is the best of the three is only reinforced even further. Despite the lack of A-list characters or a deep connection to the Secret Invasion build-up, Dan Slott manages to rock my world month in and month out. The current storyline isn't my favorite effort from Slott (who is now working with Christos Gage) so far, but it still makes for one of the best Marvel books you'll read all week.
One of the many things I appreciate with this series is that Slott has avoided standard six-issue arcs, instead allowing his plots to unfold in an organic fashion. Both this issue and the previous one dealt with a split chronology, presenting a surprising twist in the near future before returning to the present to lead us there. By the end of this issue, you'll have a very good idea of what led to the chaos at Camp Hammond. What's more, while said chaos seemed like a fairly drastic departure from the series' storyline last month, the revelations this month make it seem like a natural development.
Easily the biggest improvement with the current arc has been the introduction of a handful of new characters, both trainees and instructors. I've had a Taskmaster-sized void in my life ever since the end of Civil War, and Slott manages to fill it nicely. A little more off-the-wall but no less welcome is the new Ant-Man, Eric O'Grady. While not technically a new character, Thor Girl finally gets a chance to shine this month, and I find myself enjoying her character much more than I expected.
At this point, I only have two complaints to throw at Initiative. One is that even the minor connection to Secret Invasion at this point seems forced and unnecessary. Suffice it to say, there's a Skrull at Camp Hammond, and Slott is anything but subtle about it. While I've enjoyed Stefano Caselli's art immensely in the past, I'm starting to wonder if he's really the best fit for the series. In this case his cartoony facial expressions feel out of place in what is largely a very serious issue.
Other than that, I see no reason not to give Avengers: The Initiative a big recommendation. Few series manage to blend the light and dark elements of the Marvel universe with such grace.
Review Score:8.4 Impressive
