Post by goldenfist on Mar 13, 2008 8:25:48 GMT -5
In the past I've derided Avengers: The Initiative for featuring too large a cast and having little to no overarching direction. And finally, with issue #10, I feel like the book has it together. Now I actually see where everyone's coming from when they call this the best Avengers book.
Nominally this is the third part in a four-part arc where MVP (well, an MVP) rips through Camp Hammond with the Tactigon, but it's increasingly clear that Avengers: The Initiative is one of those books that is split into arcs for the purpose of trade paperback breaks only. Every bit of this issue is based on information that's come before, as early as issue #1 of the series and in other books as well. That organic, natural growth in the book is as refreshing as it is rewarding for readers who have stuck with it since the beginning. A:TI is just a slow starter; it needed the nine issues to get to a place where it was truly great. And maybe I've just been playing too much Wii, but A:TI feels like the Marvel equivalent of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, playing in every corner of the universe with the respect each individual sector. (There's a pitch perfect exchange between Taskmaster and Ant-Man that's worth the cover price alone.) It's awesome to witness such a handle on this fictional world, speaking as a self-professed Marvel zombie. And as always, Stefano Caselli's art is perfectly suited for the book. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better-looking book on the stands these days. Judging from his rendering of the Scarlet Spiders, I'm not sure why he hasn't been approached to be added to the Amazing Spider-Man art stable. He clearly has Spidey's body language down.
But crucially, the cast problem has been helped greatly. Dan Slott and Christos Gage have wisely used the MVP crisis to reposition the focus on the characters. Yes, the cast is still large and varied, but the spotlight is fixed squarely one a select few heroes. It's an immense improvement on the past few issues, as it gives its heroes the opportunity to actually act heroic and make it clear that they're the real focus of the book. I feel like I know who I should be paying attention to now.
With one swift blow, nearly all my complaints about Avengers: The Initiative have been addressed. I now actually understand all the hype that's been piled on this book and wholeheartedly agree with it. This is absolutely a book you should be reading if you're a fan of the Marvel Universe in any capacity.
Review Score: 8.8 Great
Nominally this is the third part in a four-part arc where MVP (well, an MVP) rips through Camp Hammond with the Tactigon, but it's increasingly clear that Avengers: The Initiative is one of those books that is split into arcs for the purpose of trade paperback breaks only. Every bit of this issue is based on information that's come before, as early as issue #1 of the series and in other books as well. That organic, natural growth in the book is as refreshing as it is rewarding for readers who have stuck with it since the beginning. A:TI is just a slow starter; it needed the nine issues to get to a place where it was truly great. And maybe I've just been playing too much Wii, but A:TI feels like the Marvel equivalent of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, playing in every corner of the universe with the respect each individual sector. (There's a pitch perfect exchange between Taskmaster and Ant-Man that's worth the cover price alone.) It's awesome to witness such a handle on this fictional world, speaking as a self-professed Marvel zombie. And as always, Stefano Caselli's art is perfectly suited for the book. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better-looking book on the stands these days. Judging from his rendering of the Scarlet Spiders, I'm not sure why he hasn't been approached to be added to the Amazing Spider-Man art stable. He clearly has Spidey's body language down.
But crucially, the cast problem has been helped greatly. Dan Slott and Christos Gage have wisely used the MVP crisis to reposition the focus on the characters. Yes, the cast is still large and varied, but the spotlight is fixed squarely one a select few heroes. It's an immense improvement on the past few issues, as it gives its heroes the opportunity to actually act heroic and make it clear that they're the real focus of the book. I feel like I know who I should be paying attention to now.
With one swift blow, nearly all my complaints about Avengers: The Initiative have been addressed. I now actually understand all the hype that's been piled on this book and wholeheartedly agree with it. This is absolutely a book you should be reading if you're a fan of the Marvel Universe in any capacity.
Review Score: 8.8 Great
