Post by goldenfist on Jul 17, 2008 8:59:30 GMT -5
Ign.com reviews Mighty Avengers #16.
Between the repeated deaths and resurrections, the constantly shifting allegiances, and, you know, being used as the lynchpin for one of the biggest stories Marvel's ever told, it's easy for longtime readers to forget that Elektra Natchios is a certified badass. The latest installment of Mighty Avengers seeks to remind us of that while simultaneously answering most -- but not all -- of the questions stemming from the epic New Avengers #31 reveal.
If nothing else, Secret Invasion has been an opportunity for Brian Michael Bendis to tie things from his Avengers run together in clever and fun ways, and Mighty #16 is no exception. Jumping around from point to point on the roadmap of the major Avengers plot points of the past four years, Mighty Avengers #16 fills in some of the blanks between Elektra's brief guest appearances in Wolverine, Daredevil, and naturally, New Avengers. Bendis turns in some very strong work for the heroine, whose exploits he once handled in her last solo series. I found myself rooting for her, almost forgetting that her fate was already revealed over a year ago.
Fittingly for an issue based on an assassin, the book relies more on its visuals to tell the story and features a comparatively small amount of text. Normally I'd love it, but the art is, unfortunately, a bit of a weak spot for the issue. While I enjoyed Khoi Pham's stint on Incredible Hercules, the quality of Mighty #16 is not up to those standards. There's an odd over-reliance on tight shots of Elektra's face and a lot of Pham's renderings of the character cause her to look wrinkled and ugly. Considering the subject matter, one would probably expect a good degree of action, but a couple fight sequences are hard to follow and require a repeat reading to really grasp exactly what happened. They're a few minor annoyances that add up over the course of the issue.
But still, all told it's got to go down as another winner in the string of great issues the Avengers books have enjoyed lately. Along with Spider-Woman, Elektra is probably one of the characters most deserving of this type of Secret Invasion spotlight issue, and Bendis does the character and event a great service while being sure not to give everything away. Dedicated fans should have a blast.
Review Score: 8.3 Impressive
Between the repeated deaths and resurrections, the constantly shifting allegiances, and, you know, being used as the lynchpin for one of the biggest stories Marvel's ever told, it's easy for longtime readers to forget that Elektra Natchios is a certified badass. The latest installment of Mighty Avengers seeks to remind us of that while simultaneously answering most -- but not all -- of the questions stemming from the epic New Avengers #31 reveal.
If nothing else, Secret Invasion has been an opportunity for Brian Michael Bendis to tie things from his Avengers run together in clever and fun ways, and Mighty #16 is no exception. Jumping around from point to point on the roadmap of the major Avengers plot points of the past four years, Mighty Avengers #16 fills in some of the blanks between Elektra's brief guest appearances in Wolverine, Daredevil, and naturally, New Avengers. Bendis turns in some very strong work for the heroine, whose exploits he once handled in her last solo series. I found myself rooting for her, almost forgetting that her fate was already revealed over a year ago.
Fittingly for an issue based on an assassin, the book relies more on its visuals to tell the story and features a comparatively small amount of text. Normally I'd love it, but the art is, unfortunately, a bit of a weak spot for the issue. While I enjoyed Khoi Pham's stint on Incredible Hercules, the quality of Mighty #16 is not up to those standards. There's an odd over-reliance on tight shots of Elektra's face and a lot of Pham's renderings of the character cause her to look wrinkled and ugly. Considering the subject matter, one would probably expect a good degree of action, but a couple fight sequences are hard to follow and require a repeat reading to really grasp exactly what happened. They're a few minor annoyances that add up over the course of the issue.
But still, all told it's got to go down as another winner in the string of great issues the Avengers books have enjoyed lately. Along with Spider-Woman, Elektra is probably one of the characters most deserving of this type of Secret Invasion spotlight issue, and Bendis does the character and event a great service while being sure not to give everything away. Dedicated fans should have a blast.
Review Score: 8.3 Impressive
