Post by goldenfist on Oct 30, 2008 11:17:41 GMT -5
Time for another Ign.com review of Avengers The Initiative #18.
Avengers: The Initiative has managed to get some impressive mileage out of its Secret Invasion tie-in. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, though, since it's been the Marvel title most content to play in the universe's backwaters. But regardless, when Dan Slott and Christos Gage wheel out the likes of the Skrull Kill Krew, Jacosta, 3-D Man, Devil Slayer, and Ant Man and weave a competent, interlocking tapestry with them, I don't think anyone can help but be charmed by it all.
Issue #18 is by and large the calm before the storm, as the book gears up for its final part of the crossover by hooking The Kill Krew and their new acquisitions up with Nick Fury and his Warriors. As before, if this arc of Initiative is meant as a pilot for a Kill Krew series (or if the book is being hijacked by the Krew) I'm all for it. Slott and Gage have done a wonderful job making this band of nobodies into unique, fully likable characters. Slott's first class of graduates also turns up, and together the ensemble cast fires on all cylinders.
Unfortunately, Steve Kurth's art is alarmingly erratic this issue. Some pages look almost Bryan Hitch-like in their cleanness, but others are a complete wreck. Cloud 9 benefits the most, as her new costume and attitude seem to resonate with Kurth, but I'm sad to report the book looks largely uneven and detracts noticeably from what's otherwise a solid effort.
Still, the success of Avengers: The Initiative is undeniable. If you were ever a fan of the '80s Official Handbook series, this title is right up your alley.
Review Score: 7.7 Good
Avengers: The Initiative has managed to get some impressive mileage out of its Secret Invasion tie-in. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, though, since it's been the Marvel title most content to play in the universe's backwaters. But regardless, when Dan Slott and Christos Gage wheel out the likes of the Skrull Kill Krew, Jacosta, 3-D Man, Devil Slayer, and Ant Man and weave a competent, interlocking tapestry with them, I don't think anyone can help but be charmed by it all.
Issue #18 is by and large the calm before the storm, as the book gears up for its final part of the crossover by hooking The Kill Krew and their new acquisitions up with Nick Fury and his Warriors. As before, if this arc of Initiative is meant as a pilot for a Kill Krew series (or if the book is being hijacked by the Krew) I'm all for it. Slott and Gage have done a wonderful job making this band of nobodies into unique, fully likable characters. Slott's first class of graduates also turns up, and together the ensemble cast fires on all cylinders.
Unfortunately, Steve Kurth's art is alarmingly erratic this issue. Some pages look almost Bryan Hitch-like in their cleanness, but others are a complete wreck. Cloud 9 benefits the most, as her new costume and attitude seem to resonate with Kurth, but I'm sad to report the book looks largely uneven and detracts noticeably from what's otherwise a solid effort.
Still, the success of Avengers: The Initiative is undeniable. If you were ever a fan of the '80s Official Handbook series, this title is right up your alley.
Review Score: 7.7 Good