Post by goldenfist on Jan 22, 2009 0:51:59 GMT -5
Read what Ign.com had to say about Dan Slott'a work on Mighty
Avengers #21.
Mighty Avengers #21 is the book's first issue under new writer Dan Slott and features its brand spankin' new cast, motivation, and direction. It seems odd to release the book the same week as Dark Avengers, but I suspect it's an intentional move that serves to highlight the opposite sides of the spectrum that the dueling titles will inhabit. Whereas Dark is sleek, cool, and very "of-the-now," Mighty is populated by mostly B- and C-listers and feels peculiarly Silver-Agey with its focus on magic and classical Avengers values.
The Avengers oath goes something like "On a day unlike any other yadda yadda some heroes got together and beat some ass, etc etc etc." and, in crafting his old-school version of the team, Dan Slott makes good on that proclamation by giving his Avengers a cause to fight against. The Chaos Cascade is a magical force wreaking havoc all over the world, causing large-scale disasters and good old-fashioned hero fatality. The Scarlet Witch begins collecting an army to combat it while Hercules, Amadeus Cho, and Jarvis try to get Hank Pym (now the Wasp) back in the game.
It's admirable that Slott sticks to the Avengers tradition of a threat no single hero can overcome and all that, but I personally feel that Mighty Avengers #21 bites off more than it can chew. When the issue shows worldwide crises and prominent heroes being killed (think Ultimatum #1), you can basically see the finger hovering over the reset button. It's too much, too soon for me. On top of that, the dialogue is awfully clunky in parts. Slott seems to struggle with writing a natural teen girl; Stature's lines come off as awkward and stilted. Elsewhere, there are long stretches of characters standing around explaining past plot points to one another for (ostensibly) the benefit of unfamiliar readers. The dialogue and interaction between characters doesn't feel smooth or organic.
Still, despite that, there's a likable quality to the book. Slott seems to be making a case for Mighty Avengers as the revival of the 1970s era of the team, and generally speaking, there's certainly a market for that sort of thing - I'm sure that the intended audience for this title probably doesn't overlap completely with readers who are in love with Brian Bendis's all-star makeover of the franchise. In interviews, Slott has called his version of the team the Avengers for old-school Avengers fans, and with a cast list that sports Jocasta, the Vision, and Hercules, he's not far off the mark. The mysterious reintroduction of the Scarlet Witch and a overarching plot firmly steeped in the magical realm cements that, and reminds me of Kurt Busiek's "Heroes Return" era of the team, which I suspect is probably intentional. This issue also names Jarvis the lynchpin of the Avengers, as well as Hank Pym one of the most crucial aspects of the team. Slott certainly has his head in the right place to make this workable, and a more old-school oriented Avengers book definitely has a place in the contemporary market.
But the bottom line is, Mighty Avengers #21 could make use of a Pym Pocket, because it tries to cram too much stuff into too small a space. Being overambitious is much, much better than being boring, though, and there are some isolated glimmers of potential in this new team and Slott's new setup. Once it finds its rhythm, the new iteration of Mighty should be one to watch.
Review Score: 7.4 Decent
Avengers #21.
Mighty Avengers #21 is the book's first issue under new writer Dan Slott and features its brand spankin' new cast, motivation, and direction. It seems odd to release the book the same week as Dark Avengers, but I suspect it's an intentional move that serves to highlight the opposite sides of the spectrum that the dueling titles will inhabit. Whereas Dark is sleek, cool, and very "of-the-now," Mighty is populated by mostly B- and C-listers and feels peculiarly Silver-Agey with its focus on magic and classical Avengers values.
The Avengers oath goes something like "On a day unlike any other yadda yadda some heroes got together and beat some ass, etc etc etc." and, in crafting his old-school version of the team, Dan Slott makes good on that proclamation by giving his Avengers a cause to fight against. The Chaos Cascade is a magical force wreaking havoc all over the world, causing large-scale disasters and good old-fashioned hero fatality. The Scarlet Witch begins collecting an army to combat it while Hercules, Amadeus Cho, and Jarvis try to get Hank Pym (now the Wasp) back in the game.
It's admirable that Slott sticks to the Avengers tradition of a threat no single hero can overcome and all that, but I personally feel that Mighty Avengers #21 bites off more than it can chew. When the issue shows worldwide crises and prominent heroes being killed (think Ultimatum #1), you can basically see the finger hovering over the reset button. It's too much, too soon for me. On top of that, the dialogue is awfully clunky in parts. Slott seems to struggle with writing a natural teen girl; Stature's lines come off as awkward and stilted. Elsewhere, there are long stretches of characters standing around explaining past plot points to one another for (ostensibly) the benefit of unfamiliar readers. The dialogue and interaction between characters doesn't feel smooth or organic.
Still, despite that, there's a likable quality to the book. Slott seems to be making a case for Mighty Avengers as the revival of the 1970s era of the team, and generally speaking, there's certainly a market for that sort of thing - I'm sure that the intended audience for this title probably doesn't overlap completely with readers who are in love with Brian Bendis's all-star makeover of the franchise. In interviews, Slott has called his version of the team the Avengers for old-school Avengers fans, and with a cast list that sports Jocasta, the Vision, and Hercules, he's not far off the mark. The mysterious reintroduction of the Scarlet Witch and a overarching plot firmly steeped in the magical realm cements that, and reminds me of Kurt Busiek's "Heroes Return" era of the team, which I suspect is probably intentional. This issue also names Jarvis the lynchpin of the Avengers, as well as Hank Pym one of the most crucial aspects of the team. Slott certainly has his head in the right place to make this workable, and a more old-school oriented Avengers book definitely has a place in the contemporary market.
But the bottom line is, Mighty Avengers #21 could make use of a Pym Pocket, because it tries to cram too much stuff into too small a space. Being overambitious is much, much better than being boring, though, and there are some isolated glimmers of potential in this new team and Slott's new setup. Once it finds its rhythm, the new iteration of Mighty should be one to watch.
Review Score: 7.4 Decent
