Post by goldenfist on Jan 31, 2008 9:46:31 GMT -5
Read what ign.com had to say about New Avengers Annual #2.
Back in the realm of Avengers that don't suck, we have New Avengers Annual. Taking a page from a couple of other Marvel Annuals this year, it actually pertains to the overarching story. In a weird twist though, it succeeds in being more entertaining than the parent title has been recently.
Effectually, New Avengers Annual #2 is New Avengers #37.5. It clears up the Hood storyline that's been running through the title for some time and bridges the gap between that and the next stage of the book. As you might expect, after months of buildup this Annual is little more than a double-sized fight scene when the Hood and his new incarnation of the Masters of Evil bum-rush the Avengers' hideout. New Avengers has certainly earned itself an issue or two of fisticuffs after recent issues plagued by standing around and running away, and this book has its share of exciting action panels. I can't say I've enjoyed New Avengers quite this much since Skrullectra hit. It's helped in no small part by the pencils of Carlo Pagulayan, who creates very effective fight scenes. I'm ambivalent about Leinil Yu's work on the parent title, but there's no question that this Annual would've fallen rather short of the mark with him at the helm.
One question I have is why the Mighty Avengers team members keep letting the New Avengers go. It happened twice this week alone. One of the most appealing concepts when the second team was launched was the rivalry, but there's only so many times the Mighty Avengers can turn a blind eye before the potential is lost.
Mindless dumb fun but still very important to the parent title, just like a good Annual issue should be. If you're looking for a very traditional all-out superhero fight, look no further.
Review Score:8.8 Great
Here's what another Reviewer had to say about New Avengers
Annual #2.
Unlike Bryan, I have been enjoying New Avengers since the "Skrullectra" reveal quite a bit, so I guess this annual doesn't strike me as particularly mind-blowing. We're essentially reading a rematch of the fight from issue #37, only longer and drawn by a different artist. The fact that Leinil Yu is replaced by Carlos Pagulayan is certainly a draw, but not quite enough to keep me from wondering if this issue couldn't have been squeezed into the rest of the arc.
The New Avengers gave Parker Robbins and his gang of super-criminals a solid trouncing last issue, so now it's their turn to return the favor. Naturally, this involves the villains assaulting our heroes on their home turf. Right away, part of me cried foul that The Hood was able to penetrate Dr. Strange's defenses when Brother Voodoo failed so miserably. Seriously, how does a punk in a cape out-magic Brother Voodoo? Regardless, the ensuing fight is pretty cool. As mentioned, Pagulayan provides the pencils this issue, and his style is a welcome change from Yu's recent muddy work. Pagulayan quickly stood out with his work on Incredible Hulk last year, and I'm happy to see him moving up the Marvel ranks. And, if nothing else, it's nice to be able to tell what's going on in the more frantic scenes for once.
I only wish there was more to this issue besides the fight. I appreciate that Bendis uses the annual to address several recent Marvel events, most notably World War Hulk. On the other hand, the Peter Parker in this issue is very blatantly still in his "Back in Black" phase, and it's almost too depressing to know I'm reading his last Avengers appearance before the One More Day changes take effect. As for the ramifications of the fight, I was hoping for a few more ties to Secret Invasion. I suppose Brian Michael Bendis has to save a few Skrull revelations for Secret Invasion itself. Instead, Bendis shakes up the status quo in a different way, which essentially puts the Avengers in a spot they've been in too many times over the past few years. I won't say anymore for now, but I'm slightly less excited for upcoming issues than I had hoped because of it. Though this annual was a solid effort in many respects, I think that shows it didn't quite accomplish what it set out to do.
Review Score: 7.7
Back in the realm of Avengers that don't suck, we have New Avengers Annual. Taking a page from a couple of other Marvel Annuals this year, it actually pertains to the overarching story. In a weird twist though, it succeeds in being more entertaining than the parent title has been recently.
Effectually, New Avengers Annual #2 is New Avengers #37.5. It clears up the Hood storyline that's been running through the title for some time and bridges the gap between that and the next stage of the book. As you might expect, after months of buildup this Annual is little more than a double-sized fight scene when the Hood and his new incarnation of the Masters of Evil bum-rush the Avengers' hideout. New Avengers has certainly earned itself an issue or two of fisticuffs after recent issues plagued by standing around and running away, and this book has its share of exciting action panels. I can't say I've enjoyed New Avengers quite this much since Skrullectra hit. It's helped in no small part by the pencils of Carlo Pagulayan, who creates very effective fight scenes. I'm ambivalent about Leinil Yu's work on the parent title, but there's no question that this Annual would've fallen rather short of the mark with him at the helm.
One question I have is why the Mighty Avengers team members keep letting the New Avengers go. It happened twice this week alone. One of the most appealing concepts when the second team was launched was the rivalry, but there's only so many times the Mighty Avengers can turn a blind eye before the potential is lost.
Mindless dumb fun but still very important to the parent title, just like a good Annual issue should be. If you're looking for a very traditional all-out superhero fight, look no further.
Review Score:8.8 Great
Here's what another Reviewer had to say about New Avengers
Annual #2.
Unlike Bryan, I have been enjoying New Avengers since the "Skrullectra" reveal quite a bit, so I guess this annual doesn't strike me as particularly mind-blowing. We're essentially reading a rematch of the fight from issue #37, only longer and drawn by a different artist. The fact that Leinil Yu is replaced by Carlos Pagulayan is certainly a draw, but not quite enough to keep me from wondering if this issue couldn't have been squeezed into the rest of the arc.
The New Avengers gave Parker Robbins and his gang of super-criminals a solid trouncing last issue, so now it's their turn to return the favor. Naturally, this involves the villains assaulting our heroes on their home turf. Right away, part of me cried foul that The Hood was able to penetrate Dr. Strange's defenses when Brother Voodoo failed so miserably. Seriously, how does a punk in a cape out-magic Brother Voodoo? Regardless, the ensuing fight is pretty cool. As mentioned, Pagulayan provides the pencils this issue, and his style is a welcome change from Yu's recent muddy work. Pagulayan quickly stood out with his work on Incredible Hulk last year, and I'm happy to see him moving up the Marvel ranks. And, if nothing else, it's nice to be able to tell what's going on in the more frantic scenes for once.
I only wish there was more to this issue besides the fight. I appreciate that Bendis uses the annual to address several recent Marvel events, most notably World War Hulk. On the other hand, the Peter Parker in this issue is very blatantly still in his "Back in Black" phase, and it's almost too depressing to know I'm reading his last Avengers appearance before the One More Day changes take effect. As for the ramifications of the fight, I was hoping for a few more ties to Secret Invasion. I suppose Brian Michael Bendis has to save a few Skrull revelations for Secret Invasion itself. Instead, Bendis shakes up the status quo in a different way, which essentially puts the Avengers in a spot they've been in too many times over the past few years. I won't say anymore for now, but I'm slightly less excited for upcoming issues than I had hoped because of it. Though this annual was a solid effort in many respects, I think that shows it didn't quite accomplish what it set out to do.
Review Score: 7.7
