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Avengers Assemble #2
Avengers Assemble: Science Bros
Two scientists, two giant egos. One wears a tank...one is a tank. Tony Stark and Bruce Banner are science bros! And when a fellow big-brain goes missing, the two heroes take bets who can find him first! It's Amazing Race, Avengers-style, as Iron Man and Hulk embark on a global manhunt with the ultimate prize at stake...bragging rights! But what happens when a 20 million-year-old evolutionary catalyst infects the Hulk? The Avengers must find the missing scientist before he and his Order of the Dragon unleash his bacteria on the entire world! Plus: the Black Widow's sins have resurfaced! Widow, Spider-Woman and Hawkeye travel to Siberia to search for a missing girl with ties to an old Soviet assassination. But the truth behind this girl's disappearance may be more than the Avengers are prepared to handle!
COLLECTING: Avengers Assemble 9-13, Annual 1
COLLECTING: Avengers Assemble 9-13, Annual 1
112 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2012
9 people are currently reading
869 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Sue DeConnick
365 books2,228 followersKelly Sue DeConnick’s work spans stage, comics, film and television. Ms. DeConnick first came to prominence as a comics writer, where she is best known for reinventing the Carol Danvers as “Captain Marvel” at Marvel and for the Black Label standard-setting Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons at DC. Her independent comics Bitch Planet and Pretty Deadly (both from Image Comics) have ranked as New York Times best-sellers and been honored with Eisner Awards, British Fantasy Awards and Hugo nominations.
Ms. DeConnick’s screen work includes stints on Captain Marvel, a film that earned $1B for Disney worldwide, and 2023’s forthcoming The Marvels with Marvel Studios; in addition to having consulted on features for Skydance and ARRAY, and developed television for NBCUniversal, Legendary Entertainment and HBOMax. Her most recent stage work is the mythic spectacle AWAKENING, which opened at the Wynn Resort Las Vegas in November 2022.
Mission-driven, Ms. DeConnick is also a founding partner at Good Trouble Productions, where she has helped to produce non-fiction and educational comics including the “Hidden Voices” and “Recognized” series for NY Public Schools and Congressman John Lewis’ Run, in partnership with Abrams Comics.
In 2015, Ms. DeConnick founded the #VisibleWomen Project, whose mission is to help women and other marginalized genders find paid work in comics and its related industries. The project continues to this day and recently expanded in partnership with Dani Hedlund of Brink Literacy.
Ms. DeConnick lives in Portland, OR with her husband, writer Matt Fraction, and their two children.
Ms. DeConnick’s screen work includes stints on Captain Marvel, a film that earned $1B for Disney worldwide, and 2023’s forthcoming The Marvels with Marvel Studios; in addition to having consulted on features for Skydance and ARRAY, and developed television for NBCUniversal, Legendary Entertainment and HBOMax. Her most recent stage work is the mythic spectacle AWAKENING, which opened at the Wynn Resort Las Vegas in November 2022.
Mission-driven, Ms. DeConnick is also a founding partner at Good Trouble Productions, where she has helped to produce non-fiction and educational comics including the “Hidden Voices” and “Recognized” series for NY Public Schools and Congressman John Lewis’ Run, in partnership with Abrams Comics.
In 2015, Ms. DeConnick founded the #VisibleWomen Project, whose mission is to help women and other marginalized genders find paid work in comics and its related industries. The project continues to this day and recently expanded in partnership with Dani Hedlund of Brink Literacy.
Ms. DeConnick lives in Portland, OR with her husband, writer Matt Fraction, and their two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
November 25, 2016
This? This is why I keep reading comics.
Everyone and their mother has recommended DeConnick's run on this title to me, but (and I honestly have no idea why!) I never got around to it. Anyway, I guess that makes me somewhat late to the Science Bros love-fest.
Don't make the same mistake Anne did, random stranger!
In almost every single review I read here on Goodreads, I saw the word fun, and there's good reason for it. Everything about this volume is just...well, FUN!
There isn't anything in this that changes the Marvel universe, but I walked away with a smile on my face. And, really, isn't that why we all picked this habit up to start with?
Or at least why most of us did...
The first part had to do with a bet made between Tony & Bruce about which of them can find a missing colleague first.
Nothing groundbreaking, but the dialogue between the characters is witty and sharp. Can I use the word zany without embarrassing myself? Probably not.
Whatever. You get the point...it was fun to read!
The second part had Black Widow going off to try and make up for past sins, while Hawkeye & Spider-woman tag along to give an (unwanted) hand.
The quirky triangle between those three was unexpectedly the high point of the story for me.
Oh, oh! And the crazy Lizard People. Because you can never have too many stories about rogue human/lizard hybrids!
So, yes. Listen to your friends and pick up Science Bros. It's worth it!
Everyone and their mother has recommended DeConnick's run on this title to me, but (and I honestly have no idea why!) I never got around to it. Anyway, I guess that makes me somewhat late to the Science Bros love-fest.
Don't make the same mistake Anne did, random stranger!
In almost every single review I read here on Goodreads, I saw the word fun, and there's good reason for it. Everything about this volume is just...well, FUN!
There isn't anything in this that changes the Marvel universe, but I walked away with a smile on my face. And, really, isn't that why we all picked this habit up to start with?
Or at least why most of us did...
The first part had to do with a bet made between Tony & Bruce about which of them can find a missing colleague first.
Nothing groundbreaking, but the dialogue between the characters is witty and sharp. Can I use the word zany without embarrassing myself? Probably not.
Whatever. You get the point...it was fun to read!
The second part had Black Widow going off to try and make up for past sins, while Hawkeye & Spider-woman tag along to give an (unwanted) hand.
The quirky triangle between those three was unexpectedly the high point of the story for me.
Oh, oh! And the crazy Lizard People. Because you can never have too many stories about rogue human/lizard hybrids!
So, yes. Listen to your friends and pick up Science Bros. It's worth it!
May 11, 2016
Put on your lab coats, get your safety googles on and fire up those Bunsen burners – It’s a battle of scientists, Yo!
It’s geeking out over the periodic chart versus who can come with the next cool app.
It’s two of the Avengers foremost science guys: Bruce Banner vs. Tony Stark in a battle to see who has to end up walking down the streets of New York City in the buff.
Crap happens along the way:
But the outcome is never in doubt:
Story two has the Black Widow working on decreasing that red ledger she mentioned in the first Avengers movie.
But to accomplish this she has to take the Avengers couple du jour along for the ride: Hawkeye and Spider-Woman.
Let the good times roll!
The Avengers Assemble Annual is included here as well. In it, the Vision believes there’s more to being an Avenger than just diaper duty.
Bottom Line: I believe this was one of those Marvel titles that was designed as a gateway for fans of the movies, which is fine, but thanks to DeConnick’s sense of humor and sharp characterization, long-time fans will enjoy it as well. It presents the familiar characters in new situations without dragging in the baggage of 50 plus years of continuity.
It’s geeking out over the periodic chart versus who can come with the next cool app.
It’s two of the Avengers foremost science guys: Bruce Banner vs. Tony Stark in a battle to see who has to end up walking down the streets of New York City in the buff.
Crap happens along the way:
But the outcome is never in doubt:
Story two has the Black Widow working on decreasing that red ledger she mentioned in the first Avengers movie.
But to accomplish this she has to take the Avengers couple du jour along for the ride: Hawkeye and Spider-Woman.
Let the good times roll!
The Avengers Assemble Annual is included here as well. In it, the Vision believes there’s more to being an Avenger than just diaper duty.
Bottom Line: I believe this was one of those Marvel titles that was designed as a gateway for fans of the movies, which is fine, but thanks to DeConnick’s sense of humor and sharp characterization, long-time fans will enjoy it as well. It presents the familiar characters in new situations without dragging in the baggage of 50 plus years of continuity.
December 6, 2014
I’m really tempted to give this five stars. Not because it’s one of the groundbreaking classics of the comic genre like Watchmen or Dark Knight Returns. It’s not. It’s also not putting a new twist on a familiar hero in brilliant ways like the current run of Hawkeye, and it’s certainly not doing anything wildly original like Saga.
What is it then? Just a helluva lot of fun.
There’s three stories in this collection. The first and best involves Tony Stark and Bruce Banner trying to settle a debate over science by pulling some of the other Avengers into a race to Antarctica to check out a potential problem, but of course things go sideways once they get there. The next one has Black Widow trying to repay an old debt from her days as a KGB spy and assassin with a little help from Hawkeye and Spiderwoman. Finally, Vision tries to cope with his return from the dead as the Avengers confront a super villain.
So there’s no huge crossover events that force you to read 20 other books to get the whole story. Nor are there major character deaths to pimp for sales. No epic storylines that will “Change the Marvel universe forever!” (Or at least until they return to baseline a few issues later.) It’s also not so bogged down with history and continuity that only long time fans can understand it.
It’s just the Avengers being Avengers with funny interactions, nice character bits, evil villains with dastardly schemes, plenty of action, and lots of Big Damn Hero moments.
The only bad thing is that it got my hopes that this title might keep delivering stories like that, but when I looked up what comes next I see that it’s nothing but crossovers like Age of Ultron and Infinity after this.
*sigh* So much for that fifth star…
What is it then? Just a helluva lot of fun.
There’s three stories in this collection. The first and best involves Tony Stark and Bruce Banner trying to settle a debate over science by pulling some of the other Avengers into a race to Antarctica to check out a potential problem, but of course things go sideways once they get there. The next one has Black Widow trying to repay an old debt from her days as a KGB spy and assassin with a little help from Hawkeye and Spiderwoman. Finally, Vision tries to cope with his return from the dead as the Avengers confront a super villain.
So there’s no huge crossover events that force you to read 20 other books to get the whole story. Nor are there major character deaths to pimp for sales. No epic storylines that will “Change the Marvel universe forever!” (Or at least until they return to baseline a few issues later.) It’s also not so bogged down with history and continuity that only long time fans can understand it.
It’s just the Avengers being Avengers with funny interactions, nice character bits, evil villains with dastardly schemes, plenty of action, and lots of Big Damn Hero moments.
The only bad thing is that it got my hopes that this title might keep delivering stories like that, but when I looked up what comes next I see that it’s nothing but crossovers like Age of Ultron and Infinity after this.
*sigh* So much for that fifth star…
October 29, 2014
I’ll just say it: I’m not a fan of Kelly Sue DeConnick’s writing. I tried her Captain Marvel and didn’t like it; Pretty Deadly was full of unrealised potential that divulged into a turgid mess; and one issue of Ghost was enough. So I was REALLY surprised when I picked up her Avengers book and found myself laughing at the banter and enjoying the book. She surprised me in the best possible way and made me want to give her Captain Marvel another shot.
Here’s what I’ve noticed about modern superhero comics - they split into two camps. You either get a good character story or you get a well-plotted story. The great books are the ones that have both but the good ones usually do one or the other, while the weaker ones do crap versions of those types while the awful ones achieve neither.
So for example, good character books are Gillen/McKelvie’s Young Avengers or Fraction/Aja’s Hawkeye where you don’t mind what the story is because you love the characters. Good story books are like Soule/Pulido’s She Hulk or Ellis/Shalvey’s Moon Knight where the plot captivates you more than the characters. The truly great ones are books like Slott/Various Artists’ Superior Spider-Man which has a great central character you want to read more of AND a fantastic absorbing plot.
ANYWAY: Avengers Assemble is a good character book - the plot’s not important, it’s just something for the characters to be doing while they’re riffing. The first arc concerns a Chinese villain called Yun Guang Han who wants to create an unstoppable army of super soldiers or something. The second sees an outbreak of lizard people amidst the youth of Siberia. Meh.
But the character stuff is wonderful. Like Banner and Stark arguing over who’s got the better scientific morals/approach, leading to a bizarre bet where the stakes are walking through Manhattan in your birthday suit. And Jessica Drew aka Spider-Woman’s face when she uses her pheromones to get Hulk to make her a sandwich: “Huuuuuuuulk, make me a saaaandwiiich!” (as if she eats carbs!). Then her face when she sees what a Hulk sandwich looks like! By the way, this is all just five pages though it’s representative of DeConnick’s work on this book as a whole.
There’s even a bit where Jessica and Hulk are in the Arctic and she says she’s cold so Hulk puts his hand over her face which warms her up. Same thing happened on the set of The Princess Bride when Robin Wright told Andre the Giant she was cold so he put his massive hand over her head!
One other detail I liked which was unexpected was the appearance of the classic Cap outfit. Nowadays his outfit looks like the one Chris Evans wears in The Winter Soldier movie - very modern, practical, etc. But I miss the old Cap with the blue chainmail scales, the wings sticking out on the sides of his mask and the corsair boots. Well, he’s got them in this book - woohoo! And he has an awesome aerial battle too.
I won’t mention every little thing I liked about this book but DeConnick’s character voices are highly entertaining to read - she does ensemble stories better than individual characters like Captain Marvel.
The one writer who does live up to the lowest expectations is Christos Gage whose Vision story that closes out the book was totally pants. It’s the same cliched “scientist has crap life and goes batty with superpowers” thing that’s been done to death for decades. I suppose the last couple panels are cool but everything that preceded it was 100% Gage-certified crapness.
If you’re like me and don’t think much of Kelly Sue DeConnick’s Captain Marvel or Pretty Deadly and you’re willing to give her another chance, check out Science Bros - it’s an eye opener! Definitely one of the funniest Marvel books I’ve read this year, DeConnick proves she can write the hell out of an Avengers book. Get rid of Jonathan Hickman and put her in charge of the title, Marvel!!
Here’s what I’ve noticed about modern superhero comics - they split into two camps. You either get a good character story or you get a well-plotted story. The great books are the ones that have both but the good ones usually do one or the other, while the weaker ones do crap versions of those types while the awful ones achieve neither.
So for example, good character books are Gillen/McKelvie’s Young Avengers or Fraction/Aja’s Hawkeye where you don’t mind what the story is because you love the characters. Good story books are like Soule/Pulido’s She Hulk or Ellis/Shalvey’s Moon Knight where the plot captivates you more than the characters. The truly great ones are books like Slott/Various Artists’ Superior Spider-Man which has a great central character you want to read more of AND a fantastic absorbing plot.
ANYWAY: Avengers Assemble is a good character book - the plot’s not important, it’s just something for the characters to be doing while they’re riffing. The first arc concerns a Chinese villain called Yun Guang Han who wants to create an unstoppable army of super soldiers or something. The second sees an outbreak of lizard people amidst the youth of Siberia. Meh.
But the character stuff is wonderful. Like Banner and Stark arguing over who’s got the better scientific morals/approach, leading to a bizarre bet where the stakes are walking through Manhattan in your birthday suit. And Jessica Drew aka Spider-Woman’s face when she uses her pheromones to get Hulk to make her a sandwich: “Huuuuuuuulk, make me a saaaandwiiich!” (as if she eats carbs!). Then her face when she sees what a Hulk sandwich looks like! By the way, this is all just five pages though it’s representative of DeConnick’s work on this book as a whole.
There’s even a bit where Jessica and Hulk are in the Arctic and she says she’s cold so Hulk puts his hand over her face which warms her up. Same thing happened on the set of The Princess Bride when Robin Wright told Andre the Giant she was cold so he put his massive hand over her head!
One other detail I liked which was unexpected was the appearance of the classic Cap outfit. Nowadays his outfit looks like the one Chris Evans wears in The Winter Soldier movie - very modern, practical, etc. But I miss the old Cap with the blue chainmail scales, the wings sticking out on the sides of his mask and the corsair boots. Well, he’s got them in this book - woohoo! And he has an awesome aerial battle too.
I won’t mention every little thing I liked about this book but DeConnick’s character voices are highly entertaining to read - she does ensemble stories better than individual characters like Captain Marvel.
The one writer who does live up to the lowest expectations is Christos Gage whose Vision story that closes out the book was totally pants. It’s the same cliched “scientist has crap life and goes batty with superpowers” thing that’s been done to death for decades. I suppose the last couple panels are cool but everything that preceded it was 100% Gage-certified crapness.
If you’re like me and don’t think much of Kelly Sue DeConnick’s Captain Marvel or Pretty Deadly and you’re willing to give her another chance, check out Science Bros - it’s an eye opener! Definitely one of the funniest Marvel books I’ve read this year, DeConnick proves she can write the hell out of an Avengers book. Get rid of Jonathan Hickman and put her in charge of the title, Marvel!!
October 26, 2014
Although it feels a little disconnected -- the TPB is a collection of disparate Avengers stories, rather than any kind of continuous story arc -- this is a great book. It's funny till it's not, serious in the right places, with some great character moments and a great team. Spider-woman and Hulk make a fun pair-up, while I will never get over Captains America and Marvel being friends and drinking kale smoothies for breakfast, or Tony's sweet pep talk for Bruce while he's eating caramel and walnut ice cream. The final story involves the Vision, and it surprised me by linking with Young Avengers and having Vision go to meet one of his sons at the end. Also, I thrilled a little to the scene-setting line: "Outside Wiccan and Hulkling's House". I hope Vision likes his son's boyfriend...
I was a little bemused by Clint apparently dating Jessica Drew, but okay. The story with those two and Natasha was pretty cool, though strongly reminiscent of Amazing Spider-man, with the lizard people and all...
The art is really good, too; I don't actually remember any of the artists' names from anything else, but the drawings are really clean and clear, the action looks great, the colours are bright and eye-catching without being garish, etc.
This volume is worth it for "Hulllllk, make me a sandwich", "hippy peanut butter" and the naked walk to the Baxter Building alone. The rest is extra caramel for Bruce's depressed ice cream breakfast.
I was a little bemused by Clint apparently dating Jessica Drew, but okay. The story with those two and Natasha was pretty cool, though strongly reminiscent of Amazing Spider-man, with the lizard people and all...
The art is really good, too; I don't actually remember any of the artists' names from anything else, but the drawings are really clean and clear, the action looks great, the colours are bright and eye-catching without being garish, etc.
This volume is worth it for "Hulllllk, make me a sandwich", "hippy peanut butter" and the naked walk to the Baxter Building alone. The rest is extra caramel for Bruce's depressed ice cream breakfast.
March 31, 2019
4 stars.
** Re-read recently. In light of Aaron's current Avengers run, it was nice to go back to a great Avengers run. DeConnick had a much better understanding of what an Avengers comic should be: character moments, a common enemy and a great story. It's refreshing to read an Avengers book where the team fights an enemy: not each other.
The first story, the Science Bros story, was a 5 star story. The second story with Widow, Spider-Woman and Hawkeye was a 4 star story and the Vision story was a 3 star story.
I read Avengers Assemble: The Forgeries of Jealousy first so I was really tempted to check this out. These books are a lot of fun! Plus, they're clearly made with the intent of being easy for new comic book readers to get into. There's nothing in this, short of the line up and some references, that would confuse someone who'd only seen the MCU films.
That being said, I enjoyed The Forgeries of Jealousy a lot more.
I adored the story with Tony and Bruce! Science bros for the win! Tony and Bruce clearly care about each other and the whole thing starts out of some friendly competition. They want to prove who's the better scientist so they take advantage of a mission to do it. I love the way Hulk's expressions are drawn in this book. There were times I actually felt like hugging him! The way that story ends with Tony and Hulk walking naked through town was hilarious! 5 star story.
Widow's story was interesting. I love a good Black Widow story and I liked the concept of the Widowmakers (I think that's what they're called). Widow has "red in her ledger" and she wants to wipe it out by atoning for some of the awful things she was told to do. I'm a sucker for a good redemption story. The lizard people aspect didn't do it for me but there was some great character work here. I didn't like that Jess came along as the jealous girlfriend. I could've totally done without that. 4 stars for a meh "bad guy" and the waste of Jess' potential.
Vision has never been a character I've been invested in. Like... at all. Full disclosure. But, that being said, he was okay in this story. It was basically a one-shot dealing with how he feels being back to life after Wanda got mad at the Avengers and killed a bunch of them. I really felt for him in Avengers V. X-Men when he was angry with her because she used him to hurt their friends. So, I felt sorry for him here when he's struggling to be a part of the group again. I had wondered if he'd ever met his sons and this kind of answers that for me. That being said, I felt nothing for the villain here. His story was meant to parallel Vision's but I cared about Vision's plight. The villain was meh and I didn't really care for the art. 3 stars.
A note about the art: why of why do we have to outline every nook and cranny of Jess' body? I think she's gorgeous as well but there is absolutely no way a woman would a costume that incredibly form-fitting. It looked like body paint. No... just no.
** Re-read recently. In light of Aaron's current Avengers run, it was nice to go back to a great Avengers run. DeConnick had a much better understanding of what an Avengers comic should be: character moments, a common enemy and a great story. It's refreshing to read an Avengers book where the team fights an enemy: not each other.
The first story, the Science Bros story, was a 5 star story. The second story with Widow, Spider-Woman and Hawkeye was a 4 star story and the Vision story was a 3 star story.
I read Avengers Assemble: The Forgeries of Jealousy first so I was really tempted to check this out. These books are a lot of fun! Plus, they're clearly made with the intent of being easy for new comic book readers to get into. There's nothing in this, short of the line up and some references, that would confuse someone who'd only seen the MCU films.
That being said, I enjoyed The Forgeries of Jealousy a lot more.
I adored the story with Tony and Bruce! Science bros for the win! Tony and Bruce clearly care about each other and the whole thing starts out of some friendly competition. They want to prove who's the better scientist so they take advantage of a mission to do it. I love the way Hulk's expressions are drawn in this book. There were times I actually felt like hugging him! The way that story ends with Tony and Hulk walking naked through town was hilarious! 5 star story.
Widow's story was interesting. I love a good Black Widow story and I liked the concept of the Widowmakers (I think that's what they're called). Widow has "red in her ledger" and she wants to wipe it out by atoning for some of the awful things she was told to do. I'm a sucker for a good redemption story. The lizard people aspect didn't do it for me but there was some great character work here. I didn't like that Jess came along as the jealous girlfriend. I could've totally done without that. 4 stars for a meh "bad guy" and the waste of Jess' potential.
Vision has never been a character I've been invested in. Like... at all. Full disclosure. But, that being said, he was okay in this story. It was basically a one-shot dealing with how he feels being back to life after Wanda got mad at the Avengers and killed a bunch of them. I really felt for him in Avengers V. X-Men when he was angry with her because she used him to hurt their friends. So, I felt sorry for him here when he's struggling to be a part of the group again. I had wondered if he'd ever met his sons and this kind of answers that for me. That being said, I felt nothing for the villain here. His story was meant to parallel Vision's but I cared about Vision's plight. The villain was meh and I didn't really care for the art. 3 stars.
A note about the art: why of why do we have to outline every nook and cranny of Jess' body? I think she's gorgeous as well but there is absolutely no way a woman would a costume that incredibly form-fitting. It looked like body paint. No... just no.
October 30, 2018
All my friends on here seemed to love this, I thought it was just decent fun but nothing special.
Tony and Banner make a bet. They split in to two teams, which really is just Hulk and Spider-woman and Tony with Thor. This is basically a fun little trip that turns a lot darker when they discover a hidden secret. The next story is a two part story about Hawkeye and Black Widow. When Black Widow is drawn back into a mission for someone who she'd given a favor chip to long ago, both Clint and Jessica decide to follow her there.
Good: I enjoyed the banter here. Very movie-like MCU universe feel. I also liked most of the fights, they were big and bombastic. Overall easy to read, good plotting and pacing.
Bad: The art is okay but feels kind of stockish. I also thought the stakes were super low. I get this is more a "FUN" title but it felt so low I was kinda of bored when they threw any real "oh no" moments at us.
Overall this is a fun title. If like the MCU you'll probably love this. I do love the MCU but this just didn't blow me away. Still a fun title to check out if bored. A 3 out of 5.
Tony and Banner make a bet. They split in to two teams, which really is just Hulk and Spider-woman and Tony with Thor. This is basically a fun little trip that turns a lot darker when they discover a hidden secret. The next story is a two part story about Hawkeye and Black Widow. When Black Widow is drawn back into a mission for someone who she'd given a favor chip to long ago, both Clint and Jessica decide to follow her there.
Good: I enjoyed the banter here. Very movie-like MCU universe feel. I also liked most of the fights, they were big and bombastic. Overall easy to read, good plotting and pacing.
Bad: The art is okay but feels kind of stockish. I also thought the stakes were super low. I get this is more a "FUN" title but it felt so low I was kinda of bored when they threw any real "oh no" moments at us.
Overall this is a fun title. If like the MCU you'll probably love this. I do love the MCU but this just didn't blow me away. Still a fun title to check out if bored. A 3 out of 5.
August 1, 2021
Third reading comments 2021: I read this during a very emotionally difficult spell in 2018, and it impacted my opinion. Third reading, back to rounding up to 4 stars--I found this quite enjoyable, overall.
Second reading comments 2018:
Wow, I must've read a lot of things I thought were better than this since I first read this! And there have been more Marvel movies, including two featuring Paul Bettany's interesting portrayal of (the)Vision. It still has its moments, but I wasn't as fond of it overall this time and am downgrading it to 3 stars. The girl-power aspect is still good, and there's still some quippy-ness.
First reading review 2015:
Rounding up to a 4-star rating for the whole book, despite not liking Annual #1 that much.
Science Bros (#9-11) - Kelly Sue DeConnick (writer); Stefano Caselli, et.al.(artists)
I’m not very familiar with the pre-existing, book-form versions of the Avengers, so I had no nitpicks about who was chosen to be on the team for the movie. I adore the movie. But I have no problem accepting a different configuration of the team in this story. It’s good to see the female team members Captain Marvel and Spider-Woman. They hold their own very well up against Iron Man, the Hulk, Captain America and Thor. The story is entertaining, largely because of the dialogue--which is of Joss Whedon/Justin Theroux/Shane Black/Christopher Markus/James Gunn/Nicole Perlman quality. Zippy, funny, sarcastic, contemporary and realistic-sounding. This is how people talk. Even the villain has quirky lines instead of being a humourless blockhead like a lot of comic book villains. There’s a good mix of the light and the serious, and all the necessary information gets conveyed without things getting bogged down anywhere. The contrast between Tony Stark’s and Bruce Banner’s worldviews is interesting, while they’re also shown as capable of being friends.
The art is also very nice for the most part, with plenty of realistic detail. The beefcake shots of Tony Stark and the Hulk during their losers’ walk of shame are over-the-top…but at least they serve to balance the fact that Spider-Woman sometimes looks as if she’s wearing body paint instead of clothes. And I guess it’s because I didn’t grow up reading comics and thinking people running around in brightly-coloured leotards and Spandex were the coolest thing ever, because it really stood out to me how Tony Stark and Bruce Banner (I’ve watched the Avengers movie so many times, I can “hear” Mark Ruffalo inside my head saying the line about how he doesn’t get a suit) are the only members of the Avengers not shown wearing their superhero costumes all the time. Strange when they’re just hanging around Avengers Tower. Spider-Man and Wolverine make appearances, too, but only in their Spidey and Wolvie suits, not Peter Parker or Logan street clothes when they’re not directly involved in the action. Oh, well.
Issues/chapters #12-13, while included as part of the Science Bros. package, are not actually part of that story. Instead, they feature Black Widow and her continuing attempts to “wipe out the red in her ledger.” Again, good dialogue--especially the back-and-forth between Spider-Woman and Hawkeye--and good art. The story, a Russian twist on the lizard-people serum Spider-Man readers are familiar with, is elevated by what Black Widow’s going through.
Pleased with DeConnick’s storytelling skills, I am definitely going to get my hands on the next volume of Avengers Assemble.
Annual #1 – Christos Gage (writer); Tomm Coker, et. al. (artists)
This one centres on The Vision, a character I’m not familiar with beyond his basic description and sort of the Marvel universe’s version of Pinocchio (a synthetic, humanoid lifeform created by Ultron, who himself is a product of Tony Stark’s Iron Man project), and his struggle to achieve an identity of his own. Here we have a silver version of Iron Man, Hank Pym as Giant-Man (instead of Ant-Man), Quicksilver and Captain Marvel as secondaries to the Vision. They’re up against someone known as Sunturion (never heard of ‘im), a once-ordinary guy turned into a vengeful superhuman with strange energy properties. The vengeful guy does damage and has to be talked down, and there’s some existential mulling; but the story and the art really didn’t do much for me. It was okay but not something I want more of.
Second reading comments 2018:
Wow, I must've read a lot of things I thought were better than this since I first read this! And there have been more Marvel movies, including two featuring Paul Bettany's interesting portrayal of (the)Vision. It still has its moments, but I wasn't as fond of it overall this time and am downgrading it to 3 stars. The girl-power aspect is still good, and there's still some quippy-ness.
First reading review 2015:
Rounding up to a 4-star rating for the whole book, despite not liking Annual #1 that much.
Science Bros (#9-11) - Kelly Sue DeConnick (writer); Stefano Caselli, et.al.(artists)
I’m not very familiar with the pre-existing, book-form versions of the Avengers, so I had no nitpicks about who was chosen to be on the team for the movie. I adore the movie. But I have no problem accepting a different configuration of the team in this story. It’s good to see the female team members Captain Marvel and Spider-Woman. They hold their own very well up against Iron Man, the Hulk, Captain America and Thor. The story is entertaining, largely because of the dialogue--which is of Joss Whedon/Justin Theroux/Shane Black/Christopher Markus/James Gunn/Nicole Perlman quality. Zippy, funny, sarcastic, contemporary and realistic-sounding. This is how people talk. Even the villain has quirky lines instead of being a humourless blockhead like a lot of comic book villains. There’s a good mix of the light and the serious, and all the necessary information gets conveyed without things getting bogged down anywhere. The contrast between Tony Stark’s and Bruce Banner’s worldviews is interesting, while they’re also shown as capable of being friends.
The art is also very nice for the most part, with plenty of realistic detail. The beefcake shots of Tony Stark and the Hulk during their losers’ walk of shame are over-the-top…but at least they serve to balance the fact that Spider-Woman sometimes looks as if she’s wearing body paint instead of clothes. And I guess it’s because I didn’t grow up reading comics and thinking people running around in brightly-coloured leotards and Spandex were the coolest thing ever, because it really stood out to me how Tony Stark and Bruce Banner (I’ve watched the Avengers movie so many times, I can “hear” Mark Ruffalo inside my head saying the line about how he doesn’t get a suit) are the only members of the Avengers not shown wearing their superhero costumes all the time. Strange when they’re just hanging around Avengers Tower. Spider-Man and Wolverine make appearances, too, but only in their Spidey and Wolvie suits, not Peter Parker or Logan street clothes when they’re not directly involved in the action. Oh, well.
Issues/chapters #12-13, while included as part of the Science Bros. package, are not actually part of that story. Instead, they feature Black Widow and her continuing attempts to “wipe out the red in her ledger.” Again, good dialogue--especially the back-and-forth between Spider-Woman and Hawkeye--and good art. The story, a Russian twist on the lizard-people serum Spider-Man readers are familiar with, is elevated by what Black Widow’s going through.
Pleased with DeConnick’s storytelling skills, I am definitely going to get my hands on the next volume of Avengers Assemble.
Annual #1 – Christos Gage (writer); Tomm Coker, et. al. (artists)
This one centres on The Vision, a character I’m not familiar with beyond his basic description and sort of the Marvel universe’s version of Pinocchio (a synthetic, humanoid lifeform created by Ultron, who himself is a product of Tony Stark’s Iron Man project), and his struggle to achieve an identity of his own. Here we have a silver version of Iron Man, Hank Pym as Giant-Man (instead of Ant-Man), Quicksilver and Captain Marvel as secondaries to the Vision. They’re up against someone known as Sunturion (never heard of ‘im), a once-ordinary guy turned into a vengeful superhuman with strange energy properties. The vengeful guy does damage and has to be talked down, and there’s some existential mulling; but the story and the art really didn’t do much for me. It was okay but not something I want more of.
September 18, 2013
It's books like this that make me glad I'm reading Marvel again. It isn't quite perfection, but it's so incredibly fun. Avengers Assemble seems like it's positioned as the book for people fresh off the Avengers movie who have little experience in comics, and it's great for that. It has most of the ingredients that made Avengers such a great movie, especially a good balance of serious action and humor. The Science Bros story does start off hilariously (a million bonus points to DeConnick for writing Hulk griping about "hippy peanut butter") but shifts to serious where appropriate. And it doesn't feel any more jarring to the reader than it does to the characters. This is supposed to be fun for them, until it isn't. The villain feels like a credible threat, and has enough character himself that I hope to see him back again soon. The Black Widow story has a more serious tone, and it gives a good look inside Natasha's head. The last issue, an annual, is an oddly touching Vision story. I've read very little classic Avengers, and I barely even know who the character of Vision is, but by the end of the issue I found myself deeply attached to the character. That one apparently wasn't DeConnick, but it was a lovely piece of work.
Between this and Captain Marvel, I'm becoming a huge fan of DeConnick. I especially love the tiny, background details in the book, things that you can miss on a quick read but add depth to the story world once you notice them. Things like Captain American signing paperwork in the background of a panel. I don't know if the credit for this sort of thing goes to DeConnick or the artist, or more likely both, but I loved seeing it. And details aside, Caselli draws a really nice looking superhero comic.
The continuity requirement for reading Avengers Assemble has, so far, been practically non-existent. It's a great jumping on point for new fans interested by the movie, and it does a fantastic job of introducing characters who weren't around for the movie.
Between this and Captain Marvel, I'm becoming a huge fan of DeConnick. I especially love the tiny, background details in the book, things that you can miss on a quick read but add depth to the story world once you notice them. Things like Captain American signing paperwork in the background of a panel. I don't know if the credit for this sort of thing goes to DeConnick or the artist, or more likely both, but I loved seeing it. And details aside, Caselli draws a really nice looking superhero comic.
The continuity requirement for reading Avengers Assemble has, so far, been practically non-existent. It's a great jumping on point for new fans interested by the movie, and it does a fantastic job of introducing characters who weren't around for the movie.
October 30, 2013
DeConnick creates very believable characters, who are both unique in the way they speak and are genuinely three-dimensional in showing their less-than-admirable side. They just have real personality.
The villain in the first arc is even a rounded character, and unite unpredictable. He takes on an air of surprise and curiosity at the proceedings that I have just come to never expect, and yet the malice is still lurking in plain sight.
The best part of this is the sense of humour throughout. Not Bendis-lite quippy, more like a sense of wry sarcasm that keeps everyone from getting too comfy with each other - which just goes to underscore how familiar and comfortable the team is with each other, and yet how painful the dysfunction of everyone is when you amplify it by bringing it all together.
The second arc, with Black Widow at the center, is both a celebration of good friends backing up someone when they're facing big tasks - and a middling story of loss, revenge and monsters. I enjoyed the character moments far more than the actual plot or opponents, which were pretty bland even with their extraordinaryness. Pretty ordinary for Marvel U, not exactly anything we haven't seen tons of times before.
Looking forward to the next arc despite this slowdown in DeConnick's momentum - she does characters amazingly well, which is a huge part of my enjoyment of comics these days.
The villain in the first arc is even a rounded character, and unite unpredictable. He takes on an air of surprise and curiosity at the proceedings that I have just come to never expect, and yet the malice is still lurking in plain sight.
The best part of this is the sense of humour throughout. Not Bendis-lite quippy, more like a sense of wry sarcasm that keeps everyone from getting too comfy with each other - which just goes to underscore how familiar and comfortable the team is with each other, and yet how painful the dysfunction of everyone is when you amplify it by bringing it all together.
The second arc, with Black Widow at the center, is both a celebration of good friends backing up someone when they're facing big tasks - and a middling story of loss, revenge and monsters. I enjoyed the character moments far more than the actual plot or opponents, which were pretty bland even with their extraordinaryness. Pretty ordinary for Marvel U, not exactly anything we haven't seen tons of times before.
Looking forward to the next arc despite this slowdown in DeConnick's momentum - she does characters amazingly well, which is a huge part of my enjoyment of comics these days.
April 11, 2015
Kelly Sue DeConnick takes over the run of this series from Brian Michael Bendis, and it is already so much better.
There are actually three stories in this volume, the first is the title, wherein Bruce Banner and Tony Stark make a bet over who can find and rescue a fellow scientist first. It's by turns silly and funny and tragic and scary. It feels like the Avengers. I also like the art in this one much better than in volume one. The other Avengers, notably Captains America and Marvel and Spider-Woman also play a pretty big role. The focus isn't so much on the bad guy as it is the banter along the way. And it's some pretty great banter.
The second story is a Black Widow feature, also with Hawkeye and Spider-Woman (who is apparently dating Hawkeye). They travel to Russia after one of Black Widow's marks is called in. After she left her old life, she handed out nine marks to be called in for favors as a way to erase the red from her ledger, and this is the first to be called in. She has to save the daughter of a scientist she killed in order to prevent him from creating a dangerous weapon. But the daughter has secretly picked up where her father left off, and things get weird real fast.
The last story isn't actually by DeConnick, but by Christos Gage, and focuses on Vision (who we're going to meet in Age of Ultron in a couple of weeks), who wants to save a man whose life has been ruined by the company he gave his life to.
All in all, this is more like what I thought reading Avengers comics would be like. Just really fun and doesn't take itself too seriously.
There are actually three stories in this volume, the first is the title, wherein Bruce Banner and Tony Stark make a bet over who can find and rescue a fellow scientist first. It's by turns silly and funny and tragic and scary. It feels like the Avengers. I also like the art in this one much better than in volume one. The other Avengers, notably Captains America and Marvel and Spider-Woman also play a pretty big role. The focus isn't so much on the bad guy as it is the banter along the way. And it's some pretty great banter.
The second story is a Black Widow feature, also with Hawkeye and Spider-Woman (who is apparently dating Hawkeye). They travel to Russia after one of Black Widow's marks is called in. After she left her old life, she handed out nine marks to be called in for favors as a way to erase the red from her ledger, and this is the first to be called in. She has to save the daughter of a scientist she killed in order to prevent him from creating a dangerous weapon. But the daughter has secretly picked up where her father left off, and things get weird real fast.
The last story isn't actually by DeConnick, but by Christos Gage, and focuses on Vision (who we're going to meet in Age of Ultron in a couple of weeks), who wants to save a man whose life has been ruined by the company he gave his life to.
All in all, this is more like what I thought reading Avengers comics would be like. Just really fun and doesn't take itself too seriously.
August 31, 2014
Bullet Review:
For as disappointing and bleh as Vol 1 was, this one was amazing. DeConnick is my new graphic novel writer crush. The way she handles the characters is just - wow!! And of course, including Carol Danvers, my favorite superheroine, also gets brownie points. Actually, the fact that DeConnick's run included more women than Vol 1 was very encouraging and has even made me more interested in Spiderwoman/Jessica.
Good art. Great characters. Fantastic, witty, sarcastic dialogue. Interesting plots.
One of the few cases where I am SUPER glad I pursued the series instead of bailing after the first book/volume.
For as disappointing and bleh as Vol 1 was, this one was amazing. DeConnick is my new graphic novel writer crush. The way she handles the characters is just - wow!! And of course, including Carol Danvers, my favorite superheroine, also gets brownie points. Actually, the fact that DeConnick's run included more women than Vol 1 was very encouraging and has even made me more interested in Spiderwoman/Jessica.
Good art. Great characters. Fantastic, witty, sarcastic dialogue. Interesting plots.
One of the few cases where I am SUPER glad I pursued the series instead of bailing after the first book/volume.
December 30, 2017
AA, part two . . . bring the popcorn again.
While I didn't enjoy quite as much as the initial volume, it was an almost.
The first story is a strong, standard full roster adventure and everyone gets their moment - or snappy line of dialogue - or two to shine. A lot of banter (especially between title 'bros' Tony and Bruce), a lot of action, and a lot of fun.
The second features the awkward but effective 'trio for trouble' of Black Widow (some brief but nice delving into her character), Hawkeye, and Spider-Woman on a personal jaunt back to mother Russia. Given BW's pre-Avengers background as an assassin, this was a little more serious in tone.
The last was sort of mediocre but was a good showcase for the Vision character.
While I didn't enjoy quite as much as the initial volume, it was an almost.
The first story is a strong, standard full roster adventure and everyone gets their moment - or snappy line of dialogue - or two to shine. A lot of banter (especially between title 'bros' Tony and Bruce), a lot of action, and a lot of fun.
The second features the awkward but effective 'trio for trouble' of Black Widow (some brief but nice delving into her character), Hawkeye, and Spider-Woman on a personal jaunt back to mother Russia. Given BW's pre-Avengers background as an assassin, this was a little more serious in tone.
The last was sort of mediocre but was a good showcase for the Vision character.
November 17, 2023
This is a fun series. I enjoy these kind of one off stories. Good stuff.
2nd read. Not quite as good with a little more comic experience under my belt. Not bad at all but needs a bit more context that the whole series generally provides.
2nd read. Not quite as good with a little more comic experience under my belt. Not bad at all but needs a bit more context that the whole series generally provides.
October 11, 2013
I forgot how much I liked this series until I reread it in trade (recent issues have suffered from tie-in-itis). It would be a good place to start for movie fans who want to try out the comics, I think; it is a delightful and unforced fusion of movies and comics. The series is deliberately continuity-light; various groupings of Avengers go on adventures that last two or three issues. This is labeled "Volume 2" of Avengers Assemble, but you should skip Volume 1. It is by a different writer, it has no bearing on Volume 2, and it is boring.
Volume 2 collects three stories: a three-issue arc in which Tony Stark proposes a contest to show whether his optimistic view of science and human potential is more realistic than Bruce Banner's pessimistic view; a two-issue arc in which Natasha Romanov pays one of the debts in her ledger; and an Annual (special) issue in which the Vision, an android and former Avenger, works out some of the grief and resentment occasioned by his betrayal by his wife (who effectively killed him) and abandonment by his friends (who took their own good time about resurrecting him). The first two are by Kelly Sue deConnick, and are fun adventures with good banter and interesting character interactions. The third is by Christos Gage. It's competent, but, if you don't already have an attachment to the Vision, not particularly memorable.
Tony Stark and Bruce Banner race each other to an Antarctic lake. Stark teams up with Thor and Banner with Spiderwoman, who is able to influence the Hulk via pheromones. Captain Marvel judges, and Captain America and Wolverine observe and snark. I forget who makes the popcorn.
The race comes to an abrupt end when the Avengers on the scene discover that the Antarctic base camp is full of dead men and disturbing clues.
In the second story, an old victim calls in one of Natasha Romanov's debts. Hawkeye and Spider-woman (currently dating) happen to be there when the message arrives, and they accompany her to Russia to find the missing daughter of a scientist Natasha assassinated. Natasha is prepared to die to make amends, but not eager to do so; and ultimately the narrative reminds us that some debts are good ones.
In a universe that's better than ours, where Rebekah Isaacs is drawing Captain Marvel and Gina Torres is starring as Wonder Woman in this summer's superhero blockbuster, this proved to be a successful stealth trial run for a Black Widow ongoing, written by Kelly Sue deConnick and drawn by Butch Guice. In our universe, no dice.
I do side-eye the use of China and Russia as exotic backdrops, and I do have some spoilery qualms about the villains.
Superhero comics, like many other narratives, often use appearance as a short-cut to represent character. Ugliness is monstrous, beauty is heroic, and monsters and heroes are clearly distinguished. DeConnick's stories don't escape all the problematic implications of their genre, but here she manages to complicate some of its assumptions.
Volume 2 collects three stories: a three-issue arc in which Tony Stark proposes a contest to show whether his optimistic view of science and human potential is more realistic than Bruce Banner's pessimistic view; a two-issue arc in which Natasha Romanov pays one of the debts in her ledger; and an Annual (special) issue in which the Vision, an android and former Avenger, works out some of the grief and resentment occasioned by his betrayal by his wife (who effectively killed him) and abandonment by his friends (who took their own good time about resurrecting him). The first two are by Kelly Sue deConnick, and are fun adventures with good banter and interesting character interactions. The third is by Christos Gage. It's competent, but, if you don't already have an attachment to the Vision, not particularly memorable.
Tony Stark and Bruce Banner race each other to an Antarctic lake. Stark teams up with Thor and Banner with Spiderwoman, who is able to influence the Hulk via pheromones. Captain Marvel judges, and Captain America and Wolverine observe and snark. I forget who makes the popcorn.
The race comes to an abrupt end when the Avengers on the scene discover that the Antarctic base camp is full of dead men and disturbing clues.
In the second story, an old victim calls in one of Natasha Romanov's debts. Hawkeye and Spider-woman (currently dating) happen to be there when the message arrives, and they accompany her to Russia to find the missing daughter of a scientist Natasha assassinated. Natasha is prepared to die to make amends, but not eager to do so; and ultimately the narrative reminds us that some debts are good ones.
In a universe that's better than ours, where Rebekah Isaacs is drawing Captain Marvel and Gina Torres is starring as Wonder Woman in this summer's superhero blockbuster, this proved to be a successful stealth trial run for a Black Widow ongoing, written by Kelly Sue deConnick and drawn by Butch Guice. In our universe, no dice.
I do side-eye the use of China and Russia as exotic backdrops, and I do have some spoilery qualms about the villains.
Superhero comics, like many other narratives, often use appearance as a short-cut to represent character. Ugliness is monstrous, beauty is heroic, and monsters and heroes are clearly distinguished. DeConnick's stories don't escape all the problematic implications of their genre, but here she manages to complicate some of its assumptions.
June 18, 2018
I pretty much always enjoy Kelly Sue DeConnick's writing, and this volume of Avengers Assemble doesn't disappoint on that front. There are three stories, the first one being a delightful three-issue romp in which Tony Stark and Bruce Banner engage in a friendly wager to find a missing colleague first. A more introspective two-issue piece follows in which Black Widow, with the help of Hawkeye and a reluctant Spider-Woman, makes good on a karmic debt she owes to the kin of one of her targets. Finally, we get a look at Vision through the eyes of writer Christos Gage, who connects Vision's status as an outsider to the plight of a powered Roxxon employee who may have reached the end of his usefulness to the company, and isn't taking their handling of him well.
All the stories are good, and run the spectrum of comedy, drama, and character studies. Definitely worth a read.
All the stories are good, and run the spectrum of comedy, drama, and character studies. Definitely worth a read.
November 10, 2020
It's always nice to find an Avengers book you can actually have fun reading. No universe-shattering threat, no big world takeover, no big event crossover... just the Avengers goofing off and fighting bad guys. Kelly Sue DeConnick gives every character in the books at least one good moment to shine, but really excels with characters like Spider-Woman- Jess was 100% my favourite part of this book. Compared to other Avengers books from around this time, like Hickman's big Avengers saga, it's not as high-concept and daring but then again it's not trying to be. It's a peak into the everyday life of the Avengers as they bicker and help each other, and I love it for that.
November 12, 2013
I wish I could give this ONE HUNDRED STARS but 5 will have to do. OMG I loved it so much. People kept recommending this to me and I kept saying yeah, I'll read it as soon as the library gets it, I'm not made of comic book money. And then people kept sending me scans of like, Bruce Banner eating his sadness ice cream and Spider-Woman making Hulk make her a sandwich, and I was like, yeah, I really need to read this ASAP.
And I did and I LOVED IT SO MUCH. Just like really funny superhero banter, which I love, and Jess and Carol being badasses, which I love, and Tony and Bruce being science bros, which I love. And Natasha, Clint, and Jess being grownups in a not-love-triangle!!
AHhhhhhh soooo perfffff
And I did and I LOVED IT SO MUCH. Just like really funny superhero banter, which I love, and Jess and Carol being badasses, which I love, and Tony and Bruce being science bros, which I love. And Natasha, Clint, and Jess being grownups in a not-love-triangle!!
AHhhhhhh soooo perfffff
April 18, 2015
Three stories, one being a friendly wager of superheroes on which team can win a manhunt for a missing scientist, one being Natasha's history resurfacing when one of her markers shows up looking to cash in, and the last about Vision coming to terms with his past. I loved Natasha's story, especially seeing at the end which of our characters held one of her remaining markers as she tries to wipe out her ledger, but the art was so bad and objectifying, ugh. Couldn't stand it. The wager story was fun enough, and this was my intro to Vision, so I only have the gist of what probably has more depth than I know of. I'd like to read more, based on it. I like Kelly Sue DeConnick's style.
June 11, 2015
FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC! Avengers Assemble goes up a notch with Kelly Sue Deconnick at the helm. I have to admit, I am developing quite the girl crush on KSD. The story lines just seem to tighten up under her penmanship. She also does a great job of focusing in ont he vibe of the characters, painting them with just enough snark to find that balance of humor without tipping into camp.
As for the artwork, this collection of issues features artwork from a variety of artists, but I have to totally give props to Stefano Caselli. His work is simply gorgeous. Some of the facial expressions are priceless.
As for the artwork, this collection of issues features artwork from a variety of artists, but I have to totally give props to Stefano Caselli. His work is simply gorgeous. Some of the facial expressions are priceless.
January 2, 2014
What I enjoyed most in this volume is Christos Gage's annual that focuses mostly on Vision. That's not to say the rest isn't good. Kelly Sue writes a fine Avengers book that is recognisable to movie audiences. It's just nothing too remarkable. And with the previous volume by Bendis not being that great, it does make me wonder what the point of the title is? Even though a title like this is needed when Hickman is telling his super long story in the main Avengers books. It should have more of the b-listers in. More Vision, Quicksliver and Giant Man.
December 16, 2014
Laugh out loud funny, if a little disconnected. Not the fault of the authors; not entirely clear why these stories were brought together. I mean, they all deal with transformation, but what doesn't? #Ovid #MightBeFeverish.
December 14, 2015
The best of the bunch was the Annual (although it wasn't all that great). Other than that, the bet was pretty stupid and having the same "team" in this book and Secret Avengers (Natasha, Clint and Jessica) seems like overkill.
September 18, 2013
Kelly Sue is my hero.
March 17, 2014
3.5 out of 5. Fun stories, by largely inconsequential as far as character growth goes, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
July 15, 2014
Was okay. More stories with obscure villains.
July 27, 2015
Well done, and fun!
September 21, 2015
Considerably weaker than the first. I did like all the redemption thing with Black Widow though, but it didn't belong there.
April 15, 2021
Bueeeeno, pues después del primer arco de la serie, como suele ser habitual llegó el segundo, y en este caso la colección pasó a manos de Kelly Sue DeConnick, que ya estaba haciendo sus pinitos en la colección de Capitana Marvel, donde había "militarizado" a Carol Danvers, que dejaba de ser Miss Marvel (o Pájaro de Guerra, que es la encarnación en la que a mí más me ha gustado este personaje) para convertirse en la heredera del legado del Capitán Marvel. DeConnick llegó a Vengadores Reuníos y continuó con el espíritu de la serie... más o menos, ya que lo primero que hizo modificar la alineación, que si en principio había sido la de la película, incluyó a Lobezno, Spiderwoman y la Capitana Marvel en su primer arco. De hecho, este tomo reúne dos arcos, y aquí en España se unió a ellos el primer anual de la serie, del que hablaré aparte porque es completamente distinto en todo. El primer arco, Compañeros de Ciencia, nos trae un juego entre los Vengadores, y es que Iron Man y Hulk deciden confrontar sus opiniones científicas (en el caso de Hulk, más bien las de Banner), y lo hacen una ginkana que les lleva a la Antártida, acompañados de Spiderwoman y Thor para descubrir qué hay tras la desaparición de varios científicos de la base Vostok... y en este arco se presenta un nuevo villano, que es completamente risible y más bien innecesario. Y el segundo arco se centra en la Viuda Negra, que tiene que regresar a Rusia, y lo hace junto a Ojo de Halcón y Spiderwoman para hacer frente a una vieja deuda que les llevará a hacer frente a un grupo de gente lagarto.
No suenan muy bien, ¿verdad? Pues leídos son peor, y es que en estos momentos, ya con Jonathan Hickman al frente de Vengadores, esta nueva colección que iba a mantenerse al margen se convirtió también en superflua.
Mención aparte merece el anual de la serie, con guion de Christos Gage y que demuestra que este chico nunca estuvo bien valorado en Marvel y que se merecía más de lo que pudo hacer. Como esta colección, por ejemplo. En el Annual, Gage parece recordar algo que se les había olvidado a otros guionistas, y es que si bien la historia de Wiccan y Veloz de los Jóvenes Vengadores se había centrado en su herencia materna, si son los hijos espirituales de la Bruja Escarlata, también lo son de La Visión. Así que Gage recupera a este y centra en él una historia llena de metáforas entre la vida de la Visión y los Vengadores y la de un antiguo personaje de Marvel, Solturión, y su relación con la pérfida Roxxon. Y es un pedazo de cómic, la verdad. O a lo mejor es que a mi poniéndome a La Visión por delante te digo a todo que sí.
En fin, solo me queda un arco de la serie, que después de El Enemigo Interior dejé de comprarla... a ver cómo resulta.
No suenan muy bien, ¿verdad? Pues leídos son peor, y es que en estos momentos, ya con Jonathan Hickman al frente de Vengadores, esta nueva colección que iba a mantenerse al margen se convirtió también en superflua.
Mención aparte merece el anual de la serie, con guion de Christos Gage y que demuestra que este chico nunca estuvo bien valorado en Marvel y que se merecía más de lo que pudo hacer. Como esta colección, por ejemplo. En el Annual, Gage parece recordar algo que se les había olvidado a otros guionistas, y es que si bien la historia de Wiccan y Veloz de los Jóvenes Vengadores se había centrado en su herencia materna, si son los hijos espirituales de la Bruja Escarlata, también lo son de La Visión. Así que Gage recupera a este y centra en él una historia llena de metáforas entre la vida de la Visión y los Vengadores y la de un antiguo personaje de Marvel, Solturión, y su relación con la pérfida Roxxon. Y es un pedazo de cómic, la verdad. O a lo mejor es que a mi poniéndome a La Visión por delante te digo a todo que sí.
En fin, solo me queda un arco de la serie, que después de El Enemigo Interior dejé de comprarla... a ver cómo resulta.
September 22, 2022
Album zawiera zeszyty z serii Avengers Assemble 9-13, Annual 1.
Mamy tu trzy opowiadania. Jedno dotyczy zakładu pomiędzy Iron Manem a Hulkiem. Drugie skupia się na przeszłości Czarnej Wdowy, a towarzyszy jej Hawkeye i Spider Woman, zaś trzecie kręci się wokół Visiona.
To trzecie jest zdecydowanie najsłabszym elementem tego komiksu. Akcja ciągnęła się jak krew z nosa, tylko zakończenie wywołało uśmiech na mojej facjacie. Historia z Black Widow jest już nieco lepsza i jest wynikiem pewnego działania z jej przeszłości. To opowieść o konsekwencjach, bólu i zadrze. Autor sprzedał ją całkiem nieźle, ale i tak przed nami wisienka na torcie.
Zakład. Z pozoru prosty, ale szczypta humoru przewija się przez całość historii, znajdując kulminację w jej końcówce. Cel: odnaleźć pewnego człowieka. Jak zwykle okaże się to przy Avengers czymś co ma swoją większą stawkę. Opowieść jest w tej części angażująca i w zasadzie nie wiadomo komu kibicować, dlatego końcówka jest tak satysfakcjonująca.
DeConnick dał mi album z jednej strony genialny, ale nie pozbawiony wad, tu pod postacią jednej wyraźnie słabszej historii. Reszta jest bez zarzutu, na dodatek wygląda też bardzo solidnie.
Mamy tu trzy opowiadania. Jedno dotyczy zakładu pomiędzy Iron Manem a Hulkiem. Drugie skupia się na przeszłości Czarnej Wdowy, a towarzyszy jej Hawkeye i Spider Woman, zaś trzecie kręci się wokół Visiona.
To trzecie jest zdecydowanie najsłabszym elementem tego komiksu. Akcja ciągnęła się jak krew z nosa, tylko zakończenie wywołało uśmiech na mojej facjacie. Historia z Black Widow jest już nieco lepsza i jest wynikiem pewnego działania z jej przeszłości. To opowieść o konsekwencjach, bólu i zadrze. Autor sprzedał ją całkiem nieźle, ale i tak przed nami wisienka na torcie.
Zakład. Z pozoru prosty, ale szczypta humoru przewija się przez całość historii, znajdując kulminację w jej końcówce. Cel: odnaleźć pewnego człowieka. Jak zwykle okaże się to przy Avengers czymś co ma swoją większą stawkę. Opowieść jest w tej części angażująca i w zasadzie nie wiadomo komu kibicować, dlatego końcówka jest tak satysfakcjonująca.
DeConnick dał mi album z jednej strony genialny, ale nie pozbawiony wad, tu pod postacią jednej wyraźnie słabszej historii. Reszta jest bez zarzutu, na dodatek wygląda też bardzo solidnie.
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