The Fearless Defenders, Vol. 2: The Most Fabulous Fighting Team of All

The Fearless Defenders (Collected Editions)

by Cullen Bunn, Stephanie Hans (Illustrator), William Sliney (Illustrator)

It's the biggest status quo change to date for the Fearless Defenders...but we're not going to spoil it here! Misty kicked ass in Valkyrie's world, now it's ti me to see how Valkyrie fairs in Misty's. But it's not easy being an Asgardian shieldmaiden - especially when your boyfriend's got a chip on his shoulder! Guest-starring Elsa Bloodstone, Venom, Dr. Strange, Iron Fist, Hercules, Werewolf By Night, and a legion of signifi cant others! Then, it's an Infinity ti e-in like none other...because this one's got dancing! With Thanos' hordes invading Earth, the Fearless Defenders live up to their name! And when a gift ed young woman discovers she has terrifying powers, will this new hero join the ranks of the Defenders? COLLECTING: FEARLESS DEFENDERS 7-12

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Comic Book, Fantasy, Superheroes, Science Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published February 12, 2014

About the author

Cullen grew up in rural North Carolina, but now lives in the St. Louis area with his wife Cindy and his son Jackson. His noir/horror comic (and first collaboration with Brian Hurtt), The Damned, was published in 2007 by Oni Press. The follow-up, The Damned: Prodigal Sons, was released in 2008. In addition to The Sixth Gun, his current projects include Crooked Hills, a middle reader horror prose series from Evileye Books; The Tooth, an original graphic novel from Oni Press; and various work for Marvel and DC. Somewhere along the way, Cullen founded Undaunted Press and edited the critically acclaimed small press horror magazine, Whispers from the Shattered Forum.

All writers must pay their dues, and Cullen has worked various odd jobs, including Alien Autopsy Specialist, Rodeo Clown, Professional Wrestler Manager, and Sasquatch Wrangler.

And, yes, he has fought for his life against mountain lions and he did perform on stage as the World's Youngest Hypnotist. Buy him a drink sometime, and he'll tell you all about it.

Visit his website at www.cullenbunn.com.

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s all about D-list super heroes for the Shallow Comic Readers!

Can a group of D-list female super heroes collectively add up to an “A” book?

Nope, not here anyway. This book was sadly cancelled after twelve issues.

Thanks for trying Marvel! Keep at it.

*sigh*

So what’s the problem?

For starters, most of these heroes probably wouldn't be able to carry the weight of a book as a solo title. Most are regurgitated male super heroes in female form. There’s nothing unique about them except that they’re women. To wit:

Warrior Woman – Amazon, Greek goddess, wields a sword. It’s Ares daughter.

Valkyrie – She’s a Norse goddess, sub out the hammer for a sword. Use funky phony Goth type-set like the other Asgardians.

Clea – Mystical powers just like Dr. Strange

Dani Moonstar – She’s magic (sometimes) and uses Hawkeye’s old arrows (I’m not kidding)

Misty Knight – 27% bionic, wields weapons and kicks ass just like Winter Soldier.

Elsa Bloodstone – Monster hunter, daughter of Ulysses Bloodstone



Second, Cullen Bunn has always been a “nice try, big guy” kind of writer. Some nice moments, some decent humor, a few pages that are interesting, but book runs that just don’t hold together over the long haul. This series had its moments, but nothing that a reader is going to remember a week from now.

The issue that stands out here is, of all things, a pseudo-intervention by the lady’s boyfriends to the tune of “how can women superheroes band together and fight bad guys without our help?”



Sure it’s done with a wink and a nod but underlines the central problem with this series. Maybe that’s the point.

I really hope Marvel can make this concept work on some level and sometime in the future there will be a perfect storm between characters and creator.



Stuff that only Jeff thinks about Department: Ruby Thursday – a villain that has a plasma crystal ball for a head that can morph into pretty much anything…





…creepy, yet hot. No?

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that's it. The series got cancelled, ending on a huge cliffhanger that will probably never be resolved. If these characters get picked up again, I wouldn't be surprised if this entire series were ignored. There are good points to the series as a whole, but it kind of felt like Bunn wasn't quite sure yet what he wanted to do with the book. For that, and for that damned cliffhanger, I couldn't recommend this book. Just pass it by, and you won't miss much.

[Garrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I said I would review this one together with the first one, so I am.

Everyone's got a seedy restaurant they love; sure, it's a hole in the wall, the floors are gross, and there's busted neon and a surly waitress. BUT, the shakes are awesome, the burger grill is properly seasoned, and it's had the same dependable flavor since like, a decade ago.

This is like that. The writing is clunky and the violence and confrontations cartoonish and contrived. But the art is mostly awesome, the characters are Valkyrie, Misty Knight, Moonstar and Elsa Bloodstone, and you can't help but go on and read this girl power-y comic which is ultimately, a pretty decent comic book.

[Jimbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been reading Marvel comics in order (Ghost Rider, Son of Satan, Defenders, Champions, Power Man & Iron Fist, etc) It is hard sometimes to keep stories straight because things happen outside of the normal run of the titles. Defenders is just like that. Doctor Strange has his own book and crosses probably every other title throughout the many years they have been writing him, Same with all the female heroes in Fearless Defenders. The first volume was fairly straightforward about stopping the Doom Maidens, this volume was a bit more scattered and weird. It was resolved because the book was cancelled (unfortunately--it had great potential to do some great thing). So Morgan Le Fey's "daughter" down generations was the ladies enemy throughout the series, which was like a Moriarity to Sherlock (not in the mystery sense, but in the rivalry and crossed evil vs good, but these six stories were off balance. They introduce one of the Brood and Valkyrie see her as another Valkyrie, but she disappears and is chasing Constanace Le Fey, but nothing happens even though the Defenders fight her a few more times. The fact that one issue all the "boyfriends" are in a bar waiting on the Defenders to get them to stop because there is no man in their group is kind of funny and they put those guys into their place quickly.

I wanted to love this series, and I did, because the woman are kick-ass, but their numbers kept growing and characters like Dani were kind of ignored. I wanted more and some resolution, but we can't always get what we want.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second volume of this refreshingly different all-female super team book seems a bit rudderless in comparison to the first. There is no strong main plot to hold things together and it seems we are just in another "gathering the team" phase. Also because the book was cancelled at issue twelve, there is a horribly awkward cliffhanger at the end which will never see resolved.However, the great sense of humor remains intact, and the book is still quite entertaining despite the flaws. Sad to see it go.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than the first volume. The first issue was by Stephanie Hans, which really elevated the book. Then there were fun capers with Elsa Bloodstone. Isabelle did continue to be a character, and she even got some lesbian action which was nice for her. The ending was obviously rushed, but that's what happens when a book is cancelled I assume. The covers continued to be amazing throughout as well.

[Artemis Crescent · Rating 4 out of 5]

'The Fearless Defenders, Vol. 2: The Most Fabulous Fighting Team of All' is a mess. It's jumpy and rushed, with important details and storylines missing from it (I shouldn't have to read twenty other comics to fully get what's going on in this one!); also missing are some character arcs and development from the previous volume. Some characters are not used to their most basic potential (Misty Knight and Dani Moonstar are just kinda there, with no arc to them whatsoever), and there are implications to a couple of certain characters' "development" - I won't reveal who and what here due to spoilers - which are not explored and are outright ignored; worse, they're played for laughs. The book is so simple, and it suddenly takes a comedic approach overall, compared to volume 1. It's like a slapdash retooling by meddling executives for the second season of a TV series.

And yet... I kind of adore it anyway.

'The Fearless Defenders' is still about arsekicking super ladies saving the day, saving the world. The action, while it does take over and is prioritised above everything else, is very good, and the women look so cool and awesome doing their thing.

Volume 2 is bizarre and insane in the way that makes superhero comic books so entertaining. The art is amazing and gorgeous in every issue. The first couple of said issues are more focused than the rest. I still like the characters, especially Annabelle Riggs. New inclusions to the Defenders are Clea, Elsa Bloodstone, Ren Kimura, and Frankie Raye, aka Nova.

Sheesh, Marvel has far too many characters, and superheroes and villains to deal with, use, or merely chuck out and forget about for the time being. Even over ten years ago, it was impossible to keep tack of everyone and every event in this universe. And now the MCU has taken over freaking everything, to the point where Marvel comics are currently planning out their storylines and characters for the sole purpose of wanting to be adapted into the films' universe, and it is all spiralling out of control and Marvel Studios is hurtling towards a black hole of its own making, and practically everyone - hardcore nerd or fan or casual viewer or whoever - is starting to be burnt out and fed up with its continuous existence and inevitable downfall and "phase" rot due to the business's hubris and growing greed despite owning billions and billions and billions of dollars and ruling the entertainment world with an iron, stifling grip...

*ahem*

Anyway, back to the review of the comic:

There is strong, positive LBGTQ content as well as positive female content in 'The Fearless Defenders, Vol. 2'. There are LOADS of female villains, to boot: Zheng Bao Yu, the Enchantress, Quicksand, Ruby Thursday (hey, I know her from that one classic 'She-Hulk' comic!), Titania, Scorpia, Shriek, Mindblast, and others. Caroline LeFay, the unimpressive big bad behind everything in the last volume, remains present and important as the big bad. And she's the illegitimate child of Morgan LeFay and Doctor Doom now.

Wait, WHAT!?

Since when? And HOW? Was this established in another comic, one I haven't read and have absolute zero interest in picking up?

Well, whatever. Caroline is more interesting this time round, regardless of parentage, so there's a plus.

Talking of interesting, did I forget to mention 'The Fearless Defenders, Vol. 2: The Most Fabulous Fighting Team of All' contains a talking female alien bug creature called a brood who may or may not become a Defender? How about Molly Fitzgerald, aka Shamrock (who sadly doesn't really do anything but be a barmaid)? Then there's Thanos' soldiers, ordinary people who are in cocoons for some reason, Hippolyta's Amazons, a Medusa Amazon called Delphyne Gorgon, Aradnea the "gothy Atlantean witch", Echidna the mermaid mother of all monsters, and giant lobsters and sharks.

Venom, Hercules, Iron Fist, Doctor Strange, and Jack Russell the freaking Werewolf are in this too. Whatever. They're purposefully made unimportant.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnd then it's cancelled. Typical.

Heroic women - heroic LGBTQ women - are rarely ever given the chance to really shine. For that shine to last and have an impact. Got to snuff it out before there's a revolution and change to pop culture, societal culture, and global business culture!

Inclusion and representation matters. It always has, and it still does.

This might be the last Marvel comic I'll ever read. Anything is possible in the future, of course, but I seriously have no interest in this universe and company anymore. Like my stance and feelings on the MCU, it's too much, and I'm burnt out. I miss stories that tell their own single, individual, focused and complete stories, without interrupting side plots and characters, and the need for dozens of additional material in order to understand one story.

I'm happy that my final comic from this company turned out to be a fun one, despite its many flaws. I won't be leaving on bitter terms.

As a whole, it isn't good for me anymore. It is time we part ways. For me to grow and move on.

Farewell, and thanks for the good memories, Marvel.

Final Score: 3.5/5

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bunny’s not as irritating a writer as I remember him hitting me the last time I was tricked into reading just stuff.

But it’s still irritating. Finesse lacking, plus a round or three of leaden “guy heroes is dum” schtick - I can see where this’d be considered funny, if it wasn’t so ridiculously out of character for these characters AND so obviously pandering in a book about competent independent female heroes.

Perfectly mediocre comic, no interest in reading it all the way through, but wasn’t hurting my brain to meander through it.

Given that, the smirking/snarling supervillain Enchantress (Sylvie Lushton, inspiration for the current Loki series) is lacking any “is she or isn’t she evil?” finesse I’d seen on her in previous appearances.

And just like that she’s gone again. No help at all in getting to know this most excellent character in the TV incarnation.

[Rocky Sunico · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little disappointed with how this book ended. There were some fairly interesting setup bits in the first volume that had me cautiously optimistic. But this second book just kinda went into meh-ville save for the tying Valkyrie's life to that of a human. I hadn't realized that was something that had happened during the run of this comic.

The need for Defenders vs Shield Maidens was never really clarified in this book even though it was somehow a core conflict in the story. And our primary villain that was supposedly masterful orchestrating everything (including factoring in the response of heroes) for her big plans? Yeah even that was a little underwhelming plus it was a little too on the nose given her name.

I really wanted this book to go further. But it did not.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cullen Bunn & Will Sliney's fun, female team book ends its quick run and its all over the place. The Valkyrie/Annabelle stuff was really the good. The piling up of female heroes for the sake of having them, not so good. The antagonist combating that with female villains, worse. Due to the book ending the storyline was rushed but could have been something. Sliney's art was great. Super fun and kinetic. Overall, goofy and fun but mostly irrelevant.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this series. Such a shame that it is the last one they did. The team are likeable and the stories are character driven. A good read.

[Husnain Ilyas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful art Love both volumes!

[Madeline Rossell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man I'm so mad this series was cancelled on such a cliffhanger.

[J'aime · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the first volume of the Fearless Defenders had potential, but that the execution was weak. This second volume hasn’t improved the situation and that is mainly the fault of the villain. Caroline le Fay is the daughter of Dr. Doom and Morgan le Fay. Sadly, she is not equal to either of those great characters (just like Sin was just a poor substitute/female clone of Red Skull).

When the resurrected insane Valkyries were defeated, Caroline assembled a team of female villains to be her new Doom Maidens. We've got an Enchantress clone, a female Sandman, and other wannabes. *yawn* Plus the story has a soap opera tone that just doesn’t work. Several male heroes, Iron Fist, Dr. Strange, Venom, etc. gather to try and convince the Fearless Defenders to disband, or at least allow the guys to help them. These guys proceed to complain about their relationship troubles with many of the Defenders while they await the ladies’ arrival. Perhaps the writers intended this to be humorous; instead it comes off as highly condescending – to the Defenders and to readers. And it was so out of character for Dr. Strange I half expected it to be a dream or something! But perhaps the worst part of this volume for me is the body-sharing of Annabelle and Valkyrie. I HATE that crap. I didn’t like it with Donald Blake and Thor, and I like it even less here as a story retread.

This volume hasn’t fulfilled any of the potential of the characters or the team, and I think that comes down to poor writing. I really want to like this team, so I’ll give this one more volume to give these heroines something worth fighting for. And the appearance of a real villain at the end of the volume is just enough to give me hope.

[Jeff Raymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excuse me while I use this review to rant for a few minutes.

There's a lot of desire for diversity in books, especially in comics as of late. The desires are not completely unreasonable, although I think that there's a broader discussion that needs to take place regarding the genre, the history, the expectations, and so on. The better news, however, is that we have a comic right here that hits a lot of those marks - diversity in character set, in gender, in race, in sexuality, and it does so without calling attention to itself or coming across as some sort of attempt to check off different boxes. It's a marvelous series that knows what it's trying to do and has a keen sense of the tropes it's aping and understands that comics are often supposed to be fun romps.

So that's why Marvel cancelled it, right?

No, Marvel cancelled it because sales dropped significantly, in part because it was a difficult draw in some senses, with characters that only hardcore comics readers would know and with plots that intentionally bordered on the absurd. That's what made it fun and drew in people like me, but I also get why it might not have caught fire with a lot of others. It's a shame, because it definitely felt like a comic that I could point to and say "this is what we should be striving for" in a lot of ways, from character to casting to plot. Instead, well...

I get that the industry is in trouble in some regards. It's just a shame there's not more room for a team-up that's off-kilter a bit. No, there's no foul-mouthed raccoon, but that doesn't mean that Valkyrie couldn't be the next Gamora, either, right?

And I suppose we'll never know.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot: The plots in these comics are just really fun. There's always a lot going on and a lot of characters, which sometimes can be a bit much, but that's really the only reason this doesn't get 5 stars. I think the plot in the first 6 issues was a bit more consistent than in this volume, but I still really loved these issues. I was a bit worried when the male heroes got together to intervene, but that resolved itself nicely (especially loved the Shamrock cameo here!). I'm bummed that it ended with a bit of a cliffhanger though.
Characters: I love all of the characters in Fearless Defenders. It's great to see so many underused female heroes and villains getting the spotlight. The one issue is that it gets me attached to characters that don't have any other series centered around them! It's also great that there is such a diverse group of characters but that you never get the sense that any of them are there just as a token.
Overall: This is such a fun series, and I'm really disappointed it got cancelled. It's still worth reading the 12 issues that were written though!

[The Sapphic Nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is a joy to read. Volume two is even funnier than the first volume and "fixes" the heartbreak that the previous book ended with. The banter is sharper, the characters have more personality, and the art (by the same artist as the previous book and by a new artist) is just as good or better. Valkyrie and Annabelle Riggs are my main ladies. I adore them as characters, and their interactions for how different and complementary they are. I like any interactions with Annabelle in general - especially when the others tease her.

There are some great moments in here, with strong representations of women, as well as a delightful dose of LGBTQ inclusion. I love Fearless Defenders. It's light, fun, has plenty of action, and has a lot of heart. The series is great for comic book beginners as it doesn't seem to tie into anything and no previous knowledge of Marvel history is needed to understand what's going on. I just wish there was more... I'm gonna miss these ladies.

[Kat · Rating 1 out of 5]

Continuing on from my review from the last volume, this did not get any better. Instead of focusing on the orignal four Defenders, exploring their backgrounds, or anything about them as women and human beings, Bunn spends the entire volume recruiting as many females as he can, so we end up with nine complete strangers thrown together without thought or tact. Because of this, the story was weak, clunky and jumped about all over the place and I don't think Bunn had any real idea what he was doing.

The artwork is cringe worthy and dated, except for the covers. They are glorious!! Overall, this series just doesn't fit with the direction Marvel Now! is going in, and I can't say I am surprised it got cancelled.

I wonder what a writer like Kelly Sue Deconnick could have done with the Fearless Defenders.

This should have been epic, the potential was there. It wasn't!!!!

[Tiamatty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second half of Cullen Bunn's Fearless Defenders remains only OK. There's some nice bits of characterization here and there, and some decent action. But it's nothing extraordinary. It's largely standard stuff, and handled in an average way. Likewise, Sliney's art is deeply mediocre. It's sloppy. For the most part, this is 3 stars, and that's being generous.

However, it does get an extra star for the issue that opens this volume. The art for that issue is by Stephanie Hans, and it is gorgeous. Just flat-out jaw-dropping gorgeous. Hans has a painted style, and it makes for an incredible read. Bunn even does a better job with the writing in that issue. It feels more personal, more emotional. It's an amazing comic, and it alone elevates this collection from 3 stars to 4.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knock me off the bed, jesus, issue #7 was one of the most gorgeous pieces of comics to ever come into existence. I can't formulate real mouthwordthings to create a stunning review when my mind keeps equating the end of this series with Firefly's single season. Which incidentally got a movie and MORE comics after enough people showed interest. This series was seriously good. It was a little rushed on the ending, but I'm forgiving given its restraints and hope to see this series get picked up again. I want everyone I know to make this happen, get these stunning ladies more screentime - ESPECIALLY the Val/Annabelle pair.

[Marco · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mostly I'd have to reiterate what I wrote about the first volume. I like Misty Knight and I love Mark Brooks' covers.
I am, sadly, not a fan of Will Sliney's or Stephanie Hans (on art) nor, as I find, of Cullen Bunn. Some of the ideas in the book look good, but the execution leaves me cold. The villainess being the daughter of Morgan LeFay and Doctor Doom does not make her interesting, the protagonists' boyfriends being portrayed as dicks (pun intended) who whine about their girls doing something without them felt totally contrived, and ending on a cliffhanger because the title was cancelled does not help, either.

[20hrsinamerica · Rating 5 out of 5]

So bitter this was canceled. Just as good as the first with stunning art and huge personalities. My sole complaint was not enough Dani Moonstar. But the additions of Clea and Elsa Bloodstone were awesome. I love that it takes no prisoner in terms of misogyny and doesn't shy away from being queer friendly. The issue where the boyfriends are debating an "intervention" cracked me up as the ladies totally showed them up. And the reveal of Annabelle/Valkyrie was a fascinating twist that played out wonderfully. I really wish there was more of this title.

And seriously. The art is amazing.

[Nik · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't really like Annabel, and I think I am meant to but she really pisses me off and that's a shame because she could be a really good character. I hate that whole holier than thou attitude on anyone.
I like that they are growing their numbers and each chapter they gain a new member. The boyfriends are hilarious and I would have loved to see where this was going, but it's now cancelled and this is the end.

[G · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much as I read the writers' letter in the last page, I still was disappointed at how everything wasn't tied up nicely in the end. If a title is canceled, I like to at least have some resolution, which I didn't. It kind of pains me to give a low starring to a title I used to love so much, but the second volume was very weak, even in the consistency of the characters.

(I did, however, squee and flail when I saw Delphyne. Because DELPHYNE!!!!!)

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is whole lot of fun! It doesn't take itself too seriously, but tells an engaging series of interlocked stories that are occasionally a bit muddled but are well written and very well illustrated. None of the characters are among Marvel's "A" list, but they're all quite well developed and interesting. It's a shame the series didn't last. The hilarious covers alone are worth the price of admission.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh why did this series have to get cancelled? I love it, it's just so fun and light hearted. It's a story of kick butt ladies who have fun and know they're kick butt ladies, I couldn't ask for more. The story lines are pretty silly in this one, but there are some absolutely beautiful battle scenes. Kind of ends on a cliffhanger here, but I'm not sure if another book came out or not.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book doesn't have the coherence nor the epic nature of the first volume. Nonetheless, it's a fun read that excels when it focuses on the characters. It's particularly nice to see different issues center on different members of the cast. The last issue has an ending that's way too rushed, which is a pity, but that's cancellation for you.

[Dubzor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uggggh, gods this series sucks...second volume in and still not a single character is likeable.

The main protagonist throws herself at someone she knows for all of an hour.

Valkarie sulks for half the time.

Inhuman with super ribbon dancing powers...not even remotely kidding on that one.

Overall cynical in its "GIRL POWER" theme, as written by a middle aged white dude.

[Aden · Rating 2 out of 5]

The significant others issue was cute and nice to know Nate is still existing, though that whole thing back in New Mutants was a little... But a lukewarm end to what could have been freaking cool. Sorry to say. All this potential!

[Alex Sarll]

As action-packed as the first volume, but considerably more coherent and charming; I see better now why people were upset over this one's cancellation. And I'm not just saying that because the second half seriously upped the sapphism quotient (though that definitely doesn't hurt).