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Force Works #1-11, 12, 13-15
Avengers / Iron Man: Force Works
Before they reinvented the Guardians of the Galaxy, Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning transformed the Avengers West Coast into Force Works! And, fueled by the Scarlet Witch's uncanny hex powers, this new team is going proactive! But who's in charge: Wanda or Iron Man? As tragedy strikes, one Avenger won't live to work with this forceful new group for long. With the squad in need of a new powerhouse, will the enigmatic Century fit the bill? COLLECTING: FORCE WORKS 1-11, 12, 13-15, ASHCAN EDITION; CENTURY: DISTANT SONS 1; MATERIAL FROM IRON MAN/FORCE WORKS COLLECTORS' PREVIEW
388 pages, Paperback
First published May 24, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 21, 2021
Rising from the ashes of West Coast Avengers in the mid 1990's when everything had to be more "extreme!". The stories are kind of forgettable. The costumes are all pretty terrible. Century's costume has lots of nonfunctional chains and skulls on it. He looks like an alien version of Spawn. T.A. Tenney's art is terrible. The art is much more consistent once he leaves the book but the book never really gets a full time artist. Paul Ryan's art is boring. Dave Taylor is pretty good. Jim Caliafore 's art has always been consistently great. David Ross comes back from WCA for a couple of issues. I've always enjoyed his artwork. Last is some early art from Jimmy Cheung. This is pre CrossGen and his art is much more simplistic here. Editorially, some opportunities were missed. I would have liked the backup stories to have been inserted chronologically instead of separated by the issues they appeared in. I also wish they had printed the entire Hands of the Mandarin crossover instead of just the 2 Force Works issues but I guess there's a another collection out for that now. Things happen in those other crossover books that directly impact the characters in Force Works. Overall, it's got the same feel of most Marvel books of the 90's which is that it feels a bit dated and greatly influenced by the X-Men books of the day.
June 20, 2016
Force Works is an interesting curio from Marvel’s mid-90s line-up.
Force Works grew out of the old Avengers West Coast series. After years of never quite emerging from the shadow of its parent book, Marvel decided to transform the team into something new. Force Works found several ex-Avengers uniting in a proactive, more interventionist team. Formed by Iron Man, the initial line-up included Scarlet Witch (as team leader), Wonder Man, Spider-Woman (the Julia Carpenter version) and U.S. Agent. Wonder Man was taken off the board almost immediately and replaced by Century, a mysterious, alien powerhouse.
Housed in a Stark Enterprises R&D facility, Force Works used the “Chaos Computer” to try to identify looming threats, so that the team could intervene before they became disasters. Familiar foes like the Kree and the Mandarin turned up, but the series introduced several new menaces. The Scatter were alien scavengers that devoured whole planets. The Mandarin fielded a team of super-powered Avatars. In Slorenia, a former Soviet republic in Eastern Europe, an ethnic civil war produced opposing forces Ember, Black Brigade and Volkhvy. The team encountered Aboriginal hero Dreamguard while facing off with an alien presence in the Australian Outback. The alien slave trader The Broker, along with his mercenaries the Slave Levy, attacked due to a shared past with Century.
Ongoing plot points included the tension between Iron Man and Scarlet Witch over the team’s leadership. Century’s amnesia and murky past featured prominently. A member of the species of alien robots the Recorders attached itself to the team to chronicle their exploits, even as he undermined them. The team struggled to distinguish themselves from the Avengers, who appeared frequently. And Tony Stark’s erratic behavior and secretiveness began to emerge.
At first blush, Force Works could have been another example of the ‘90s drive to “extreme”-ize every concept. And while some elements of that style were a part of the book, writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning made things far more interesting than that. The duo put some complex character dynamics in place from the start. Taking fan favorite Wonder Man out of the equation at the outset was a daring choice. While Century could be affected at times, the character was an effective engine for drama within the team, especially with U.S. Agent.
But more important was the unique focus of the team. Abnett and Lanning came up with valid reasons for Force Works to separate from the Avengers and try a different approach to super heroics. That idea sometimes got lost in the shuffle, but it informed the attitude that permeated the series and gave it an actual identity apart from the parent Avengers book. But make no mistake, as much as everyone involved insisted this was a separate entity, this was an Avengers series. The core cast were all ex-Avengers and their former colleagues turned up regularly. The book was also closely aligned with the Iron Man and War Machine series of the time.
But even so, Abnett and Lanning developed a lot of interesting ideas and concepts, things that would be utilized by future creators. They amped up the Scarlet Witch’s power level and assertiveness. Slorenia would return in a memorable Avengers story featuring Ultron. The “predictive justice” idea is at the heart of the current Civil War II, casting an interesting light on Iron Man’s position in that conflict. Wonder Man may have exited quickly, but the manner of that departure would have significant consequences for him when he returned a few years down the road. The inventiveness and thought that Abnett and Lanning put into the book helped Force Works be more than just a stylistic exercise. Even if it wasn’t always entirely successful, the writing was at least interesting, which was a huge victory for a title in that era.
On the visual side, Force Works clearly had some influence from the mid-90s “extreme” ethos, and yet managed not to be an especially egregious example of the style. That sensibility was probably seen most clearly in the costume designs. Most of the team got makeovers consistent with the times. That meant lots of pouches, patches and belts. Chains, skulls and armlets turned up. Armor-esque pieces were there in abundance, including chunky boots and overly complex gloves/wrist guards. Scarlet Witch, meanwhile, went the skin-baring route in a ludicrous get-up that looked as though the veteran heroine had cobbled it together from the discount table at Victoria’s Secret. Spider-Woman, somehow, emerged with her costume intact.
A big issue for Force Works was the revolving door of pencilers. Tom Tenney was one of the launch artists, but only completed two full issues, and two additional partial issues, before departing. Jim Calafiore’s four-issue stretch later in the run was the only other tenure of note. Around those runs were a variety of other artists filling in, including erstwhile AWC pencilers Paul Ryan and Dave Ross, and future superstar Jim Cheung. For the most part, the frequent artistic changes weren’t too jarring. Most of the artists were working in the style popular at the time, so major adjustments in visual tone weren’t necessary. Plus the inks/colors team of Rey Garcia and Joe Rosas provided continuity.
Unlike many of its peers, Force Works didn’t go to ludicrous lengths to ape the Image approach. There were elements of that, but they weren’t too ridiculous. The male characters were all jacked, of course, but they weren’t the steroid grotesques that turned up in other series. The women were noticeably curvier, and more prone to sexy posing, but their proportions didn’t reach the depths of Barbie inanity seen elsewhere. The artists on board seemed to have more interest in providing detailed backgrounds to ground the action, instead of setting fights against jagged lines. Layouts tended to be fairly traditional, though occasionally they could get a bit on the tricksy side. Overall, it was fairly solid art that looks all the better compared to some of the more ghastly examples of the period.
Force Works had its final few issues co-opted to set up the controversial The Crossing saga (not covered in this collection). But for fans of the old Avengers West Coast series, or for readers with a soft spot for the likes of Iron Man and Scarlet Witch, this is a solid read that’s worth checking out. It’s probably not worth the expense for more casual fans.
A version of this review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com
Force Works grew out of the old Avengers West Coast series. After years of never quite emerging from the shadow of its parent book, Marvel decided to transform the team into something new. Force Works found several ex-Avengers uniting in a proactive, more interventionist team. Formed by Iron Man, the initial line-up included Scarlet Witch (as team leader), Wonder Man, Spider-Woman (the Julia Carpenter version) and U.S. Agent. Wonder Man was taken off the board almost immediately and replaced by Century, a mysterious, alien powerhouse.
Housed in a Stark Enterprises R&D facility, Force Works used the “Chaos Computer” to try to identify looming threats, so that the team could intervene before they became disasters. Familiar foes like the Kree and the Mandarin turned up, but the series introduced several new menaces. The Scatter were alien scavengers that devoured whole planets. The Mandarin fielded a team of super-powered Avatars. In Slorenia, a former Soviet republic in Eastern Europe, an ethnic civil war produced opposing forces Ember, Black Brigade and Volkhvy. The team encountered Aboriginal hero Dreamguard while facing off with an alien presence in the Australian Outback. The alien slave trader The Broker, along with his mercenaries the Slave Levy, attacked due to a shared past with Century.
Ongoing plot points included the tension between Iron Man and Scarlet Witch over the team’s leadership. Century’s amnesia and murky past featured prominently. A member of the species of alien robots the Recorders attached itself to the team to chronicle their exploits, even as he undermined them. The team struggled to distinguish themselves from the Avengers, who appeared frequently. And Tony Stark’s erratic behavior and secretiveness began to emerge.
At first blush, Force Works could have been another example of the ‘90s drive to “extreme”-ize every concept. And while some elements of that style were a part of the book, writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning made things far more interesting than that. The duo put some complex character dynamics in place from the start. Taking fan favorite Wonder Man out of the equation at the outset was a daring choice. While Century could be affected at times, the character was an effective engine for drama within the team, especially with U.S. Agent.
But more important was the unique focus of the team. Abnett and Lanning came up with valid reasons for Force Works to separate from the Avengers and try a different approach to super heroics. That idea sometimes got lost in the shuffle, but it informed the attitude that permeated the series and gave it an actual identity apart from the parent Avengers book. But make no mistake, as much as everyone involved insisted this was a separate entity, this was an Avengers series. The core cast were all ex-Avengers and their former colleagues turned up regularly. The book was also closely aligned with the Iron Man and War Machine series of the time.
But even so, Abnett and Lanning developed a lot of interesting ideas and concepts, things that would be utilized by future creators. They amped up the Scarlet Witch’s power level and assertiveness. Slorenia would return in a memorable Avengers story featuring Ultron. The “predictive justice” idea is at the heart of the current Civil War II, casting an interesting light on Iron Man’s position in that conflict. Wonder Man may have exited quickly, but the manner of that departure would have significant consequences for him when he returned a few years down the road. The inventiveness and thought that Abnett and Lanning put into the book helped Force Works be more than just a stylistic exercise. Even if it wasn’t always entirely successful, the writing was at least interesting, which was a huge victory for a title in that era.
On the visual side, Force Works clearly had some influence from the mid-90s “extreme” ethos, and yet managed not to be an especially egregious example of the style. That sensibility was probably seen most clearly in the costume designs. Most of the team got makeovers consistent with the times. That meant lots of pouches, patches and belts. Chains, skulls and armlets turned up. Armor-esque pieces were there in abundance, including chunky boots and overly complex gloves/wrist guards. Scarlet Witch, meanwhile, went the skin-baring route in a ludicrous get-up that looked as though the veteran heroine had cobbled it together from the discount table at Victoria’s Secret. Spider-Woman, somehow, emerged with her costume intact.
A big issue for Force Works was the revolving door of pencilers. Tom Tenney was one of the launch artists, but only completed two full issues, and two additional partial issues, before departing. Jim Calafiore’s four-issue stretch later in the run was the only other tenure of note. Around those runs were a variety of other artists filling in, including erstwhile AWC pencilers Paul Ryan and Dave Ross, and future superstar Jim Cheung. For the most part, the frequent artistic changes weren’t too jarring. Most of the artists were working in the style popular at the time, so major adjustments in visual tone weren’t necessary. Plus the inks/colors team of Rey Garcia and Joe Rosas provided continuity.
Unlike many of its peers, Force Works didn’t go to ludicrous lengths to ape the Image approach. There were elements of that, but they weren’t too ridiculous. The male characters were all jacked, of course, but they weren’t the steroid grotesques that turned up in other series. The women were noticeably curvier, and more prone to sexy posing, but their proportions didn’t reach the depths of Barbie inanity seen elsewhere. The artists on board seemed to have more interest in providing detailed backgrounds to ground the action, instead of setting fights against jagged lines. Layouts tended to be fairly traditional, though occasionally they could get a bit on the tricksy side. Overall, it was fairly solid art that looks all the better compared to some of the more ghastly examples of the period.
Force Works had its final few issues co-opted to set up the controversial The Crossing saga (not covered in this collection). But for fans of the old Avengers West Coast series, or for readers with a soft spot for the likes of Iron Man and Scarlet Witch, this is a solid read that’s worth checking out. It’s probably not worth the expense for more casual fans.
A version of this review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com
February 8, 2020
Non ho mai compreso il perché di Force Works. Perché lanciare questa serie chiudendo Avengers West Coast? Perché chiamare dei disegnatori così diversi nello stile l'uno dall'altro? Qual è il senso del nome della serie?
Poi perché far morire al primo numero Wonder-Man? Così per dare uno shock? E l'uso estremamente criticabile di Iron-Man?
Storie scarse, nel complesso, con poco interesse suscitato nel lettore (Century? Già dimenticato) e disegni abbastanza scadenti a parte uno o due numeri sufficienti.
Dimenticabile. E possiedo pure la maggior parte degli albetti originali, mannaggia a me.
Poi perché far morire al primo numero Wonder-Man? Così per dare uno shock? E l'uso estremamente criticabile di Iron-Man?
Storie scarse, nel complesso, con poco interesse suscitato nel lettore (Century? Già dimenticato) e disegni abbastanza scadenti a parte uno o due numeri sufficienti.
Dimenticabile. E possiedo pure la maggior parte degli albetti originali, mannaggia a me.
April 15, 2021
I was on a West Coast Avengers kick recently and had this sitting on my shelf, so I thought I'd have a read. I was also a fan of the 90s Iron Man cartoon, which had a roster similar to the team lineup here. Unfortunately I can't think of any positives of this book. This is the 90s so the art is heavy on the scowling and gritted teeth. DnA try to move the team away from their Avengers ties - we are told the team is proactive, via a supercomputer, powered by Wanda's probability hexes - which can predict crises before they occur. The team, however, seems more reactive than proactive. The computer just tells them who and where to punch. To call the team proactive is a bit of a laugh, it is a standard superhero book, dealing with whatever the current threat is.
The earliest mission touches on ethnic cleansing in a former Post-Soviet state. If you want to see superheroes proactively dealing with real world problems, this is actually a pretty good premise. However the team kind of stumbles its way through the mission, unsure which side it should be fighting for. Sure this is a world with shades of greys against the black-and-white of heroes vs villains but it never resolves the story satisfingly except to turn it into a slugfest. There's a Mandarin crossover with the Iron man and War Machine books but it's hampered by not having the full crossover included, although given how these issues read, maybe it's for the best.
There's ideas here that don't get fully fleshed out. Force Works has a PR team and wants to be more public but we don't really see them interact with the public at all. Century is vague for all of 15 issues, he seems an excuse to get a teleporter on board the team. The books ends with a one shot to add more background to him - but he's still probably the most uninteresting Avengers member since Gilgamesh. If only this character could also be called The Forgotten One.
I gave it 1 star as it was a chore to read and look at. I couldn't think of anything I outright enjoyed on this book.
The earliest mission touches on ethnic cleansing in a former Post-Soviet state. If you want to see superheroes proactively dealing with real world problems, this is actually a pretty good premise. However the team kind of stumbles its way through the mission, unsure which side it should be fighting for. Sure this is a world with shades of greys against the black-and-white of heroes vs villains but it never resolves the story satisfingly except to turn it into a slugfest. There's a Mandarin crossover with the Iron man and War Machine books but it's hampered by not having the full crossover included, although given how these issues read, maybe it's for the best.
There's ideas here that don't get fully fleshed out. Force Works has a PR team and wants to be more public but we don't really see them interact with the public at all. Century is vague for all of 15 issues, he seems an excuse to get a teleporter on board the team. The books ends with a one shot to add more background to him - but he's still probably the most uninteresting Avengers member since Gilgamesh. If only this character could also be called The Forgotten One.
I gave it 1 star as it was a chore to read and look at. I couldn't think of anything I outright enjoyed on this book.
September 4, 2018
This collection features all the "good" issues of Force Works, which is to say that even though it features some of your favorite superheroes (and also USAgent) clenching every muscle in their bodies almost constantly while engaging in preventative war against small, far-flung countries, it also isn't The Crossing yet, so it's more "'90s x-treme" than "'90s x-treme while also trampling on the innocence of your childhood through bad characterization."
October 26, 2017
An absolute test of one's patience. Somehow after WCA I avoided Force Works. Now I know why. Horrendous writing and art. Hard to believe Abnett and Lanning are responsible. I guess everyone has to start somewhere. the best part: Century! the worst part: everything they did to the Scarlet Witch.
November 5, 2023
It was fun for the first half. Then it started going away from a story and kept referencing to other comics going on at the time. I mostly stayed for U.S Agent.
October 7, 2016
2 1/2 stars.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews