Защитники. Том 1

Defenders (2011)

by Matt Fraction, Мэтт Фрэкшн

The last line of defense against the forces of the unknown! Spinning out of the stunning end of FEAR ITSELF, the final Worthy is on a global rampage, and everyone's favorite Marvel misfits must band together to solve a mysterious conspiracy deep at the heart of the Marvel Universe! What is the secret of Wundagore Mountain! Matt Fraction (FEAR ITSELF, THE MIGHTY THOR, INVINCIBLE IRON MAN) reteams with UNCANNY X-MEN cohort Terry Dodson (SENSATIONAL SPIDERMAN) to relaunch Marvel's mightiest non-team ... the all-new, all-different, all-dynamic Defenders! COLLECTING: DEFENDERS 1-6, material from POINT ONE, FEAR ITSELF 7

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Graphic Novels Comics, Superheroes, Ebooks, Comic Book

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

"How he got started in comics: In 1983, when Fraction was 7 years old and growing up in Kansas City, Mo., he became fascinated by the U.S. invasion of Grenada and created his own newspaper to explain the event. "I've always been story-driven, telling stories with pictures and words," he said.

Education and first job: Fraction never graduated from college. He stopped half a semester short of an art degree at Kansas City Art Institute in Missouri in 1998 to take a job as a Web designer and managing editor of a magazine about Internet culture.

"My mother was not happy about that," he said.

But that gig led Fraction and his co-workers to split off and launch MK12, a boutique graphic design and production firm in Kansas City that created the opening credits for the James Bond film "Quantum of Solace."

Big break: While writing and directing live-action shoots at MK12, Fraction spent his spare time writing comics and pitching his books each year to publishers at Comic-Con. Two books sold: "The Last of the Independents," published in 2003 by AiT/Planet Lar, and "Casanova," published in 2006 by Image Comics.

Fraction traveled extensively on commercial shoots. Then his wife got pregnant. So Fraction did what any rational man in his position would do -- he quit his job at MK12 to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time comic book writer.

Say what? "It was terrifying," said Fraction, who now lives in Portland, Ore. "I was married. We had a house. We had a baby coming. And I just quit my job."

Marvel hired Fraction in June 2006, thanks largely to the success of his other two comics. "I got very lucky," he half-joked. "If it hadn't worked out, I would have had to move back in with my parents.

- 2009. Alex Pham. Los Angeles Times.

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hulk has an evil twin!!!!

Okay, that’s not entirely accurate. During the Fear Itself cross over, Hulk got a hammer, courtesy of Odin’s creepy long-lost brother, and bonded with Nul, who’s big, strong, shiny and EVIL.



Hulk can’t go toe-to-toe with Nul, because they might merge together and wreak more havoc, so he enlists the help of his old buddies, The Defenders. Starting with Dr. Strange…



…they have included The Silver Surfer…



…and The Anti-Aquaman (normally this wouldn’t be a bad thing) Namor...



…and various and sundry other heroes from time to time.



Those guys are in, but The Defenders still need a Hulk, so they have Mrs. Hulk interrupt her bull running chasing vacation.



They also need a plane and nobody wants that billionaire asshat Iron Man in the group, so they enlist another billionaire team-Iron hero: Iron Fist.



I’m with you on the comics thing. Danny Rand! If only...

After defeating Nul (Should I have spoilered that? Too late!), the Defenders are faced with some weird alternate reality goings on, and of course by this time Namor has worn out his welcome.



…and Dr. Strange, who reveals a pervy side, is getting on She-Hulk’s nerves.



Top that, Cumberbatch!

Bottom line: Matt Fraction does a nice job blending the humor and fisticuffs, but sadly, this run was cancelled rather quickly. The writing was on the wall when he had to work with a number of artists over the course of these first six issues. If you like Fraction, give it a read. It’s no Satellite Sam.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

1 - The Breaker of Worlds has come to earth and Doctor Strange puts together a group to stop him: Namor, Red She-Hulk, The Silver Surfer, and Iron Fist!

This issue was mostly setup but I like where things are headed so far. This almost seems like a prototype for Fraction's FF. Wundagore Mountain is one of the under-used locations in the Marvel Universe so it's a refreshing setting to see.

2 - The Black Hulk, the Breaker of Worlds, is on his way to Wundagore Mountain. Can the Defenders escape from Prester John and stop him?

There are some good character moments in this. Namor and Red She-Hulk provide most of the laughs. I like Fraction's take on the Silver Surfer as well.

3 - Can the Defenders stop Prester John and the Breaker of Worlds?

"Namor, hold him!"
"I'm not trying to hold him. Trying to break his damn spine!"

So, the Black Hulk is no more and it seems something more sinister is in the works. The reality distortion wave putting Doctor Strange in his 1970s costume was a nice touch.

4 - As Doctor Strange looks for the origins of the engine the Defenders found at Wundagore Mountain, he accidentally brings an old girlfriend back to life. Meanwhile, a young wannabe conjurer thinks he has Strange where he wants him...

This issue was mostly setup for the big reveal on the last page. It also nicely illustrates why you don't mess with the Sorcerer Supreme.

5 - The Defenders visit an undersea tomb that may hold the origins of the Wundagore engine.

Cool how Fraction has woven Captain Nemo's history with Namor's parents into this one. I'm curious on how the whole omega thing plays out.

6 - The other Immortal Weapons are dying and Iron Fist seems to think the Omega Engine has something to do with it.

Wow, these engines have been around a long time. Fraction seems to be tying the Defenders into the Immortal Iron Fist, which I haven't read yet.

Closing Thoughts: I'm not sold on Matt Fraction's Defenders just yet. This volume was mostly setup. I'll revisit the series after I read The Immortal Iron Fist. Three out of five stars.

[Terence · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Hulk enlists The Defenders to battle against the Hulk's Hulk Nul.


Honestly this should have been more interesting than it was. Nul should've been incredibly dangerous and interesting, but he was gone way too early. The rest of the story was spent on peculiar side stories and Stephen Strange researching an usual piece of machinery. I just couldn't stay very interested in the events taking place. It probably doesn't help that the team consisted of B tier and below characters with Dr. Strange, Namor, Iron Fist, Silver Surfer, and Red She Hulk. The more characters involved the more witty conversations and interesting team work is necessary, but this volume lacked on both of those fronts.

The Defenders by Matt Fraction just didn't scratch the itch for a good story with lower profile characters.

2.5 out of 5 stars

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

Big idea extravaganza without the the usual suspects, but with an alternate 1967 Nick Fury, Black Cat, Iron Fist, Ant-Man II and Red She Hulk see these Defenders make a mistake that could end the world. On top of this a rationale for the Marvel Universe, Black Panther and more. Once again great concept not so great enactment. The Defenders books struggle to have interesting stories in my opinion. 12 issue series. 5 out of 12

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 3 out of 5]

More Fear Itself crap, a boring storyline, Immortal Weapons from the Immortal Iron Fist brutally killed in just one page and Namor's origin retconned with... Captain Nemo? WTF???

At last the Doctor Strange parts and Dodsons artworks were really good.







Just not as good as Fraction's Hawkeye run.

Maybe second (and last) volume is going to be better...

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was something of a confusing disappointment. It's the first volume of a new Defenders (as opposed to a new New Defenders) iteration but is so heavily rooted in a previous story arc (Fear Itself) that they should have included a primer and a scorecard and a page or three of summary and explanation as to who's who and where they are and why we should care. The cast of the new team is an interesting selection (Dr. Strange, Silver Surfer, Namor, Iron Fist, and Red She-Hulk), and the story is well-written but jumps around too much without finishing one twist before haring off on different paths. Fraction has written some great stuff and some good stuff, but this isn't one I'll revisit. Also, there are too many artists across the run to have any sense of visual continuity. I think I liked the issue from Mitch Breitweiser the best. The Nul character that starts off the book is boring; Marvel had success with Hulk, so they decided to do a whole bunch more of them, of all sizes and colors and genders, and it just got tiresome. Remember they did the same thing with mutants (it seemed you couldn't turn a page of any comic without tripping over a couple of Xs), and when Peter Parker hit it big in the movies all of a sudden everybody in the world turned into a dang spider. Anyway, once Nul fades away we get some confusing bits and pieces and then Captain Nemo's legacy takes center stage... which is where they lost me.

[Amanja · Rating 2 out of 5]

The hell did I just read? Review coming eventually, maybe when I figure out what even just happened

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's some really good character work here. I feel like Fraction did a great job of getting inside the heads of all of these characters. The story just isn't clicking with me, though, so I'm not likely to continue with this series. Still, quite a good book, just not for me.

[Derek Moreland · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s a *lot* wrong with this...but Fraction’s writing is so damn charming, I can’t lie and say I didn’t enjoy it. So while I’ll probably never revisit it, it does get the bare-minimum “good” score from me.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful take on the "daily life" and personal worldview of a sorcerer supreme. This is so much fun, taking the pomp and gravitas out of the usual kid-glove treatment of Stephen Strange. It's amusing and heartening to see him a flawed, bumblingly-eccentric yet still self-aware guy. Even better is the Iron Fist intro sequence - hilariously taking him down *three* pegs.

Didja notice that Terry Dodson draws Strange as if he's always throwing devil horns?

The rest of the book gets like a Hickman über-plot: big influences shaping the very world, and lots of intelligent heroes looking very hard to figure out what it all means. It feels more serious as the story progresses, which could be just because of the artists working after Dodson (where'd he go so suddenly, from a project literally made for him?).

Sad to know that Marvel didn't carry this series after the next book, which I guess means the sales weren't there (which is amazing - Fraction usually brings 'em in droves). But I'm enjoying what I can get, because Fraction ties in threads from his previous series' (Iron Fist, Thor) and makes those extra plot elements pay off here.

I do wish the early humour carried through the book as strongly as it started, but I can see how the world-threatening nature of the "villains" may have cast a dour shadow over the proceedings.

[MatiBracchitta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Debo haber terminado de leer este libro hace una semana y cometí el enorme error de no hacer la reseña de forma inmediata por lo cual ahora debo hacerla en frio, basándome simplemente en lo que recuerdo haber sentido y en un análisis más crítico de la obra.

Vamos a empezar diciendo que el equipo artístico va variando y eso se nota. Puede que tenga cierto sentido editorial el centrar cada historia en un personaje y reforzar esta distinción mediante un artista diferente, sin embargo la sensación que genera es que es una recopilación de historias individuales en un solo tomo. Lo cual no está del todo mal (en cierto sentido recupera el sentido que Defenders tenía cuando se creó), pero con los estándares actuales se siente bastante raro y poco cohesitivo.

En cuanto a la historia, como siempre Matt Fraction logra cumplir, mas no destacar. La historia de Nul es malísima, el desarrollo de Hulk pésimo y el reclutamiento de los personajes deja bastante que desear, pero entiendo que son las cartas que le tocaron a Fraction y que él se limitó a hacer lo que podía.

El elenco elegido es bastante interesante, pero creo que se nota demasiado que hay que nerfear a Dr. Strange y Silver Surfer para que estén al nivel del resto. Se trata de personajes demasiado poderosos y si bien no hacen mal equipo con el resto, al momento de hacer frente a las amenazas chirría un poco verlos luchar a la par.

No tengo demasiado más para decir. Las historias son entretenida, pero no atrapantes. Logran cumplir para ser decentes y dejarse leer, pero no poseen un hilo conductor lo suficientemente fuerte como para que me interese indagar más en ellos.

[Joey Barrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first exposure to the Defenders proper (minus Hulk, who's been swapped out for Red She-Hulk this time around). Having first heard the team's name in reference to the MCU incarnation (in reality, a mash-up of Daredevil and the Heroes for Hire characters), I can now better appreciate the original ideas at play in this title. (Imagine my surprise when I pitched a "Defenders" one-shot Marvel RPG session to my group of players and they asked to run characters like Silver Surfer and Son of Satan.) Notably, the original concept-- a team of Marvel's lone wolf heavy-hitters forced to work together-- has been somewhat watered down by street-level characters being used in this team line-up (Iron Fist hits hard, but not at the level of a Hulk or a Namor). But the inclusion of rarely-seen guest characters like John Aman-- always an interesting presence to me, if no one else-- who played a role in Fraction's great "Immortal Iron Fist" series makes me glad these other guys are along for the ride. It's as trippy as it is short-- only two volumes-- but it took some big swings. "Concordance engine" is a term I've forgotten the actual significance of-- I can't pretend this is the most memorable, mind-blowing series ever-- but I appreciate the bold, adventurous writing that dared to dream big. And you wouldn't know it from this cover illustration or the Vol. 2 one where Black Cat mugs for the viewer's gaze, but this is actually a Dr. Strange story at its core, and a heartfelt one at that. I still remember the ending years later, and that has to count for something.

[Joshua D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the creative decisions seemed a bit confusing at first, but it all makes sense if you stick with it to the final issue of the next volume. It's pretty much skippable, but worth a read if you like Fraction's style.

All I'll say is if you're worried about certain characters being killed off, don't. The plot in most of this series takes place in a divergent timeline thanks to time travel stuff.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hulk of hulks. Strange engines and coincidence.

[Gavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy the first half of this at all really; found it kind of juvenille artwork, and the story was just ridiculous. However, I did like the team combo, as you don't see Iron Fist enough, nor had I read any Red She Hulk, and Silver Surfer is a treat. Namor and Dr. Strange have an interesting relationship, but there's a mutual respect there. When Hulk shows up saying he needs help from Strange, you know it's bad...(on account of Strange - and other members of the Illuminati NOT including Namor - sent Hulk into space).
So there's a Hulk that the Hulk turns into, called Nul. Ya. He's big and black and indestructable, so only this random universe gate guarded by an immortal fella stops him...RIGHT.
This gets better when issue 4 begins and the art is a little better, and the plot starts getting into conspiracies, and yet, we never really see all the team together enough. It really seems like a Dr. Strange book, with the others coming back and forth. When there's a bomb dropped about Namor's potential parentage, it's actually the coolest part of this book.
I believe Vol. 2 was it for the series, I'm guessing it didn't sell much. Too bad, the group's makeup was good, just needed to be honed a little bit.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure what to make of the first few issues of this volume, but by issue #4, Fraction has really come into his own, describing a weird group of weird people in a weird world. His depiction of Doctor Strange is sublime, and his Red She-Hulk is quite good too, and it’s these (and the other) characters that really make the story. I look forward to reading more about them.

(Also nice to see some continuity from Fraction’s Iron Fist run.)

[Ant Tellez · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.6/5.0

A few of Marvel's formidable faces take on a task that feels a bit discombobulated from the very beginning.

[Tomás Sendarrubias García · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bueno, pues seguimos con los derivados de Miedo Encarnado, aunque por tema logístico, aún no he podido leer la saga como tal, no tardaré mucho. Pero bueno, la recuerdo, así que no es problema. Recordemos, durante el ataque del dios asgardiano conocido como La Serpiente a la Tierra, llegaron ocho martillos mágicos que poseyeron a sus portadores, sembrando un poco de caos y destrucción allá por donde iban. Uno de estos portadores fue Hulk, que fue poseído por Nul el Destructor de Mundos. Hulk fue vencido por Drácula (suena raro, ¿no?), pero Nul quedó liberado por el mundo... y para eso se reunirán los Defensores, para detener a Nul. ¿Y quienes son los Defensores? Bueno, pues la encarnación del no-grupo más famosos de Marvel, que esta vez quedaba en manos de Matt Fraction y Terry Dodson para el lanzamiento de su nueva encarnación.

El Doctor Extraño lideraría el equipo, acompañado de Estela Plateada y Namor como representantes de los Defensores clásicos, y las nuevas incorporaciones de Puño de Hierro y la Hulka Roja. Su objetivo principal, como ya he comentado, sería detener a Nul, pero pronto se encontrarán en otra trama, pues al perseguir a Nul, descubrirán que este se dirige a Wundagore... donde a su vez, un antiguo personaje llamado Preste Juan (y que está basado en un personaje histórico mítico), está liderando una escapada del planeta para los antiguos hombres evolucionados del Alto Evolucionador, lo que destruirá la Tierra en su huída. Pero además, los Defensores se encontrarán con algo extraño que influirá en el desarrollo posterior de la serie, unas antiquísimas máquinas conocidas como Motores de Concordancia que impedirán a los Defensores hablar de ellas pero que parecerán estar imbricadas en el propio fundamento del Universo Marvel, como descubriremos a partir del segundo arco, en el que a través de números centrados en Extraño, Namor y Puño de Hierro, vamos a ver el poder de los Motores de Concordancia y cómo han afectado a la historia de nuestro planeta.

Sin ser nada del otro jueves, Fraction crea en Defensores una historia eficiente, lo suficientemente atractiva como para querer leerla y entretenerte, aunque creo que empieza ya un poco desinflada de base, no creo que tuvieran muchas intenciones de que fuera una serie a largo plazo.

[Jimbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another group of Defenders. This storyline takes place right after Fear Itself ran rampant through the Marvel Universe (Poor Hulk). Anyway, The Nul is on the loose, Hulk asked Doc Strange for help, but couldn't go near the Nul or it would take him over again, so in addition to Sub-Mariner and Silver Surfer--Red She-Hulk --Bruce's Ex, Betty Ross, is asked to fight the Nul, but a bigger mystery is out there--the Concordance engines. Doc gets a vision while in his astral form but doesn't understand it till it is too late.

Needing a plane, Danny Rand, aka Iron Fist, gets pulled into the mystery and with his help and diaries left by the previous Iron Fist, a whole world that no one remembers gets brought to the fore and Preston John is a pivoting role to the end of the universe.

Cool ideas, great story, -- even Black Cat is pulled in and a Nick Fury.

I love Matt Fraction as a writer, but I swear there are times, I turn a page and I am not sure what happened. The scene changes without clear indicators sometimes and I appreciate that, but I sometimes have to say, "What?" LOL.

Worth the read anyway.

[Burton Olivier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this when it came out. And it's still pretty fun but it's falling just a little flat. And this trade cuts out one of my favorite parts of the book. In the single issues, at the bottom of each page we're little like editor notes. They started out as ads for like other comics coming out that month and telling you information but they slowly started to refer to the story more and more. And as things got more dire and the universe started to break, the captions at the bottom started to glitch out and it would just repeat the phrase "EVERYONE YOU LOVE DIES. THE UNIVERSE WILL BREAK." Over and over. That really stuck with me, it was such a cool way to use the medium and it's a shame they didn't include it in the collections.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I knew that sooner or later I'd come across a book that would be a challenge for me to review.
I've met FRACTION, The DODSONS & LARK.
I really like them, as people.
So, reviewing a book that they did gives me some challenges.
If you are looking for the weakness of this story, go ahead and read the other reviews.
If you are looking for someone to tell you how Amazing this is, go ahead and read the other reviews.

I found this enjoyable. Sure, I wished that there was MORE (Red She-Hulk could use a bit more development)
Why is Doc Strange consider so 'Strange'

But all in all, I enjoyed this story.
I always have, as a default, FRACTION books on my pull list.

[Dave Versace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit disappointing - wanted to like it more, but Namor and Surfer are a bit boring here, Doctor Strange and Iron Fist are mostly morose gits, and only Betsy Ross (I refuse to use her descriptive but profoundly stupid superhero name) is actually interesting as a character.

It's not bad, but it's not what I was hoping for as a follow up to Immortal Iron Fist. (This is a sequel to Fraction's run on that book)

[John Geddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the lineup and there are some great character moments in there, but the pacing went in real fits and starts. I almost wish the author had stuck with smaller stories instead of a big arc that didn’t seem well thought out.

[Brannigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of fun to read. Very pulpy influence in the story.

[Kristi (OneBookMore) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Thomas Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent art, and reminiscent of the series Planetary, which is an all-timer in my mind. Seems like the comic Fear Itself is required reading to get the full story here, though.

[Gary Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Great Marvel Readthrough, pt 386

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been a fan of the original Defenders. I read it through back issues with the original lineup, then the New Defenders/Champions stuff. There have been a few iterations of the team since then which haven't worked out (Last Defenders... yuck).

Matt Fraction brought together the original team, sans Hulk (replaced by Red She-Hulk), and added a few new members. The first volume includes the Hulk, but weaves in the Black Hulk/Nul from the Fear Itself mini-series. I like the Hulk, but Red She-Hulk adds a lot of muscle and even more sass to the team, so it works out for the best.

The story was well put together and seemed to have had the original Defenders stories in mind. They were never a traditional team, but always came together to take on the more, well, interesting threats to the world. There are a few threads floating around that weave well with main storyline. You won't be disappointed, there.

Also, Matt Fraction writes Doctor Strange really well. I would love to know what he said to Red She-Hulk.

The art by the Dodsons is fantastic. They do the covers as well as the first three issues. There are other artists that work very well, but I think they may detract from the casual reader. Artist changes, I believe, are one of the reasons that the series was canceled. Then again, it's hard to keep the Dodsons around for a continuing series like this.

Hey, it's not too bad because Cullen Bunn's Fearless Defenders were fantastic. (Were, because as the time of this writing it has been canceled! Damnit.)

Highly recommended for fans of good writing and good ol' comic fun.

[Reni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember considering picking up the singles when this came out. But having been fairly disappointed by Fear Itself and having dropped Matt Fraction's run on Mighty Thor rather quickly, I simply didn't feel like picking up anything by the author for a while, even though the team intrigued me.

Now I kinda regret not having picked up the singles. Who knows, maybe they were just missing my money to keep this series going for a while longer. Because this run was actually decent. Because, what do ya know, Matt Fraction wrote I book I actually like!

Now the first couple of issues are pretty boring, trite fare (so, yeah, even had I picked this up back then I guess I would have dropped it after the third issue). But then this series picks up. Suddenly all the silly fighting is over and we dive deep into the characters' minds, their fears, their wishes, as they search for an explanation to the magic machine that they so foolishly took with them.

And then it gets weird. The last couple of issues are so phenomenally different - and better - than the first few it's hard to believe they're part of the same story. If only their had been hints sooner of how truly special this story would get, perhaps the book would have survived to see another story arc.

[Des Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a rough time making it through the first half, but I'm glad I did. A lot of the focus on Dr. Strange was awesome, with a great intro story, but the constant narration, while occasionally very clever, wound up bogging my enjoyment of the book. The first story comes off as a bit sloppy, complete with some artistic flubs in continuity, but its sins are atoned for by the second half.

The excellent cast of this book is explored thoroughly, everyone get's a chance in the spotlight. Issue 4 is a beautiful Michael Lark illustrated affair, which explores Dr. Strange's history and descent into alcoholism, as well as a fun insight into a delightfully illustrated every-woman: Molly. The final issues in the volume pick up where Fraction left off with Iron Fist, which was great fun for anyone who followed that title.

The narration lightens up in the second half of the book, which dives into some wonderfully interesting territory. The constantly changing artists don't do anything to keep the book tidy and consistent, but Matt Fraction weaves a fun tale here that's well worth reading.