Penciler: Mike McKone
Inker: Rebecca Buchman
I remember the first Avengers book I bought. It was a Steve Englehart story in the original series. At that time there was only 1 Avengers title. Was it a classic story? No. It was the issue before Steve's epic Avengers/Defenders War. But to me it was amazing. I loved the war Steve was able to make the characters real. It seemed like they were real people who just happened to have amazing adventures. I followed the Avengers ever since that issue until Bendis took the reins. I kept reading during the Avengers Disassembled but this was not my Avengers. I have tried reading Bendis' Avengers off and on but it lacked something. What I discovered with this title is that Christos Gage knows how to write "my Avengers".
This issue is a perfect example. I love the way he shows the conflict between the teachers and the students. The students are torn between what they want to do and what the teachers are telling them. They have conflict within the ranks but support each other when push comes to shove.
In this issue, the students find a video, on the internet, of Tigra's beatdown at the hands of the Hood. They want to know what Tigra did to him when she caught the Hood. Tigra says that she sent him to prison. That is what heroes do. If the heroes start taking revenge through violence, they are no better than the villains.
The students decide to take revenge for her. They expect this will make her happy and send a message to the villains at the same time. Tigra has the opposite reaction. The ending is very believable. This is a comic that I can't wait for the next issue.
Highly recommended.
4 out of 5 stars.
In my comics years, I loved Steve Englehart and thought that his and Marshall Rogers' BATMAN was the best version. Now I only read graphic novels (including MARVEL'S ULTIMATE series and SHOWCASE PRESENTS) because it got too expensive and too time-consuming to keep up with so many comics. But I enjoy your reviews which encourage me to go back to my boxes of old comics. I'm currently rereading some of Marv Wolfman and Gil Kane's JOHN CARTER OF MARS which, quite frankly, are a bit disappointing.
ReplyDeleteYou might also be interested in my other new blog-Comic Book Shelf Review. It will feature reviews of trade paper backs and graphic novels.
ReplyDeleteI'm disappointed that JOHN CARTER OF MARS is not as good as you remember. I would expect better from Wolfman and Kane. They did have a classic run on Superman.