Written by Matt Fraction
Illustrated by Michael Lark– Who Is The Great Lost Love Of Dr. Strange’s Life?
– Why Does A Young-Gun Magician Have Strange In His Sights?
– What Is The Concordance Engine?
Every week, the review team here at Multiversity picks two books each (minimum, of course) to write about here on the site. This week, however, the other writers took all of the books I wanted to talk about, leaving me with only one picked choice and another “open ended” pick. I had no idea what I would write about.
However, after reading the latest issue of “Defenders”, I found myself left with quite a lot to say.
Check after the cut for some thoughts on the fourth issue of “Defenders.”
The opening arc of “Defenders” is a curious one. Written and illustrated in the Mighty Marvel Manner, it is fairly all over the place, with abstract machines, a supposed continuation of a “Fear Itself” thread that doesn’t really amount to too much and it’s major highlight remains a tiger flying a spaceship. All things considered, it wasn’t the strongest show of force that writer Matt Fraction and artists Terry and Rachel Dodson have ever had, let alone working together.
Yet, the concept of the Defenders re-forming in general is an intriguing one. Here is a group with an eclectic cast of misfits spanning the galaxy, starring two characters Fraction has proven himself quite good at writing with Doctor Strange (a character perfect for Fraction) front and center. It’s a book that promises big and bold things tied directly to the heart of the Marvel Universe (although it is certainly not the first time we’ve heard that before), and any book that promises the appearance of Nick Fury and a return to K’un-L’un is one certainly worth sticking by — isn’t it?
Perhaps it was the use of the Marvel Method, but something was lost in those first three issues. Fraction’s voice was certainly clear, and the Dodson’s work was on par with their best, yet at no point did the title really shine for the creative capabilities it assumedly could have. It was, all in all, fairly disappointing. Yet then there is the fourth issue. Drawing the scope back quite a bit, narrowing the focus down to Doctor Strange and continuing off of some loose threads present in the first issue, this issue really shows off what the “Defenders” book could be. While that initial arc is assumedly necessary, both in terms of establishing the cast and delivering one of the central mysteries of the book (the Concordance Engine, or the “wish machine” as Strange calls it), and yet it is ultimately this issue that stands out.
So what is it exactly that makes the issue so worthwhile? Pure and simple: this is the story of Doctor Strange. It’s not a straight recap of his origin, but his origin plays an important (and quite accessible, for the unfamiliar) role. It’s a showcase of his magic, and his uncanny abilities that make him the most powerful sorcerer in the Marvel Universe despite no longer being sorcerer supreme. It’s even a great showing of exactly how Fraction views the character and how the world revolves around him, solidifying the somewhat new but certainly intriguing role for Strange. Most importantly, though, it is a character piece on one of the most underrated and often typecast characters in the Marvel universe, displaying both Strange’s cold heart, clever mind and rather tragic personality.
That, ostensibly, is what the first arc was missing: here were all these characters running around and having a crazy adventure, but the book had no real personality other than “bombastic anarchy.” This issue is the issue that gives the book its heart and shows what series writer Matt Fraction is truly capable of: a heartfelt story of a misunderstood character who is stuck being somewhat of a bastard. It’s sharply written, it’s well paced and it is the first issue of this new series of “Defenders” comics to really stand out amongst the crowd of books on the shelves.
Continued belowPart of this certainly could not be done without the great effort on behalf of guest artist Michael Lark. Lark’s style is best showcased in works like “Gotham Central” or Brubaker’s run on “Daredevil”, but what Lark’s artwork truly succeeds at is grounded stories. Whether it be the aforementioned titles or this current “Defenders” issue, Lark’s art really brings forth the human angle of a fantastical world. We may have scenes of awesome magic, yet it is placed in parallel with a touching reunion between two lovers; no matter how brilliant the phantasmagorical sequence of Strange’s magic is, it’s Lark’s rendition of the reunion of Martha and Strange that truly makes the book’s story hit a full home run. What’s more, when placed against the Dodsons’ cover of the same sequence, you’ll wonder why Lark wasn’t always the artist on the book in the first place.
The addition of the footnotes on each page adds a secondary layer of personality to the book as well. Both advertising other titles and adding song quotes or sporadic meta commentary on sequences, the book reads like Fraction’s twitter feed, offering us both a glimpse into the minds of characters (Molly’s farewell reading “I’m just the girl you stay with to see what you can get away with”, from the Lesley Gore song “What Am I Gonna Do With You?”, and the page before Martha returns has a nice Tom Waits quote) and the book overall (the second to last page reading “Everything Connects” or the repeated use of “#Concordance”), all of which ultimately give a look into Fraction’s own thoughts and writing process. If there was ever a way to bring back a lost Marvel element, this is certainly the way to do it.
To end with, some editorializing: ever since the new “Defenders” title was announced, I’ve wanted to like, or even love, the book. Matt Fraction and the Dodsons writing a book starring Iron Fist and Doctor Strange, among others? This seemed like a slam dunk combination to me. However, after the first three-issue arc dealing with fallout from “Fear Itself” and prepping what I can only assume is the next year of the book, I was left a bit cold. The book was certainly well illustrated and fun in a sort of frantic high concept/hard sci-fi fashion (with tigers flying spaceships), but it wasn’t a title I figured was something I would want to stick by. “Defenders” #4 was the make or break issue for me, and I came deciding to keep the book. With Mitch Breitweiser illustrating the next issue and Victor Ibanez after that, it will certainly be interesting to see what the future holds. This issue is the first step in a right direction in redeeming the title, and I’m happy to keep the book in my pull.
Final Verdict: 7.5 – Buy
