Written By Brian Michael Bendis
Illustrated By Neal AdamsAn Avengers chapter so special, Marvel had to go to legendary Avengers artist Neal Adams to bring the fire! It’s THE RETURN OF NORMAN OSBORN! H.A.M.M.E.R. is becoming a force to be reckoned with and the followers of Osborn are ready. The New Avengers/H.A.M.M.E.R. showdown is one for the record books and is the first chapter in the blistering new storyline that will herald the return of the Dark Avengers!
It’s a Point One Issue! You know what that means: it’s a perfect jumping on point to the book! The Point Ones were made especially for this purpose. This issue sets up the next year of New Avengers stories with the involvement of Marvel’s Lex Luthor, Norman Osborn, so you know it’ll be volatile.
What did I think of it, though?Check the cut for my thoughts!
I have fallen out of the Avengers books, and in every case it’s been because of the art. However, given that this was a Point One I decided to pick it up again, because I love the idea of Norman Osborn becoming a planetary threat as opposed to merely a threat to the tri-state area; it’s a big promotion for the once and always Green Goblin. Nevertheless, the problem with this book is STILL the art.
I’ll probably find myself in the minority when it comes to that opinion, as Neal Adams is an OG artist who has earned his place in the comic pantheon next to Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, George Perez, and others. However, while I recognize his influence and, to an extent, his talent, that doesn’t mean I have to like it. I’ve never been able to agree with the idea that his books are worth getting because they have a very distinct feel to me. I dare anyone to look at any issue of Mad Magazine and look at the movie/book/TV/pop-culture parody published. Any one of the artists from any of those strips could have been in this book, and you probably wouldn’t have noticed a difference.
That’s not to say that Neal Adams is inherently a bad artist, because he’s not. He has to have earned his value in some way, such as his work ethic and even his talent; the art is just not my cup of tea. I wish there were a different artist on the book, though. If an Immonen were on the title (I wish), I probably would have connected to the book a lot better.
The winner this issue was Bendis. Bendis got a bit of a roughing up this week, as Brilliant didn’t hit exactly the way he wanted to (for me) and he might have been expecting it to turn out better. However, on the bright side, this book reads very well. It accomplishes exactly what the Point Ones are designed to do. It works like a soft reboot; there’s no need to have read anything before this, save maybe Dark Reign. It’s a brilliantly self-contained Point One that tells a complete story with a set beginning, middle, and end. Furthermore, even though it’s in a self-contained style, the lead-through to the next year of stories will hook you in for more.
Really, he only problem with the book is the art. Bendis has a knack for getting some artists with whom I don’t really connect with, and I usually end up not caring as a result. As talented and legendary as Neal Adams is, his work feels so cartoony that I can’t connect with the action as much as I should. I half expect the blood to actually be raspberry jam. Needless to say, it doesn’t carry the weight it should, but Bendis’ story makes it worth the buy.
Final Verdict: 7.0 – Buy (for the story)
