Dear Joss,
Thanks.
Seriously.
I’ve been a long time reader of “The Avengers,” boasting cherished runs on the book ranging from personal favorite Busiek and Perez, the Geoff Johns’ period, almost all of Brian Michael Bendis’ run, and a smattering of issues from people like Roy Thomas, Steve Englehart, John Buscema, Neal Adams and many more in my collection. Somehow, two of my favorite comics that I own are the disparate duo of a tattered copy of the OG “Avengers” #1 and the criminally underrated “West Coast Avengers” Annual #2 (seriously, that book is awesome – West side vs. East side!).
When I say I have a lot of history with the title and the characters within it, that’s no understatement.
However, I went into the movie at a raucous midnight showing with tamed expectations and a simple belief that you as a storyteller would create a film version of this team that would do it absolute justice. I pretty much knew it.
Any expectations I did have were blown away because Joss, my boy? You killed it. You somehow turned 2 and a half hours of assembling and fighting and grandstanding into a non-stop rush of amazing (and true) character moments, huge laughs, thrilling turns and some of the best action I’ve ever seen. All in all, what you did with this property is nothing short of one of the most entertaining times I’ve ever had in the movies.
So thanks. Thanks for being the first filmmaker to really get the Hulk. Thanks for giving every character a moment to shine yet never losing grasp on the fact that this is a team with equal partners and wildly different personalities. Thanks for shawarma. Thanks for the unexpected. Thanks for show stopping punches. Thanks for the one-liners. Thanks for the laughs, the thrills and everything in-between.
Most of all, thanks for taking something I’ve always imagined and dreamt about and doing so much more with it than I ever thought possible.
To those that haven’t seen it yet, see it with as many people as possible. This is a community experience, as I’m sure Joss would agree. Also, when you get to the first extra ending, don’t leave. The second extra ending might somehow be better than it, in its wondrous simplicity.
Also, if you could, please pass on my thanks to the cast. Everyone killed it in the roles we already knew they were good at, but man, big props to Mark Ruffalo as Banner. He was preceded by two top notch actors in Edward Norton and Eric Bana as the character, but Ruffalo nailed the humanity and duality of the character. It helped that your script was perfect for him, but man, Ruffalo sold it all.
Alright, time to sign off. I’m going to be perfectly honest, I think I’m going to see it again right now.
Thanks again.
David Harper
Associate Editor, MultiversityComics.com
P.S. Verdict: 9.5 – GO SEE IT PEOPLE
