This is what happens when Techland goes to the comic book store: Graeme McMillan, Douglas Wolk, Mike Williams, Peter Ha and Lev Grossman end up talking about what we picked up. This week, we discuss the first issues of the new Avengers and Legion of Super-Heroes series.
GRAEME: Avengers #1: It’s Back To The Future II! “It’s your KIDS, Marty! Something’s got to be done about your kids!” It’s very pretty, though.
DOUGLAS: I suppose everyone who writes Avengers is entitled to do a Kang/Immortus story at some point–Bendis hasn’t done one yet, has he? I liked that last-page twist, too. I agree with Graeme that it’s pretty-looking, and I’m always happy to see Romita and Klaus Janson working together. But it also kind of looks like John Romita Jr. in rush-job mode (the same mode he was in when he drew Mighty Avengers #15, his previous collaboration with Bendis!)–half-assing the backgrounds, drawing very broad faces, etc. That is one awful cover, too. Thor’s face!
It’s too bad this issue doesn’t have a lot of the super-brute-force material that’s Romita and Janson’s strong point these days (that Thor/Kang scene aside). World War Hulk was my favorite thing they’ve done in the last few years, and a lot of that was because it was designed to be five straight issues of smashing.
(More on Techland: Clark Kent Finally Works Out He’s Superman After Ten Years)
GRAEME: Re: Romita’s art looking rushed – Yeah, I think so too. I thought the same thing about his art (again with Janson) from the Free Comic Book Day book, as well. Maybe he just gets very loose with Janson?
LEV: Peter walked into my office and looked at Romita’s Hawkeye and snorted in disgust and said “what the hell is that?”
PETER: It’s true!
MIKE: Romita’s Hawkeye looks like every other character he draws. Now, his Spider-Woman…
GRAEME: This makes me sound a little like a crazy person, but I don’t think Romita draws attractive people at all. They all look a little stunned, scarred and blocky.
MIKE: Crazy person! Actually I think he draws a great Spidey.