REVIEW: Avengers: the Origin #1

“the Necessary Evil”

Writer: Joe Casey
Artist: Phil Noto
Letterer: RS & Comicraft’s Albert Deschesne
Production: Taylor Esposito
Associate Editor: Lauren Sankovitch
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Publisher: Marvel Comics

There have been a number of times that Marvel has retold the origin of the Avengers.  I think there are very few comic fans that currently read anything from Marvel that doesn’t have a basic understanding of how the team came together all thanks to the Norse god Loki and his need to vanquish his half-brother – Thor.  I have a problem with an origin story being retold and even retooled a bit, in order to give the new generation of readers something of a history lesson.  I think as long as there is a solid story along with solid artwork there are no losers.

Joe Casey isn’t new to the Avengers.  He’s stated in a number of interviews his love for this team.  If you look back, he has written two Earth’s Mightiest Heroes series and now Avengers: the Origin.  This new miniseries is set to expand on the events in the original Avengers #1, and I think Casey is the guy who can really do a great job with this.  I think I’d put Joe Casey right next to Kurt Busiek as the writers I’d feel the most comfortable handling ‘classic’ Avengers storytelling.  Casey’s work in this issue is as strong as I’ve come to expect from Casey over the years.  There are great lines of dialogue, and strong characterization.  I think the opening sequence with Loki is a great example of this.

I do have some gripes about this issue from a story point of view though.  One question I have is why wasn’t there a little more introduction to Rick Jones and his group?  Sure, long time readers, or readers who have done some research, know who these guys are, especially Rick Jones, but if you don’t you’re left possibly wonder.  Also, I said this story was a retooling or the origin story, and I’m good with that.  But if this is a more modern day telling of the story, why would someone like Tony Stark be presenting the blueprints of the Hellicarrier, as advance as it is, and be wearing the bulky Iron Man armor from the original story and not something more advance?  Maybe it’s just a continuity nerd question, but still – I just wonder.

The art in this issue is awesome.  I have been a long time fan of Phil Noto and anything the man draws ends up being beautiful.  It’s hard to say anything other than that about Noto.  And while I did complain about the golden Iron Man armor, Noto really does a great job with it, as he does with all of the characters in this issue.

Overall, this is a really good first issue to this miniseries.  Sure, I’ve got some nit-pick problems with it, but it’s an enjoyable comic book that I think people who have never read the origin of the Avengers will really have a good time reading.

REVIEW: Youngblood #6

Story: Joe Casey
Art: Deric Donovan
Colors: Bill Crabtree
Letters: Rus Wooton
Published by Image Comics
Youngblood created by Rob Liefeld

If you’re a regular reader of the site or a listener of the podcast you know my insane love for Image Comics and especially for Youngblood. I haven’t been talking about this current series all that much for a variety of reasons, so I thought I’d take a chance with this latest issues to do just that.

Youngblood has had a rough start in my opinion. The book hasn’t been shipping on a monthly basis for one, but I’m good with that. I think its one of those titles that reaches a certain audience and we’re patient people. We’ll wait. In my opinion Joe Casey and Deric Donovan are worth the wait. I think the delay in the recently released hardcover of the original miniseries hurt things, too. The big thing was that this new series would be launched as a lead in to the hardcover coming out and it didn’t happen when people thought it would. I think there would have been a lot of momentum for the two to build off of each other. It would have been interesting to see if things had gone as planned.

This current series has been a good read. Casey’s quirky writing style fits these characters perfectly because he knows how to balance reality and quirkiness. I think with characters like Shaft and Task you need to know how to write the straight man without making him a parody. Casey has both of these characters written well. I think that now there are two teams of Youngblood running around and these two leaders are sharing screen time there’s a possibility for too much, but that’s not happening.

I had a feeling early on that this series would be more action comedy than anything else, but I was wrong. Yes, there’s a lot of humor in this book and there’s a lot of action, too, but there’s more. There’s a very serious tone in it. Badrock’s current situation in the book is pretty serious. While Televillain looks rather ridiculous in costume, his character is a murderer and there’s nothing funny about it. Casey definitely writes a complex story around a very complex set of characters and personalities and it makes for a good, enjoyable read every issue.

Deric Donovan’s art continues to be really good. Donovan has made this book and these characters his own with each and every page he draws. The same way Casey balances the myriad of tones in his writing, Donovan does the same with his artwork. There are moments of humor, like the conference room scene with Task, Sentinel, and Jamm. Then there are others where Televillain is pressing the barrel of a gun to a victim’s face. Two totally different scenes and moods and Donovan pulls it off with strong visuals. Its good stuff.

This series continues to be a good, solid read every issue. If you have not been reading it, you can still jump on from the beginning. There is an overall story that’s building since issue one, and it is helping establish what this Youngblood world is all about. Casey and Donovan are making this Youngblood fan happy and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

REVIEW: Youngblood #3

Story: Joe Casey
Art: Deric Donovan
Colors: Bill Crabtree
Letters: Rus Wooton
Published by Image Comics
Youngblood created by Rob Liefeld

Oh, Youngblood. How I have missed you. Not in that long lost friend kind of way, but the way a comedian forgot a joke and its come back to him. The problem is, this series has not been a joke. Actually, its been pretty interesting to read, and very nice to look at. Is it possible? Can Youngblood actually be a readable series? I think so.

If you weren’t around in 1992 when Youngblood first started then you probably have an impression of it because of what you have been told. And that stigma that the name Youngblood has could really do some damage for this series and I think its unfair. Yes. I read Youngblood and enjoyed it for what it was back in the early 90s. I eventually stopped reading it when it kept starting and stopping but why this series? Why should you give this book a try? Two men – Joe Casey and Deric Donavan. These two guys have taken the idea of the Youngblood concept and characters and made it into something it was always meant to be and that makes for a really good comic book.

We’re three issues into this series, and we’ve had a pretty significant death at the end of last issue. This issue shows how the team deals with this lost and how the television execs feel they should deal with it. Also, some pieces start to come together for the team as they try and convince the television execs that the villainous rivals of Youngblood, Mayhem, Inc; are actually evil and cannot be controlled. Its interesting to see how heroes have to struggle to get these execs to see what seems to obvious showing ratings rule this team and it doesn’t matter what the team thinks.

The art in this book is great! I’m a fan of Donavan’s art and I’ve been looking forward to him grabbing a regular series such as this. I think Casey’s storytelling plays to Donavan’s art style, but balancing the action and the sit down moments. Bill Crabtree and Rus Wooton add to the art in this book providing this series with a strong artistic team.

I think this series so far has done an amazing amount of work to erase the stigma that the name Youngblood had developed in the 90s. Casey and Donavan are making these characters interesting and worth reading on a regular basis. I know people may not want to take a chance on this series, but I think there’s some worth here if you’re willing to be open and look for it.