An evening with the Illuminati

[stubbleupdate]

I understand that it's Friendship Day on Scans_Daily.

As my contribution, I bring you one of my favourite issues of the last few years - New Avengers Illuminati #4.

Brian Michael Bendis comes in for a lot of grief for his Bendis-voice. What I am saying to you now is that sometimes it's um, like how people talk, you know.

What I am saying to you now is that when it's used for like, every character, and I mean like, every character, it gets incredibly tedious.

What I am saying to you now is that I never want to see the New Avengers sitting eating Chinese food again and have every character quipping like Spider-man.

However, sometimes, it totally works.

One of these times was in New Avengers Illuminati #4, aka Stephen Strange, Tony Stark, Blackagar Boltagon, Professor Xavier, Namor and Reed Richards sitting around and chatting about their lives and relationships.


I love the way that even though they're all still in costume, this is about them being real, genuine people, rather than a Sorceror Supreme and an emperor and so forth. Plus, Cheung's acting and Bendis' panels are great. The little reaction shots and pauses work so well for this.


Tony Stark does not get "it" (and "It" is not sex)
Doctor Strange likes ice Hockey. Rangers fan? Islanders?


Black Bolt is a massive wit.
And that's another great reaction/beat panel from Bendis.


Namor the Submariner's guide to love. Who wants to try it out on their own partners and see how far they get (Shouting Imperius Rex while you're reaching climax doesn't count)
And for Namor wondering about why you'd want to sleep with a woman who looks like Dr Doom, read And I'll get the land by Jonathan Hickman and Adi Granov.

Comments

[redkingcrab]

Just 'cause they're the smartest guys in the world doesn't mean they aren't also normal people, and can't talk like normal people. I mean, I'm pretty sure members of the G8 don't spend their private time orating in stentorian tones.

[wizardru]

Yeah, but we don't have over 40 years of listening to the private conversations of the leaders of the G8. For these characters, WE DO. The only one who sounds like he normally does is Namor. Bendis nails his voice just fine. Professor X sounds OK, if slightly off. Black Bolt mocking is fine. Black Bolt making 'kill me, my wife is a beeyotch' faces? Not so much.

The problem here isn't that the dialogue is bad...it's that it RINGS FALSE. Let me see if I get this straight: Tony Stark, a character with a long history of seducing women and marketing to high-end business leaders...he apparently has no idea how to talk to these guys that he's known years without sounding like a clueless jackass? Really? A character who's been famous for being suave since he was introduced as a millionaire playboy?

I don't have a problem with what the characters are saying, but HOW they're saying it. The artwork, which is not bad, reinforces the approach. If this was a bunch of third-string characters who we weren't as familiar with, it'd be fine...(such as, for example, Stingray talking to Paladin). But for some of Marvel's most famous characters in their boys club? Not so much.

[stubbleupdate]

Jim Cheung = "Not bad"?

[wizardru]

I think that's what I said, yes. For a big action sequence, Cheung is fine. I'm not that impressed with his composition and I tend to find his artwork too busy to enjoy. Cheung's artwork doesn't stand out so much for me. He blends together with a lot of other artists, IMHO. I may not be familiar enough with his work, but it doesn't really seem appropriate for this story.